Vermilion council has awarded a contract to replace aging electrical equipment at the Town’s water treatment plant, a project administration says is necessary to maintain reliable operations.

Council approved awarding the contract to Bi-Systems Electrical and Controls Ltd. for $104,320.

Director of Infrastructure and Planning Robert Dauphinee told council the project centres on replacing the plant’s motor control centre (MCC), which has reached the end of its service life.

“As part of our 2026 capital budget work, we identified the replacement of the MCC,” Dauphinee said.

“That particular unit was 1970 vintage, well past its end of useful life.”

The project includes removing the existing motor control centre, installing a new unit and reconnecting the facility’s electrical services.

Following an evaluation of six qualified submissions, the Town’s engineering consultant, McElhanney Ltd., recommended Bi-Systems Electrical and Controls Ltd. as the highest-ranked proponent.

Dauphinee said the contractor is familiar with Vermilion’s infrastructure, having completed previous work at the wastewater treatment plant.

“Bi-Systems is a company that the Town has a lot of experience with,” he said.

Engineering services associated with the project are budgeted at $36,084, bringing the anticipated project cost to roughly $140,000 before contingencies.

With a total capital budget of $260,000, the remaining funding will be available should unforeseen construction costs or change orders arise during the project.

Replacing the more than 50-year-old equipment is expected to improve the long-term reliability of the Town’s water treatment system.