The Audubon City Council has selected a contractor for a dam reconstruction project that should alleviate some of the community’s water supply issues. At their meeting last week, city officials selected the low bid of $433,000 from Healey Excavating of Lake View to complete the work. Clerk, Joe Foran, says the council was excited to see the bid come in lower than anticipated.
Foran says this work is necessary to correct issues with the existing low-head dam, as it is no longer sufficiently holding back enough water for their alluvial wells to function properly, particularly during unusually dry seasons like the area saw over the summer and early fall. The community has been under a water emergency proclamation since June due to the low water levels. Healey Excavating is expected to begin work this winter and finish in the spring. Funding for the project is sourced through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) According to Foran, this is just part of the city’s efforts to address their water supply issues.
The council has scheduled a public hearing for that segment of the project for their Monday, Nov. 8 meeting. Foran says they have secured access to the site where the well will be located, but they still need to go through the formal process of approving its installation. The project will go out for bid this bid this winter following the hearing. Tentative plans show construction on the well starting in the spring and finishing around the same time the weir improvements are finished. Foran explains how the two projects fit together.
With an additional well and improved dam, Foran says those issues should be resolved. As for the ongoing water emergency, it is scheduled to expire on Nov. 1. City officials do not believe another extension will be necessary as outdoor activities and water usage decline during the colder parts of the year.
