City Council last week approved two professional services contracts totaling more than $100,000 for preliminary work on upgrades to the city’s water treatment plant.

AR-244-13 for $91,000 provides for supplemental engineering consulting services related to an Oct. 28 proposal to include “interconnection and metering design, residual holding pond relining, electrical system study and evaluation of treatment plant clarification and assessment of recycle systems.”

AR-245-13 for $25,000 will provide engineering consulting services related to preparing an application to the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust (NJEIT). There’s a “need for a firm specializing in the preparation of design documents (plans and specifications), permits and loan application package,” according to the resolution, and came from a proposal submitted Sept. 6. About half of the $16.6-million water treatment plan upgrade will be financed interest-free through the NJEIT.

Funds for the two contracts will be covered by a $1.4-million bond ordinance approved in August. Both contracts were awarded to the firm of Hatch Mott MacDonald, which presented options to City Council in August for upgrading the treatment plant. The engineering firm also was awarded a $572,000 contract for design services in October, chosen over two other firms after a Requests For Proposals (RFP). That’s three contracts for a total $688,000 so far.