title
EMERGENCY BYPASS PUMPING FOR THE FOURTEEN MILE SANITARY SEWER PUMP STATION
recommendation
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve a motion to accept findings and justify an exemption to the competitive bidding process for emergency bypass pumping at the Fourteen Mile Sanitary Sewer Pump Station located on Wright-Elmwood Tract. Rain-for-Rent Inc. of Stockton was retained by the Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) to provide emergency bypass pumping. Final costs are not yet known; however, staff will return to the City Council for ratification of final expenditures.
It is further recommended that the motion authorize the City Manager to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this motion.
body
Summary
On July 25, 2017, MUD staff reported catastrophic failure of one of the two in-service pumps at the Fourteen Mile Sanitary Sewer Pump Station. The most recent failure leaves the City with only one operating pump and eliminated the redundancy necessary to ensure continued service. Without the second pump the potential for pump station failure and a sanitary sewer overflow are significantly increased.
This condition prompted urgent action to retain Rain-for-Rent, Inc to install an emergency bypass pumping system until such time the remaining pumps could be rebuilt and put back into service. It is estimated this could take up to four months to complete.
Due to the urgent need to maintain sewage flow at this pump station, the MUD was granted authority on July 28, 2017, in accordance with provisions of Stockton Municipal Code (SMC) section 3.68.070, which provides an exception to the competitive bidding process under certain circumstances, including cases of emergencies. SMC section 3.68.070 addresses exceptions in the case of emergency and requires that a written report, including the findings upon which the emergency was based, shall be provided to the City Council no later than its next regularly scheduled Council meeting.
If approved, this motion will result in the approval of findings associated with the emergency bypass pumping at Fourteen Mile Sanitary Sewer Pump Station by Rain-for-Rent Inc. of Stockton.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Fourteen Mile Sanitary Sewer Pump Station is one of 27 of the City’s sewer pump stations that was built in 2007 to convey wastewater from the northwest areas of the city to the Regional Wastewater Control Facility (RWCF). This station is very important to the system in that it pumps on average 7 million gallons of sewage a day to the RWCF using four large electric-powered submersible pumps.
On July 25, 2017, MUD staff reported a catastrophic failure of one of the two remaining sewage pumps. The cause for the pump failure is unknown but is consistent with past pump failures at this station.
In addition, MUD staff took other actions that included diverting one-third of the sewage flow away from this station and authorized the immediate repair of one of the other submersible pumps removed from this station.
Present Situation
Due to the urgent need to maintain sewage flow at this pump station, the MUD was granted authority on July 28, 2017, in accordance with provisions of Stockton Municipal Code (SMC) section 3.68.070, which provides an exception to the competitive bidding process under certain circumstances, including cases of emergencies. SMC section 3.68.070 addresses exceptions in the case of emergency and requires that a written report, including the findings upon which the emergency was based, shall be provided to the City Council no later than its next regularly scheduled Council meeting.
Final costs for the emergency bypass pumping anticipated over the next several months are still unknown. Once the final amount is known, staff will return to the City Council for ratification of the final expenditures.
The findings for the purchase of emergency bypass pumping are as follows:
1. The Fourteen Mile Sanitary Sewer Pump Station is a vital component of the City’s wastewater system.
2. Failure of the submersible pumps has made the station unable to convey the necessary sewage flows to the RWCF to prevent significant sanitary sewer overflows.
3. The alternative temporary pumping system will maintain service and allow staff over the next several months the time necessary to replace and/or repair other damaged pumps removed from this station.
4. The competitive bidding process would delay putting the emergency bypass pumping in place and could result in a significant sanitary sewer overflow if the remaining pump fails.
5. Rain-for-Rent, Inc. is a local contractor that was available and capable of completing the necessary bypass pumping, which is in the best interest of the public.
Therefore, staff recommends that the City Council approve this motion to approve findings associated with the emergency bypass pumping at Fourteen Mile Sanitary Sewer Pump Station by Rain-for-Rent Inc. of Stockton.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Due to the nature of this emergency expense, there is no funding appropriation in the FY 2017-18 Wastewater Fund budget. There is sufficient fund balance in the Wastewater Utility Fund (431) for the emergency bypass pumping services provided by Rain-for-Rent.
Upon completion of the work and a determination of final costs, staff will present the City Council with a final report requesting ratification of the actual expenditures and funding appropriation from the Wastewater Utility Fund balance.
There is no impact to the General Fund or any other unrestricted fund, from this action.