Committee advances Snapfinger plant expansion work, on-call sewer repairs and tank maintenance

The DeKalb County Public Works & Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday approved multiple watershed and wastewater actions, including Snapfinger plant project closeout and future-phase construction‑management agreements.

Watershed staff presented change-order and award items tied to the Snapfinger Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility. The committee approved change order #7 to close out phase two and capture warranty and operations documentation. Staff described the phase-two closeout activities as administrative steps needed to transition to operations; the transcript lists an amount in the item narrative (appearing as $654,42) that staff explained as administrative closeout-related funding adjustments.

Separately, the committee approved RFP 2025-154 awarding construction-management services for Snapfinger expansion phases 3A/3C/3D to Arcadis US Inc. (package amount presented in the transcript as approximately $20,583,451). Staff said the combined phases will expand capacity, modernize treatment processes and align with consent-decree timelines with an anticipated final completion window around 2030–2032.

The committee also approved a substitute to extend the contract term only (through Dec. 31, 2026) for a sole-source sanitary-sewer flow-monitoring equipment and support provider (Teladine/Iceco unit of Teladine Instruments) while staff rebids the work; staff said no additional funds were requested for the short-term extension.

In other watershed actions, the committee approved a change order to the on-call water and sewer contract (Ruby Collins Inc.) to continue replacing approximately one mile of 36‑inch transmission main after an emergency failure and approved repair and repainting of three additional storage tanks (including work at Lonia and the Scott Candler plant). Commissioners also approved a substitute correcting covered quarters on a City of Atlanta CIP payment (agenda item 2026-0867) totaling about $29.8 million as listed in the packet; staff pledged to circulate the corrected substitute paperwork.

Why it matters: The Snapfinger expansion and related contracts are tied to consent‑decree obligations and long-term capacity needs; the on-call work and tank maintenance address immediate system reliability and preventive structural concerns.

What’s next: Staff will return with a detailed presentation for the approximately $233 million Snapfinger project at the next committee meeting and will provide maps and substitute agenda paperwork for several items. The committee deferred two very large CIP items pending further audit review.

Speakers quoted or paraphrased in this article are drawn from Watershed Management presentations and committee discussion recorded in the meeting transcript.