Scottville fixes Broadway sewer line issue caused by water main contractor.

Scottville fixes Broadway sewer line issue caused by water main contractor. 

SCOTTVILLE — A broken sewer main caused by last year’s water main construction on East Broadway has been repaired. However, the general contractor that was in charge of the initial work, B&L Excavating of Wayland, has declined to make the repairs. Instead, the city hired Hallack Contracting of Hart and will be deducting the cost from what it owes B&L for the water main project.

“They declined to come and make the repairs so we hired Hallack to make the emergency repair,” City Manager Amy Williams stated in a pre-meeting report to the City Commission. “We did document each instance where the problem occurred and that information has been sent to the contractor.  We will reduce the next payment by the amount of our expenses for these repairs.”

The damage was caused by a directional driller, Williams said adding that the drill was about seven feet off its mark, though the subcontractor was given instruction of where the sewer lines were located.

“As we are afraid this may have happened elsewhere in the project area, we have asked that the contractor video tape the sewer lines so that we can be sure we will not have any additional problems.  As of the date of this memo we are still waiting to hear back from the contractor on this and the repairs done to date.  I also do not yet have the bills for the work done, but will be collecting them and sending them along to our engineer so that he can forward them to the contractor. 

“As I noted in prior meetings we are still waiting for a pay request for work done in October and November and then ultimately a final pay request from the contractor,” Williams said. “To date based on the contract price we still have $600,000-plus remaining to pay.  Even if the pay request were to come in based on all of what just happened we will be sure to withhold plenty to cover the repairs that were just made.”