The City of Bremerton, Washington, recently awarded Pape & Sons Construction, Inc., a $898,919 USD contract for a flow control and seismic valve project. The project originated back in 1995 with the introduction of a seismic vulnerability assessment which “identified a risk that we could basically lose a bridge, lose a water main,” said Ned Lever, Bremerton’s managing engineer for utilities.
The assessment pointed out the lack of seismic valves on the water mains between East and West Bremerton, which meant that in case of a seismic event such as an earthquake, if the valves were damaged, the city’s water supply could basically empty into the narrows.
The project was opened for bids Sept. 10. There were seven total bids, but ultimately, the City Council went with Pape & Sons, the “lowest responsive bidder,” according to council documents. The contract allows 160 calendar days for the project to be complete, with an additional 30-day period at the end, following substantial completion, for the project to be totally complete and accepted.