Sewer project to start next month
VANDERBILT – The wait is almost over. After 46 years of waiting for the Yough Sanitary Authority’s $11.1 million wastewater collection, conveyance, pumping and treatment project to get under way, residents can breath a sigh of relief that dirt will begin to fly on the project at the beginning of September.
Contractors, authority board members, utility representatives, engineers, township officials and the public met Thursday at the Vanderbilt Borough Building for a pre-construction conference.
The conference, hosted by Barbara J. McMillen, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) loan specialist, and Widmer Engineering Inc. of Connellsville project engineer Marie Hartman, was held to introduce contractors and identify their responsibilities over the next year.
McMillen said the sewer line project, which will take in portions of Vanderbilt and Dawson boroughs and Franklin, Dunbar and Lower Tyrone townships, must be completed within one year from the start of construction.
“The notice to proceed was issued by RUS today,” said McMillen “and the contract is to be completed by Aug. 13, 2007.”
Shallenberger Construction Co. Inc. of Connellsville, Port Vue Plumbing Inc. of McKeesport and A-1 Electric Inc. of Venetia were given their instructions and told if the work is not completed within the contract time it will cost them $500 per day.
Shallenberger received two contracts to install the sewer lines and accessory objects associated with the project. Under Contract A, which includes Vanderbilt Borough, and Dunbar and Franklin township’s sanitary sewer system, Shallenberger will receive $3,947,782.50.
Under Contract B, Shallenberger will be required to complete work on the Dawson Borough and Lower Tyrone Township sewer system at a cost of $2,455,357.35.
Port Vue Plumbing Inc. received Contract C, which is the general construction of the wastewater treatment plant, the River Road pump station and Hollow Road pump station in the amount of $2,666,000.
A-1 Electric Inc. will be responsible for Contract D, which is the electrical construction for the wastewater treatment facility at the River Road pump station and the Hollow Road pump station.
Its contract is the same at the other two, however, it will receive $346,500 for the work.
Yough Sanitary Authority Chairman Francis Cricco and treasurer L. Wayne Cable will be the responsible parties for issuing partial and final payments and will be required to approve change orders for the contractors.
Cricco and Cable will additionally be required to make periodic visits to the construction site to observe progress and performance of the work and final inspections.
They will sent monthly reports along with contractor’s requisitions to RUS and send out letters to all residents stating factual information on the project and work to be completed. They also will be required to obtain prior approvals from RUS for use of any unused funds for new extensions, change of scope or equipment.
Widmer Engineering will make regular inspections and determine if the work meets the requirements of the contract documents. It also will be required to file inspection reports for each inspection with RUS.
McMillen said there is no reason that the construction crews cannot work year-round.
She also said that Davis-Bacon wage rates would apply.
“The workers are subject to OSHA inspections and fines for violations,” said McMillen. “RUS is not responsible to police the job for compliance.”
Hartman said the tax-exemption certificates have been prepared and provided to the contractors. She additionally said that each contractor must submit a project schedule, list of suppliers and a list of subcontractors to her as soon as possible.
“Contract C and D are essentially lump sum-type contracts, so we will need an itemized breakdown of costs for use in preparing the partial payments,” said Hartman. “The cost breakdown must be submitted to us for approval before the first pay request is processed.”
Hartman said each contractor was provided with a schedule showing cutoff dates for pay requests and the dates and times of the monthly job conferences.
The state Department of Transportation, Verizon, North Fayette Municipal Water Authority and other utility company representative attended the meeting and listed their stipulations.
Hartman said the first change order incorporated the new wage rates into the project. She said that the change order was executed by the contractors prior to the notice to proceed.