PELL CITY — Bids were opened Thursday for the third phase of the Coosa Valley Water Supply District regional water project.

“We are pleased with the bids,” said project manager Mike Walraven, an engineer with Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, Inc. “The low bids show significant savings from our estimates.”

Chris DeWeese, an engineer with Municipal Consultants, Inc., said the bids opened were for Water Transmission Facilities Contract B-2A and B-2B.

Contract B-2A starts from the water treatment facility off Alabama 144 near Ragland and travels west to where Old Coal City Road begins.

Contract B-2B starts along Old Coal City Road, where Contract B-2A ends, travels along Old Coal City Road, along Depot Street through Riverside, and across the Coosa River to Lincoln.

“Contract B-2A is strictly pipe,” DeWeese said. “Contract B-2B is pipeline, a water tank, a metering station, and the river crossing.”

There were 21 bids for Contract B-2A ranging from $2.4-$4.5 million. Gary’s Grading & Pipeline Company, Inc. was the apparent low bidder at $2,476,781.

There were 10 bids for Contract B-2B ranging from $4.4-$6.4 million. Gary’s Grading & Pipeline Company, Inc. was the apparent low bidder at $4,485,155 with a $250,000 deduction if awarded both projects.

Both contracts are 365 days from start to completion.

“We had anticipated bids of approximately $3.3 million for Contract B-2A and approximately $5.4 million for Contract B-2B,” DeWeese said. “The low bids are well under those numbers.”

DeWeese said it appeared the low bids are very good prices.

“We still have to bid the intake and pump station on the water plant site property,” Walraven said.

Walraven said they have applied for an Economic Development Administration grant and are waiting on grant approval before bidding the final project.

He said the Coosa Valley Water District Authority has 120 days to award the contracts.

Under a regional agreement, Lincoln, Odenville, and Pell City agreed to purchase 750,000 gallons of water per day from the CVWSD, with Springville purchasing 500,000 gallons of water per day, once the water treatment plant is in operation.

The surface water treatment plant will initially pump 3 million gallons a day of treated surface water to St. Clair and Northern Talladega counties.

The plant is capable of producing 6 million gallons of a day of treated surface water without any capital improvements, however the plant is designed to pump as much as 12 million gallons per day of treated water.