Main Extension
Contract Information
Main extensions are executed under one of two contracts, an Advance
or a Contribution and are governed by the tariffs approved by the
Montana Public Service Commission. The contract type is determined
by several factors including the number of units, the expected buildout,
and the expected water usage of the development. Costs associated
with a project that meets the requirements for an Advance Contract
will be paid back to the developer at a rate of 2.5% per year for
40 years. Contributed projects are not refunded. Projects under either
of the above contracts can be administered through Mountain Water
Company (MWC) or through the developer. In a contract administered
by MWC, MWC will select and contract with the excavation contractor
directly. In a contract administered by the developer, referred to
as Install and Convey (I&C), the developer hires and pays the
contractor directly. In either case, the engineering consultant works
for MWC for the water portion of the project.
Main extensions must be competitively bid with a group of contractors that MWC has agreed to work with during the current year. If the developer would like to use a contractor who is not part of that group, evidence must be provided that the contractor is qualified to do the work and they must submit to a competitive bid. The main must be installed in accordance with the current MWC specifications and AWWA standards.
A preliminary contract will be written for a project when MWC has
received a set of plans and a preliminary estimate from the engineering
consultant. The preliminary contract must be signed and returned with
the necessary deposit for the project prior to construction. For contracts
administered by MWC, the deposit will include the estimated construction,
engineering, direct MWC costs, and an administrative fee of 5% of
the entire project. For I&C contracts, the deposit will include
the estimated engineering, direct MWC costs, and the 5% administrative
fee applied to all costs including the estimated construction. A deposit
covering the actual construction costs is not necessary in this case,
as the developer will be paying those costs directly.
When the project is complete, a final contract will be executed based
on the actual costs. The developer will be billed/refunded the difference
from the preliminary contract deposit. A signed final contract and
any amount billed must be received before the yearly refunds can begin
for an Advance Contract.
Each main extension project will likely include 4 elements, delineated
on the bid form as follows:
Schedule A – Main
Schedule B – Fire Hydrants
Schedule C – Service Taps
Schedule D – Service Lines
Schedules A&B fall under the Advance or Contributed Contract mentioned
above. Schedule C is commonly funded by MWC. And, Schedule D is a
direct cost to the developer, as the service lines are owned by the
property owner.
Please contact the Engineering Department at MWC for more detailed information on any of the above topics.
Mountain Water Company reserves the right to decline extension of its service area.
Service Tap Deposits
See connecting to an existing main
Meter Pit or Utility Room
See connecting to an existing main
Backflow Prevention
See connecting to an existing main
Well Abandonment
Upon connection to MWC’s water system, properties served by existing
private wells must either abandon the private well as required by
current MWC specifications or install an approved backflow prevention
assembly on all potable lines serving the property. The backflow system
installation must be inspected by an authorized MWC representative.
If the well is abandoned, that must also be confirmed by an MWC representative.
All backflow devices are required to be inspected annually.
Fire Hydrants
Fire hydrants will be installed by the developer as a part of the Advance or Contributed contract, whichever is applicable. Mountain Water Company will require written verification from the Missoula City Fire Department or the Rural Fire Department regarding the number and locations of the fire hydrants.
Hydrant Flow Tests
Upon completion of a new main installation the fire hydrants need to be inspected and tested to verify flow. This is accomplished during the walkthrough inspection. It is the responsibility of the developer to ensure the conditions are suitable for flow testing the hydrants. If there is risk of damaging the current construction area, the hydrants will not be tested, which may delay the activation of the main.
Construction Water
MWC has four hydrant locations around the Missoula area that are available for construction use. Water trucks must be inspected for cross connection/backflow and a construction account established before accessing those hydrants. If a developer wishes to have construction water on site, they can install a frost-free fill station and meter. Contact Dennis Bowman, 721-5570 for instructions on this installation.
Procedure for Activating Main
After the main has been installed, it can be activated after the
completion of the following:
—All samples have been collected and have passed appropriate testing.
—Successful pressure test.
—Walkthrough inspection has been completed; including verification
that all valves are in the proper position. (Note: Valves are to be
operated only by MWC personnel.)
We will not activate the main until all of these procedures have been completed.
Safety on the Job
Safety, Health, Risk Control and Loss prevention are of paramount importance to MWC and should be to developers, contractors and their employees. Where a main extension contract is administered through MWC, the contractor must be one of MWC's Selected Contractors who have been reviewed and evaluated by MWC to determine that they have the required knowledge, experience, resources and history to ensure that the project will be successfully completed with a minimum of risk and loss.
When the main extension contract is administered through the developer, MWC requires that the developer maintain the appropriate levels of the various insurance coverage, safety, and health and risk control necessary for the job.
MWC requires that its contractors maintain certain dollar levels of insurance and specific endorsements. These include General Liability, Automobile Liability, Worker's Compensation, Work-Comp Coverage for their principals and officers who may enter the jobsite, Employers Liability, Owner's Protective Liability when specific dollar levels of a contract are reached, a listing of MWC as Additional Insured, a Waiver of Subrogation, and the option of Excess or Umbrella coverage substituting for some of the previous. Contact MWC for detailed requirements.
The Contractors shall require their subcontractors to hold and maintain a similar level of insurance coverage and abide by the same standards of conduct, safety, health and risk avoidance to which they are being held by MWC.
MWC Personnel will, during the course of a project, visit jobsites and observe progress and activities. MWC employees and contractors are not permitted to continue to work at a jobsite where “imminent danger” violations of OSHA standards exist and are not corrected at once. Where deficiencies are noted these persons will respectfully intervene to express their concerns and attempt to proactively and amicably resolve the issue.
We at MWC look forward to working, and maintaining a mutually beneficial
relationship, with you and your firm!