The Hartley City Council on Monday approved a bid for an additional improvement to an ongoing infrastructure upgrade project.

Wisconsin-based Visu-Sewer won the bid for cure-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining with an estimate of $427,411. A total of five bids were received for the project, which will affect sewer lines and manholes related to the ongoing lift station replacement on the east side of town.

"They were fairly competitive bids," said engineer Wes Boyer, of Bolton & Menk. "That was good to see, especially this time of year."

CIPP lining is a method of trenchless rehabilitation and restoration used in the repair of existing sewer lines. The process uses a textile liner tube and a liquid resin to reseal cracks and other damage, in turn reducing the amount of inflow and infiltration into pipes and lessening the burden on the sewer system.

The CIIP lining addition came thanks to extremely low bids for the lift station upgrade project itself. Back in November of 2021, GM Contracting, Inc., of Lake Crystal, Minn, submitted a bid of $502,006.46 for replacement and construction of the lift station. The project was originally estimated at $908,570 without engineering, administrative and legal fees.

The low bid came with some unexpected consequences. Since the city received a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to help pay for the upgrade, around 50 percent of that amount would have to be returned because it wouldn't be needed to pay for the project.

Bolton & Menk suggested the city seek bids for CIPP lining to raise the price of the project and utilize all of the grant money. The city council moved forward with the suggestion, and the lining project's deadline is now set for May 31, 2023. Manhole rehabilitation in the affected area is also part of Visu-Sewer's bid.

The new lift station will replace the old one located at North Eighth Avenue East and Second Street Northeast that serves a large potion of the northeast quadrant of town. It was built in 1967 and is outdated and undersized.