The City of Steinbach is moving forward with plans to upgrade its main lift station on Park Road West, a critical piece of the city’s infrastructure that manages the flow of stormwater and wastewater. On Tuesday, November 5, the Steinbach City Council approved the award of a contract to Associated Engineering to design the Lift Station 1 improvements and the Force Main Twinning project.

The contract, worth $529,789.89 plus tax, follows a recent request for proposal (RFP) process in which five engineering firms submitted bids. The city administration recommended that Associated Engineering be awarded the contract based on its high score in its evaluation, which took into account factors such as the company’s experience, staff qualifications and project costs. .

Councilman Michael Zwaagstra, who moved to approve the price, emphasized the importance of the project in maintaining the city’s growing infrastructure.

“This is obviously an important project, the modernization of Lift Station 1 and the twinning of Force Main,” Zwaagstra said during the meeting. “When we have a project of this size, we have to make sure everything is well designed before we can begin work. »

He highlighted the thorough evaluation process, noting that Associated Engineering’s experience and qualifications made it the obvious choice for the design contract.

Following the meeting, Councilor Zwaagstra further explained the need for the project.

“The lift station is obviously important for the flow of water in our city,” Zwaagstra said. “It is one of the most important services that a municipality offers and when you have a growing town like Steinbach, it becomes even more important to ensure that we always have adequate capacity to manage water .”

Councilor Jac Siemens seconded the motion and spoke positively about the partnership with Associated Engineering. “The Town of Steinbach has worked with Associated Engineering in the past on a number of different projects, the most recent being the lift station on Boulevard Loewen“, said Siemens. “It was a success, I believe.”

With the contract now approved, Associated Engineering will begin design work for the upgrade, which will help ensure Steinbach’s infrastructure can support future growth and adequately manage stormwater and wastewater in the years to come. future.