Lavallette to Begin Multi-Year Well Replacement Project At Lower Cost Than Expected

The Lavallette Public Works yard and water tower, March 2024. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Lavallette officials have awarded a contract to replace a well for its municipal water system, a project that will take about two years and cost millions of dollars, though the final cost is now more than $1 million less than initially estimated.

The borough council this week awarded the contract to Quad Construction Company for $4,528,350, well below the estimated cost of $6 million which had been anticipated. The only other bid received by the borough was for about a million dollars more than Quad’s low bid. The borough will receive about $2.5 million in state grant funding for the project.

“The company is highly recommended by our engineer,” said Councilwoman Joanne Filippone.

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The well, which will be known as well number six, will be dug at the northeast section of the Newark Avenue water plant, and will replace well number three. It is estimated that the well replacement will be a 500 working day project – dependent on weather and any unforeseen issues that may arise during construction – and could last about two years. Borough officials, for several years, have worried that aging wells could fail to meet growing capacity in town, driven by larger homes and the presence of more people year-round.

The project itself is not expected to disrupt water flow for ratepayers, and it is unlikely that capacity issues will come into play before the new well is finished, officials said. Even in the event of an emergency, Lavallette has a backup plan in place.

“We have a direct line to American Water, so we would have to buy from them,” said Filippone. “It’s all in place if, God forbid, we need it.”