Johnson County awards $11.7m Middle Basin wastewater renewal contract
Johnson County Wastewater, Kansas · Meeting date: October 22, 2026 · Published: October 23, 2026
Johnson County Wastewater will move into construction on a package of high-risk equipment replacements at the Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Wastewater Treatment Facility in Overland Park. The board authorised $15.5 million for the construction phase and awarded the main works to Dondlinger & Sons Construction.
Key points
- The board approved $15,498,755 for the construction phase of the Middle Basin asset-renewal project.
- Dondlinger & Sons Construction won the construction contract with an $11,659,463 bid, the lowest of six bids received.
- The engineer's opinion of probable cost was $16,781,372; the design consultant, Carollo Engineers, recommended award.
- The project will renew equipment across seven buildings, including grit removal, sludge pumping, electrical, odour-control and chemical-feed assets.
- The Wastewater General Manager may approve individual change orders of up to $250,000, while the aggregate board-approval threshold rises to 15% of the base contract value for this project.
Full report
Johnson County has authorised the construction phase of a major asset-renewal package at the Douglas L. Smith Middle Basin Wastewater Treatment Facility, approving up to $15.50 million in funding and awarding the principal construction contract to Dondlinger & Sons Construction for $11.66 million.
The October 22 decision advances IMB1-Contract 39, a programme of replacements for equipment considered at or near the end of its useful life and carrying elevated risk. The works cover seven buildings at the facility, located near College Boulevard and US 69 Express in Overland Park, and include grit-removal, sludge-pumping, electrical, odour-control and chemical-feed equipment.
Johnson County Wastewater completed a facility plan in October 2023 to establish a roadmap for near- and long-term improvements. Subsequent work grouped the recommended interventions into project packages, with the current package focused on high-risk renewals. Board funding for design and bidding was approved in November 2024.
Dondlinger & Sons was the low bidder among six offers received. Its $11,659,463 bid was below the $16,781,372 engineer's opinion of probable cost prepared by Carollo Engineers, the design consultant. Carollo, Financial Management and Administration Purchasing, and Johnson County Wastewater recommended the award.
The $15.50 million construction-phase authorisation also covers engineering construction-phase services, to be provided by Carollo under its existing term-and-supply engineering contract, as well as other construction-phase requirements.
The board also granted project-specific change-order flexibility. The Wastewater General Manager can execute individual change orders of $250,000 or less, above the county purchasing policy's usual $150,000 board-approval level. It further lifted the individual and combined change-order threshold requiring board approval from 10% to 15% of the base contract amount.
Commissioners said the authority reflects the department's use of more flexible construction-management practices and the continuing escalation of construction costs. The construction funding resolution passed unanimously. The contract award passed with five votes in favour, no votes against and one abstention.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Board Of County Commissioner-General Business, Johnson County Wastewater