FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – The Township Committee has awarded a $49,000 contract to a company that will rehabilitate one of the municipality’s water wells.
Committee members passed a resolution on Feb. 27 awarding the contract to A.C. Schultes Inc., Woodbury Heights, for the rehabilitation of well No. 3 at the municipal water facility. A.C. Shultes submitted the lowest of three bids for the project.
The other companies that submitted bids were Steffen Drilling, LLC, of Glassboro, with a bid of $66,100, and Uni-Tech Drilling Co. Inc., of Franklinville, with a bid of $64,180. Following a review of the bids, the superintendent of utilities recommended awarding the contract to A.C. Shultes, according to the resolution.
Regarding the project, Township Administrator Peter Valesi said, “The American Water Works Association recommends rehabilitating water production wells every five years, which was the last time well No. 3 was rehabilitated … The rehabilitation consists of removing the well pipe and pumps from the shaft, inspecting the mechanical and structural aspects of the equipment, and repair and replacing parts, as necessary.
“The above ground motor is tested and inspected for issues and repaired and serviced as necessary. While the pump and pipes are out, the well itself is treated with pressure and acid to clean and clear the well screens, and to loosen the soil and gravel immediately around the well screens in a process that increases the production capacity of the well.
“These areas get gradually more dense and clogged over time which degrades the amount of water that can flow through the well over the periods between rehabilitation,” Valesi said.
“Afterward, the pump is replaced, the well is rinsed, washed and chlorinated, and flushed before it is returned to service. The entire process increases the overall production capacity of the well in available gallons per minute to be pumped. It also increases the efficiency of the well, which reduces energy costs and mechanical wear on the pumps and motors.
“The township has many wells which are designed to be used at different times of the year and feeding to various treatment plants throughout the system. These redundancies allow us to perform this work without any interruption of service or degradation of pressure or supply,” Valesi said.
In other business, committee members awarding a $33,750 contract to Starlite Electrical, LLC, Keansburg, for as-needed electrical service work in Freehold Township. A $40,750 bid for the project was submitted by Sal Electric Company Inc. The contract was awarded to the low bidder based on the recommendation of the director of facilities, according to the resolution.
The members of the governing body authorized an application seeking a $6,600 grant from the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Highway Traffic Safety. The grant being sought is a 2018 Distracted Driving Crackdown Grant for the U Drive, U Text, U. Pay program. According to the resolution, officials authorized the application after being notified by the state of Freehold Township’s eligibility to receive the money.