In June this year, during required IEPA sampling of Well #16, the well motor failed to start. As a result, staff contacted one of the Village’s qualified contractors to pull the pump and motor to determine what caused the failure and inspect for damage. Staff has been working with the contractor to understand what failed and to determine the necessary repairs to put the pump and motor back into service.

The wells are a critical component needed to ensure water supply redundancy, in the event that something disrupts the Village’s current Lake Michigan water supply, provided by Evanston, through the Northwest Water Commission (NWWC). Public Works staff exercise and sample all six Village-owned wells monthly as required by the IEPA and reports all well activity annually as required by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). However, due to the age of the motors, maintenance and repair needs have increased and staff is experiencing more failures during these operations.    

The contractor that pulled the pump and motor (Water Well Solutions Illinois, LLC) identified the failures and has determined the required repairs needed to put the pump and motor back in service. The attached estimate proposes repairing the stator core, replacing the bearings, and all necessary testing and reinstallation, at a total cost of $43,295. 

The contractor is qualified to perform the required work and is able to complete it in a timely fashion. Staff is requesting that the proposal submitted by Water Well Solutions Illinois, LLC, 825 E. North Street, Elburn, Illinois 60119, in the amount of $43,295, be recommended for acceptance.
  
This is an emergency repair, and therefore the budget does not reflect funding for this work. However, there is the required funding available in Account No. 505-7201-550150 (EQ1530), for pump and motor maintenance to account for this repair, so no budget amendments are necessary at this time.

Staff recommends repairing the motor and waiving formal bid requirements due to the time sensitivity of the work. If there are no questions or concerns, staff will authorize the repairs and codify the formal request at the August 5th Village Board meeting.

RECOMMENDATION

Public Works staff recommends waiving the formal bid requirements and approve the repairs with Water Well Solutions Illinois, LLC, of Elburn, Illinois, as authorized in the attached resolution.