Washington accepts water main bid despite price

The Washington City Council accepted a bid from Quad Cities Winwater Company last week on 2,000 feet of water main material for up to $85,000.

Construction Superintendent JJ Bell said prices for water main materials were significantly higher than normal.

“In September 2018, 12-inch pipe was $14.80 per foot for a 20-foot pipe, that was the lowest bid,” he said. “If you go with the same distributor, it’s $37.42 three years later, that’s almost three times the price.”

Despite the price hike, city officials concluded that the need for a completed water main loop was worth the cost.

“It’s a major puzzle piece in water infrastructure for the north end of the city of Washington,” Mayor Jaron Rosien said. “Material prices are higher but doing this work in-house for that long stretch will help.”

The city has not yet sought bids for a third party installation of a section of the line on private property. City Administrator Brent Hinson said the hired construction crew would cost more than the base material price, but was a condition of the easement to install pipes there.