ALLENTOWN – The Borough Council has authorized two payments totaling $243,530 for Guimar General Contractor, Newark, which is making improvements to Allentown’s elevated water storage tank.
Council members authorized the payments on Sept. 10 and said that the project could be completed by the end of the month.
Payments No. 1 and No. 2 cover work performed by the company through Aug. 17, according to a resolution.
On the same night, council members authorized change order No. 1 for the project.
According to a resolution, the borough engineer requested a change order due to pitting of the interior steel and because the interior tank ladder was in need of repair. Those issues were not evident or visible during the tank’s inspection, but are important and must be undertaken, according to the resolution.
The cost to repair the pits on the tank’s interior by welding is not to exceed $1,200 and the cost to repair the tank ladder is not to exceed $3,500, for a total increase in the initial contract of $4,700.
In May, the council awarded a contract for improvements to the elevated water storage tank to Guimar General Contractor.
Six bids were received on April 30. Guimar General Contractor was the low bidder at $428,000, which was about 2% above the borough engineer’s estimate of $419,500, according to a resolution.
The other bids that were received from companies seeking to be awarded the contract were as follows: U.S. Tank Painting Inc., Millstone Township, $476,900; Bragaton Construction Inc., Livingston, $508,000; Allied Painting Inc., Cherry Hill, $562,250; Brave Industrial Paint, LLC, Long Branch, $649,500; and Alpine Painting & Sandblasting Contractors, Paterson, $798,950.
In discussing the project, Borough Engineer Carmela Roberts has said Allentown officials had a tank inspection specialist inspect the interior and exterior of the water tank in 2016.
She said a subsequent report contained recommendations to sand blast and repaint the interior of the tank, and to high-pressure wash and repaint the exterior of the tank.
Roberts said the improvements “are needed to maintain good water quality as well as the structural integrity of the steel tank. The project will prepare and repaint both the interior and exterior.”
She said several other improvements are part of the work, including a new mixer in the tank which will also help water quality, a new staircase to the top of the tank in compliance with new Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, and new railings.
Roberts said the work is being funded by a low-interest loan Allentown obtained through the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank.
