Council awards $1.43 million CDBG-funded generator contract for water treatment plant

The Torrington City Council voted to award the FY27 water treatment plant (WTP) diesel generator system project to Allen and Company Electric for $1,386,000.28, with a contingency reserve of $45,047 (3.15%), for a total project amount of $1,431,075 funded by a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

Public Works Director Jeff Harkins told the council that Allen and Company proposed installing two generators — a 450-kilowatt unit and an 800-kilowatt unit — to provide redundancy and enough capacity to run the entire plant in an emergency. “Allen and Company Electric’s proposal provides redundancy in the system,” Harkins said, adding that the dual-generator approach eliminates the need to select which pumps or equipment would remain operating during an outage.

Council members questioned lead times, compatibility and warranties. Harkins said the specifications called for Cummins-brand units that are compatible with the city’s existing equipment and that the manufacturer provides a five-year warranty on the generators; the overall installation carries a one-year project warranty. He also confirmed the project is funded entirely by the CDBG award and that the grant administrator reviewed and concurred with staff’s recommendation.

City staff noted supply-chain delays have pushed lead times for some generator components; the contract includes a substantial-completion target to allow procurement time. Harkins said staff expects the project to be substantially complete by June 30, 2027, and that temporary outages for connections might last a week or two during lower-demand months.

The council approved the award and the professional-services agreement by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Implementation will proceed under the terms approved by staff, with the city’s CDBG conditions and standard construction oversight.

What’s next: The contractor will proceed with procurement and scheduling under the awarded contract; staff will return with routine progress updates and any required change orders or schedule changes.