Brainerd begins $5.3m water treatment reclaim project

Brainerd begins $5.3m water treatment reclaim projectConstruction is under way on Brainerd’s water reclamation and backwash tank project after the utility shifted to construction manager-at-risk procurement following high competitive bids in 2024. The project team is now advancing foundations and pipe installation at the water treatment plant.

The Brainerd Public Utilities Commission approved a $5.3 million guaranteed maximum price for the project in April 2026.

Rice Lake Construction Group mobilized on 10 August, with foundations poured and tank-wall installation due to begin over the coming months.

Staff expect to seek approval in October for minor sanitary sewer and storm sewer replacements needed to discharge sludge from the reclaim tank and address localized flooding near the plant’s central station.

The utility plans to fund the unplanned site work from the project’s owner-contingency line item.

Brainerd’s water reclamation and backwash tank project is moving into its main construction phase, with foundations complete and tank-wall installation expected to begin over the coming months. The scheme is being delivered through a construction manager-at-risk model after the Brainerd Public Utilities Commission rejected high-cost competitive bids in 2024. Rice Lake Construction Group was appointed as CMAR contractor in September 2025, with an $8,500 preconstruction-services fee, while Bolton & Menk was retained for design, CMAR coordination and construction engineering and administration under a not-to-exceed $450,700 agreement. Following value-engineering and pricing reviews in late 2025 and early 2026, the commission approved a $5.3 million guaranteed maximum price in April. The price is fixed unless the owner authorizes changes through change orders. The contractor mobilized to the water treatment plant site on 10 August. According to the Public Works Director’s September report, site work and pipe installation are progressing as planned. The tank foundations have been poured, and the construction team is preparing to install tank walls. The project’s building enclosure is scheduled to be completed before winter so interior work can continue through the season. Staff are also developing a package of minor sanitary sewer and storm sewer replacements on the treatment-plant site that were not included in the original plans. The work is intended to enable effective discharge of sludge from the reclaim tank and prevent localized flooding near the plant’s central station. Design and pricing are under discussion with the contractor, and staff expect to take the proposed changes to the Utilities Commission in October. The city anticipates paying for those additions through the project’s owner-contingency line item.