Seymour authorizes bids for critical RO feed pump after warnings of long lead times

City water staff explained that the reverse-osmosis (RO) plant operates on two alternating trains and that the feed pumps and motors are aging and difficult to replace quickly. The presenter (Mr. Davis) said a full custom-fabricated replacement can carry a lead time of "five to six months" and that, without a spare on hand, the city could be at risk of prolonged outages if a second pump failed while one side was down for maintenance.

"We are expecting to spend around $60,000 to replace this and just keep on hand for whenever we do have to eventually change one out," Mr. Davis told the council, noting installation costs and potential retrofit work would be additional. Councilors discussed whether to buy one or two pumps and the possibility of retrofitting an existing pump; they approved a motion to go out for bids so that staff can return with firm prices and a recommended purchase quantity after the bid process.