Carson City advances design for Morgan Mill Lift Station upgrade with $412,000 contract

Carson City advances design for Morgan Mill Lift Station upgrade with $412,000 contractThe Board of Supervisors has greenlit an engineering and design agreement with Keller Associates to address capacity limits at the 1986-era wastewater facility.

Keller Associates, Inc. was awarded a $412,410 contract for design and bid support services through December 2028.

The Morgan Mill Lift Station is approaching capacity due to increased wastewater flows from new development.

The project was formally identified in the city's 2017 Sewer System Master Plan Update.

Upgrades will be partially funded by pro-rata share contributions collected from private developers within the lift station's collection area.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $412,410 professional services contract with Keller Associates, Inc. on August 6 to provide engineering and design services for the Morgan Mill Lift Station Improvement Project. The city-owned wastewater lift station, located on Morgan Mill Road in east Carson City, was originally constructed in 1986. According to city staff reports, the facility is now approaching its operational capacity and requires upgrades to replace aging equipment, meet current regulatory standards, and accommodate increased wastewater flows from surrounding development. The need for the lift station upgrade was formally identified in the city's 2017 Sewer System Master Plan Update. To help finance the infrastructure improvements, Carson City Public Works has been collecting pro-rata share contributions from private development projects located within the lift station's collection area to account for each project's impact on the system. Under the approved contract, which runs through December 31, 2028, Keller Associates will provide preliminary and final design services—including civil, mechanical, electrical, and controls engineering. The firm will also prepare construction documents and specifications, provide permitting support, and offer bid support services. Funding for the design phase is drawn from the Wastewater Fund's Capital Improvements Account, which had an available budget of $432,410 for the project. In a related wastewater action during the same meeting, the Board also approved a $150,000 annual purchase authority for cationic flocculant chemicals from Solenis, LLC. The chemicals will be used at the Carson City Water Resource Recovery Facility through June 2027. Both items were passed as part of the board's consent agenda.