Featured Project West Concord, MN Screw pump repair When a critical piece of infrastructure breaks down, municipalities are often at the mercy of outside contractors who suggest expensive, full-scale replacements. This was the exact scenario the City of West Concord, Minnesota faced when a major mechanical failure occurred with their screw pump and drive unit. Key Takeaways Massive Financial BurdenThe initial $60,000 contractor bid to replace the drive unit was an incredibly steep cost for the municipality to absorb. Lack of TroubleshootingThe outside contractor planned to simply order a new unit without even attempting to rebuild or fix the existing equipment. The GoalEnvironmental Water Services aimed to utilize a strict process of elimination to properly diagnose the issue and complete a heavy mechanical rebuild in-house to save the city money. An outside contractor told the city the unit could not be fixed and bid a staggering $60,000 for a total replacement. Wanting a second opinion and a more budget-friendly approach, the city turned to Environmental Water Services. Project At a Glance Location West Concord, MN Challenge Major mechanical failure of the screw pump and drive unit Outside Contractor Bid $60,000 for a full replacement Result $14,000 in-house repair — $46,000 saved Scope of Work: Identifying a Thorough Process of Elimination West Concord trusted Environmental Water Services because of their unique capability to handle heavy maintenance and system repairs internally. Rather than immediately ordering new parts, Environmental Water Services executed a hands-on repair process built on rigorous diagnostics, in-house mechanical work, and transparent pricing. Upon inspecting the drive unit, the Environmental Water Services team quickly discovered that the unit did not need to be replaced entirely — they pinpointed the true issues: a leaking seal and a bearing in the rotating shaft that needed replacing. Using their trained in-house personnel, Environmental Water Services craned the massive unit out, cut and replaced the bearings, replaced the leaking seals, and safely put the unit back in place. Because they handled the specialized mechanical work themselves rather than calling in external repairmen, they were able to dramatically lower the cost of the project. An Honest Approach to Troubleshooting Rather than blindly swapping out expensive parts until something works — a tactic that costs the client significantly more money — Environmental Water Services relies on a strict, proven process of elimination to conclusively prove what is broken before recommending any replacement. Our troubleshooting relies on a strict process of elimination. We don’t just swap parts until something is fixed, because that costs the client significantly more money. — Rick Whitney, Founder of Environmental Water Services That honest, diagnostics-first approach is exactly what spared West Concord from an unnecessary $60,000 expense and proved the existing equipment could be rebuilt rather than replaced. Environmental Water Services rebuilt West Concord’s screw pump and drive unit in-house, saving the city $46,000. Transparent Troubleshooting Equals Economic Enlightenment By relying on honest troubleshooting and refusing to take the easy, expensive route, Environmental Water Services completed the screw pump and drive unit repair as a one-day job. The final bill for the in-house project was just $14,000, saving the City of West Concord an incredible $46,000 compared to the outside contractor’s $60,000 bid. Frequently Asked Questions How much did Environmental Water Services save West Concord, MN on the screw pump repair? Environmental Water Services completed the screw pump and drive unit repair in-house for just $14,000, saving the City of West Concord an incredible $46,000 compared to the outside contractor’s $60,000 full-replacement bid. What was actually wrong with West Concord’s drive unit? The unit did not need to be replaced entirely. Through rigorous diagnostics, Environmental Water Services pinpointed the true issues: a leaking seal and a bearing in the rotating shaft that needed replacing — both of which were repaired in-house. How does Environmental Water Services keep repair costs down for municipalities? Environmental Water Services uses a strict process of elimination to conclusively diagnose problems before recommending replacements, and handles heavy mechanical and light electrical work with trained in-house personnel rather than calling in expensive outside contractors.