Township sanitary sewer rehab project awarded

By Dana Casadei

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to award the 2023 sanitary sewer rehab program to D.V.M. Utilities at their meeting on Tuesday, September 26.

The bid from D.V.M. Utilities (DVM) was not only the lowest of the five bids that came in at $429,288.50 – bids topped at $545,723.00 – but also came in under the engineer’s estimate from Hubbell, Roth & Clark (HRC) at $515,528.93.

While Bloomfield Township has never worked with DVM before, HRC has on prior projects, and received positive reviews from others who had previously worked with them.

Corey Almas, P.E., director of engineering & environmental services for Bloomfield Township, addressed this program’s focus areas for reducing inflow and infiltration in Section 2, which includes part of Fox Hills subdivision and Fox Hills condos; as well as Section 30, which includes part of the Kirkwood subdivision.

The project was put out to bid with three divisions of work as it had in years prior.

Division 1 is in the Fox Hills Subdivision; division 2, the Fox Hills Condos; and division 3’s focus in the Kirkwood Subdivision.

The 2023 sanitary sewer rehab program is part of Bloomfield Township’s continuous effort to inspect, repair, and rehabilitate portions of the township’s sanitary sewer to reduce inflow and infiltration, taking a proactive approach to the township’s sewers before something disastrous, and costly, happens such as a sink hole.

Elimination of inflow and infiltration into the township’s sanitary sewer system also helps lower the cost paid by Bloomfield Township to the Oakland County Water Resource Commissioner for collection and treatment.

This program is done in part under an administrative consent order and final order of abatement by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy.