EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – The City Council approved two bids Aug. 16 to help address water system concerns. The council approved a $64,858 bid submitted by the Mid-America Valve & Equipment Co. of Johnson County, Kansas, for valve and actuator replacement work on sludge basins at the water plant. The work is expected to include replacing isolation valves that date back 26 years on one basin and 46 years on two others, Public Works Director Chad Birdsong stated in an Aug. 10 memo to city leaders. In addition, the council approved a bid by Bartlett & West to update the city’s water model. The work, which has a $45,000 cap, is necessary for Excelsior Springs to comply with the Department of Natural Resources’ requirement that communities provide five-year water model updates, Birdsong stated in another Aug. 10 memo. Bartlett & West is based in Topeka, Kansas, with multiple locations, including five in Missouri. Service areas include water, stormwater and wastewater treatment, the…