The Energy Department’s Office of Science office in Oak Ridge, Tenn., will extend for 10 years its contract with the City of Oak Ridge for a potable water supply for the Y-12 National Security Complex and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The contract modification extends the period of performance from completion this June 30 to June 30, 2027, according to a notice posted Friday.
The city currently supplies the two sites with potable water, which together require roughly 1.4 billion gallons per year to operate. The estimated price of the 10-year extension is $24 million, the justification document said.
It also noted that DOE’s Oak Ridge office operated a water treatment plant on its Oak Ridge Reservation prior to 2000. That year, ownership of the plant was transferred to the city under the condition that it not charge DOE more for potable water than the actual production cost.
“The distinction is important due to the fact that DOE-ORO operates its own water distribution system which is separate and distinct from that of the City,” the document said. “As such DOE-ORO does not bear costs related to the City’s water distribution.”
