FLINT, MI - Mayor Karen Weaver's Fast Start program is moving forward with the support of the Flint City Council.
Fast Start Project Coordinator, Michael McDaniel speaks with a group of potential contractors at t a mandatory bid meeting last month to replace Flint's lead tainted pipes. (Jiquanda Johnson | jjohns16@mlive.com)
Council members voted on July 18 in favor of Flint contracting with three companies to start replacing lead tainted water lines at an estimated 250 homes for the program's second phase.
Project coordinator Michael McDaniel said it will take 60 to 90 days to complete the project but said he hopes that this part of Fast Start will help the city move forward with a more ambitious goal of replacing infrastructure at thousands of homes in Flint.
"We're going to truly evaluate all three firms and we're going to truly evaluate the way it's done and at the same time we're going to start the second (Request for Proposal)," McDaniel said.
The program launched in March using funding provided by the state under a $500,000 contract with Rowe Engineering. The city has plans to use $2 million the state repaid Flint for reconnecting to back to Detroit's water system last year to continue replacing infrastructure in Flint during Fast Start's second phase.
Since the launch of the program, 33 homes have had lead-tainted service lines replaced.
McDaniel also said the city will work on the bid process in conjunction with Fast Start's second phase.
The city is using $25 million in funding approved by the Michigan legislature last month that was allocated for replacing Flint lead tainted pipes for Fast Start's third phase which will replace infrastructure at an estimated 5,000 homes in Flint.
Companies, WT Stevens Construction, Inc., Johnson & Wood Mechanical and Goyette Mechanical were awarded contracts for second phase of Fast Start.
Both WT Stevens and Johnson & Wood were awarded $320,000 contracts to do no more than 50 homes each. Goyette was awarded $619,500 to tackle replacing lead lines at 150 Flint homes.
McDaniel said the city's goal is rid lead from all the city's water and the city is not focused on just meeting the federal acceptable level of 15 parts per billion of lead being safe.
"We never said that was our action level," McDaniel said. "We never said it was based upon the federal action level and I don't think it should be. If there is any lead in the water it should be handled and that's what I think the residents want us to do. Our action level is down to zero parts per billion of lead."
He added that under the $25 million funds the bids have to come in at $5,000 or less.
"The pilot is a way to look at what the best method as well as assess the companies," McDaniel said. "We also need to look at why we are receiving different estimates from experts."
So far, the work has been priced from $5,000 to $6,400 per home.