Report Prepared by: Johnnie Baptista, Public Works Manager - Water
Title
SUBJECT: Approval of Services Agreement with AKEL Engineering Group, Inc., in the Amount not to Exceed $183,460 to Develop and Implement a Zero Discharge Flushing Route Plan to Utilize the NO-DES Equipment for the Water Department
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers approving a Services Agreement for engineering services and tasks related to the development, testing, and implementation of a drought-friendly comprehensive mainline flushing system designed to utilize the Water Department’s NO-DES equipment.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Approving a Services Agreement with AKEL Engineering Group, Inc., in the amount not to exceed $183,460; and,
B. Authorizing the City Manager or designee to execute the necessary documents.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve as recommend by Staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to modifications as conditioned by Council; or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer back to Staff for reconsideration of specific items as requested by Council; or,
5. Continue item to a Council future meeting.
AUTHORITY
City of Merced Charter, Section 200 - Powers.
Merced Municipal Code (MMC) Section 3.04 - Purchasing System.
COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the FY 2026/2027 adopted budget.
DISCUSSION
All public drinking water systems require a flushing program to help maintain water quality and ensure the reliability of the distribution system. Traditionally, flushing is performed by Water Operators who systematically direct water through the distribution system in a specific sequence, generally working outward from the source well. This process is accomplished by opening fire hydrants and discharging drinking water to waste.
To effectively clean the interior of water mains, operators must achieve sufficient flow velocities to scour accumulated sediment and other deposits from the pipes. The industry-accepted target velocity for conventional flushing is approximately 5 feet per second (FPS). For an 8-inch water main, achieving this velocity requires a hydrant flow rate of nearly 800 gallons per minute (GPM). Applying the industry standard of flushing three pipe volumes at 5 FPS, the estimated volume of water required to adequately flush the City of Merced's drinking water distribution system exceeds 20 million gallons.
The Neutral Output Discharge Elimination System (NO-DES) offers a more sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional flushing. By capturing, filtering, and returning the flushed water to the distribution system, NO-DES eliminates the need to discharge millions of gallons of treated drinking water to waste. It also allows the Water Operators to monitor turbidity and chlorine residuals in real time as the water is passing through the truck mounted filtering system.
The City of Merced Water Division recognizes that we are stewards of one of the world’s most valuable resources, and we take that responsibility seriously. Making significant investments like the NO-DES flushing program, as well as the equipment, techniques, and personnel needed to execute the program, demonstrates the City’s commitment to maintaining its drinking water distribution system at the highest possible level. These efforts will help ensure the continued delivery of a reliable supply of safe drinking water to the residents of Merced while promoting responsible use and conservation of our water resources.
The City of Merced issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to provide specialized engineering services in the creation and development of a mainline flushing system built around the Neutral Output Discharge Elimination System (NO-DES) flushing equipment owned by City Water. We received one response.
1. AKEL Engineering Group, Inc. (Fresno, CA)
Lead staff from Public Works evaluated the proposal on criteria including, but not limited to: staff qualifications, project experience, project understanding, completeness, and overall approach.
AKEL demonstrated a significant level of understanding and experience in the creation of NO-DES flushing systems, having built and maintained the system in use at City of Fresno. The proposed Services Agreement is structured in two phases: an initial pilot program to establish and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, followed by development and implementation of a comprehensive flushing program upon successful completion of the pilot.
Staff recommends approving the agreement with AKEL Engineering Group, Inc., in an amount of $183,460.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
No appropriation of funds needed. Funding is available within Fund 6001 Water Operations Enterprise Fund FY 2026-27 approved budget.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Services Agreement