The city of Jefferson has finally closed the books on a large-scale renovation project.

The Jefferson City Council approved, at their most recent meeting, the final pay estimate of $183,945 to Shank Constructors and accepted the certificate of completion for the Wastewater Treatment Plant improvement project. The project that originally started three years ago with former City Administrator Mike Palmer, stemmed from the new discharge requirements from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 

Current City Administrator Scott Peterson talks about some of the highlights of the improvements that were made at the facility. 

“They added a couple of new types of treatment and it has to do with getting rid of phosphorus and being able to get rid of a couple of other contaminants. So they did change the process down there, as well as looking for ways to increase some efficiencies and help us with our sludge applications. So, the long arduous process is over.” 

Peterson points out that the original contract price was $17.5 million and there were less than $1 million of change orders that were made along the way.

“It did have $889,000 worth of change orders, but again on an $18 million project. Percentage-wise it was really not that bad, as far as with the change orders were. Somethings that just happened and really cannot be avoided and needed to be addressed that way.”

Peterson adds that the newly refurbished Wastewater Treatment Plant should be viable for at least the next 20 years.