Miramar awards $2.1m East WTP sand-separation contract
Miramar Utility, Florida · Meeting date: October 21, 2026 · Published: October 22, 2026
The City Commission unanimously selected Razorback LLC to install a sand separator at Miramar's East Water Treatment Plant. The project is intended to stop sand in aquifer-derived raw water from clogging cartridge filters and reaching nanofiltration membranes.
Key points
- Razorback LLC received the $2.114 million, not-to-exceed award for the East Water Treatment Plant Sand Separator Project (Re-bid).
- Utilities staff said excessive sand in raw water has reduced cartridge-filter service life from a typical four to six months to four to five weeks.
- The original solicitation drew three bids, but all were deemed non-responsive because required qualification information was missing; the re-bid received two responses.
- The East plant primarily serves the area east of Palm Avenue, although its interconnection with the West Water Treatment Plant means the project benefits the wider city service area.
Full report
Miramar has moved to address a persistent raw-water solids problem at its East Water Treatment Plant, approving a $2.114 million contract with Razorback LLC for a sand-separation system.
The City Commission unanimously approved the award on 21 October following a staff presentation that described excessive sand entering the plant with raw water and clogging equipment downstream of the intake. The separator is intended to remove sand before water reaches pretreatment cartridge filters and the plant's nanofiltration trains.
Jada Levers, the Utilities Department's water resources manager, told commissioners that the plant needs the system because the sand is causing “significant clogging” in cartridge filters and nanofiltration membranes. Staff explained that raw water and sand are pumped through raw-water mains to pretreatment filters before entering the nanofiltration process. Under the proposed configuration, the separator will filter out the sand and return it to the ground, protecting downstream equipment.
The operational impact is already evident in the replacement frequency of the cartridge filters. A staff member said their typical service life is four to six months, but current conditions have reduced that period to four to five weeks. Commissioners said the separator should reduce maintenance demand and preserve the filtration system.
Utilities director Francois Dumont said the East plant principally serves Miramar east of Palm Avenue. However, the East and West treatment plants are interconnected, and the East plant can pump water westward when required. He said the project would therefore benefit the full city service area. Dumont also said the equipment would contribute to water quality, alongside other infrastructure improvements, while stressing that the city already meets applicable water requirements and regulations.
The contract was awarded through Invitation for Bids 26-028, a re-bid of the project. The first solicitation, issued in March, received three responses, but all were found non-responsive because bidders had not provided information required to demonstrate their qualifications. Procurement reissued the same solicitation on 5 May and received two bids by 11 June. Razorback was judged the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, at $2.114 million.
Separately, the commission approved up to $500,000 per fiscal year for fire-hydrant and valve repair and construction services from Hydromax USA LLC, subject to annual appropriation. It also approved up to $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2027 utility operations and maintenance purchases through existing cooperative and government contracts: $150,000 from Core & Main LP, $200,000 from Ferguson US Holdings Inc., and $150,000 from W.W. Grainger Inc.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: CITY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING, Miramar Utility