By Jim Bloch
Duke’s Root Control, Inc., a company based in Elgin, Illinois, will clean and inspect the sanitary sewers in a roughly 28-block area that runs from Riverside Plaza west to 10th Street in the city of St. Clair. The company will also clean and inspect the sanitary sewers in Hillside Cemetery.
Duke’s submitted the lowest of five bids at $90,813.
“The base bid for this project involves the cleaning and visual inspection of all sanitary sewers between the St. Clair River and 10th Street and between Vine Street and Jay Street,” said Ryan Kern, project manager for AEW, Inc., the city’s consulting engineering company, in a letter to the city. “This district was determined based upon available funding and an investigation of the sewers within this district not being completed for several years. This program will allow the city to obtain a better understanding of the physical condition of the sewers, identify the location of structural defects and be able to prioritize future sewer rehabilitation work necessary to continually maintain a fully operational sanitary sewer system.”
Pamar Enterprises, of New Haven, submitted the second lowest bid at $95,266; Taplin Group, LLC, of Kalamazoo, was the next lowest at $95,266, followed by Safeway Transport, of Romulus, at $110,499, and Advanced Underground Inspection, LCC, of Westland, at $135,739.
The inspection will be conducted via a camera that is directed through the pipes, televising the interior condition of the sewers on closed circuit TV.
“In addition, as an alternative, bid pricing was requested to clean and televise the storm sewer system within Hillside Cemetery,” said Kern. “It is our understanding the storm sewers within the cemetery have not been cleaned and this work will allow for a better understanding of how the storm sewer is laid out within the cemetery and the structural condition of the system prior to future repairs as necessary.”
Pamar submitted the lowest bid for the cemetery work at $20,000, followed by Safeway Transport at $22,200; Duke’s at $23,000; Taplin at $28,079; and Advanced Underground at $32,500.
The cemetery quotes were included in the final bids.
“Duke’s Root Control, Inc. has completed numerous sewer cleaning and television investigation projects of similar scope through Southeast Michigan, several of these
projects being administered through our office,” said Kern. “Recently Duke’s Root Control has completed similar projects for the city of Harper Woods and the city of St. Clair Shores.”
Kern said he found Duke’s to be experienced and capable of completing a quality project in a timely manner.
The city council unanimously approved the contract award at its regular meeting June 16.
The work has not yet begun.
“Although the contract with Duke’s was approved in June, the first preconstruction meeting was to be set up for this week, so the work should begin sometime this month,” said City Clerk Annette Sturdy, July 9.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
