Crockett staff: forensic testing found sulfates under South Fifth Street; city to seek contractor bonding

City staff reported to the Crockett City Council that forensic testing has confirmed sulfate contamination beneath South Fifth Street, a recently completed component of a U.S. Economic Development Administration disaster‑supplement project.

The presentation said water‑line work on the project is complete and conduit for fiber optic service is in the ground, but the South Fifth Street pavement began cracking soon after the August 2022 completion. Staff said follow‑up cores and forensic lab tests confirmed sulfates in the subgrade that were not identified in the original geotechnical sampling. “The forensic testing and report confirmed that there was sulfates in the ground,” staff said during the update.

City staff described three areas of possible responsibility: the geotechnical firm that prepared initial samples, construction workmanship, and the prime contractor. Staff said demand letters are being drafted to the engineer, geotechnical firm, contractor and bonding companies, and that the city expects the implicated firms to pursue mediation among themselves to allocate liability and bonding coverage.

Officials gave a ballpark repair estimate and timeline: staff said the remediation could require full‑depth removal of contaminated soils and rebuilding the roadway, and that firms estimated the repair cost to be “probably somewhere around a half a million dollar repair.” Staff said the engineering firms have indicated they will assume responsibility and that the city does not expect the repair cost to fall to local taxpayers, though the process will include re‑engineering and rebidding; the earliest completion they offered was spring, contingent on mediation, procurement and contractor schedules.

The council heard that the remaining outstanding element of the larger EDA project is the fiber‑optic provider procurement; staff said conduits are in place and the city must now attract a provider to install service.

Next steps described to the council included sending demand letters, pursuing mediation among implicated firms, then re‑engineering and soliciting bids for repairs. Staff emphasized the process will take months and that the city’s current expectation is to seek bonding coverage rather than absorb the repair cost.