title
APPROVE SPECIFICATIONS AND AWARD A CONTRACT TO SYNAGRO-WWT, INC. FOR DIGESTER NO. 5 CLEANING
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to:
1. Approve the specifications for the Regional Wastewater Control Facility Digester No. 5 Cleaning, Project No. P17015.
2. Award contract in the amount of $483,968 to Synagro-WWT, Inc. of Baltimore, MD for the cleaning of Digester No. 5, Project No. P17015 (Exhibit 1 to the resolution).
3. Approve the filing of Notice of Exemption No. CE08-18 under the California Environmental Quality Act for the Regional Wastewater Control Facility Digester No. 5 Cleaning, Project No. P17015 (Exhibit 2 to the resolution).
It is further recommended that the City Manager be authorized to take appropriate and necessary action to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
body
Summary
Two digesters at the Regional Wastewater Control Facility (RWCF) break down sludge in the wastewater treatment process. This process produces methane gas as a by-product, which is in turn used to generate electricity. Over time, grit accumulation diminishes digester treatment capacity. Digester cleaning is recommended every five to ten years for process redundancy and to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Digester No. 5 was last cleaned in 2009.
If approved by Council, this resolution will award a construction contract in the amount of $483,968 to Synagro-WWT, Inc. (Synagro) for the Digester No. 5 Cleaning, Project No. P17015.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) operates and maintains the RWCF. The facility includes two anaerobic digesters constructed in 1998 that are used to stabilize sludge for dewatering and disposal.
The digesters perform a critical function in the treatment of wastewater and are vital to maintaining State permit compliance. A by-product of the digestion process is methane gas, which is used as a fuel source for cogeneration engines to create electricity to power other plant equipment. Over time, residual solids accumulate diminishing digester treatment capacity. Depending on the rate of accumulation, it is recommended the digesters are cleaned every five to ten years. Digester No. 5 was last cleaned in 2009 and is now in need of cleaning to restore treatment capacity.
Present Situation
An Invitation to Bid was publicly advertised on February 23, 2018, in the Legal Notice
section of The Record and on the City’s BidFlash webpage. A mandatory pre-bid conference and site walk was held on March 8, 2018. Ten (10) contractor attendees, representing seven (7) companies were present. On Thursday, March 22, 2018, five (5) bids were received and the publicly opened by the City Clerk with the following results:
|
|
COMPANY NAME |
LOCATION |
BID PRICE |
|
1 |
Synagro-WWT, Inc. |
Baltimore, MD |
$483,968 |
|
2 |
Clean Harbors Industrial Services |
Norwell, MA |
$729,935 |
|
3 |
American Process Group |
Tacoma, WA |
$808,322 |
|
4 |
MP Environmental |
Bakersfield, CA |
$861,666 |
|
5 |
Pipe and Plant Solutions, Inc. |
Oakland, CA |
$1,469,660 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Engineer’s Estimate |
|
$842,400 |
Staff recommends award to Synagro as the lowest responsible, responsive bidder for the contract amount of $483,968 for the RWCF Digester No. 5 Cleaning, Project No. P17015. These bids are regular in all other respects, meet the City’s requirements, and include proper licensing.
The primary reason for the difference between the Engineer’s Estimate and the lowest bid can be attributed to Synagro’s familiarity with prior RWCF cleanings. The Engineer’s Estimate was based on previous estimates prepared for digester cleanings and similar work in the industry as compared to the other submitted bids. Synagro has the capability to complete this work and submitted a responsible, responsive bid.
Local Employment Ordinance
The contract amount is over $100,000 and subject to the Local Employment Ordinance. The project is under $1,000,000 and not subject to the Community Workforce and Training Agreement.
Environmental Clearance
It has been determined that this action/project is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act since this type of action/project has been granted a “Categorical Exemption” under Article 19, Section 15330(b)(5) of the California Environmental Quality Act guidelines.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The cost of the contract is $483,968. The FY 2017-18 Annual Budget includes sufficient appropriation for the estimated cost in the Regional Wastewater Control Facility, Maintenance & Repairs account (431-4331-574) to award contract to Synagro for the cleaning of Digester No. 5, Project No. P17015.
There is no impact to the General Fund, or any other unrestricted fund, from this action.