SAN BENITO — City commissioners continue to work to renovate the city’s 90-year-old water plant.
Last night, commissioners ratified expenditures aimed at upgrading the old plant more than a month after the city reached a settlement in its lawsuit against companies behind the construction of a $17 million water plant shut down in 2014.
In the meeting, commissioners ratified the expenditure of $77,983 for the installation of backwash pumps and piping.
Commissioners also approved a final payment of $98,752 for the rehabilitation of three filters.
Commissioners also approved expenditures at the newer water plant, earmarking $11,750 for the replacement of a high-service pump motor.
Earlier this week, Commissioner Esteban Rodriguez said the city plans to use money from the lawsuit’s settlement to reopen the newer water plant.
But he said it might take as long as three to four years to reopen the plant because it has been shut down for about three years.
Meanwhile, the city will continue to renovate the old water plant that has served as the primary source of water since 2014.
Rodriguez said he could not disclose any settlement details including the amount of money the city received.
In 2014, commissioners decided to shut down the newer water plant, filing the lawsuit arguing the plant had never properly operated.
Meanwhile, commissioners launched a $3 million project to renovate the water plant built in 1927.
