Report Prepared by: Joseph D. Angulo, Acting Deputy Director, Public Works
Title
SUBJECT: Approval of an Agreement for Professional Services with Stantec Consulting Services, Incorporated, for Engineering Design Services for the Wastewater Treatment Facility Phase VI Upgrades for a Total Amount not to Exceed $451,900
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers authorizing an agreement for professional services with Stantec Consulting Services, Incorporated, for preliminary design of wastewater treatment facility upgrades in a total amount of $451,900.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Approving an agreement for professional services (engineering design services) with Stantec Consulting Services, Incorporated, in the amount of $451,900; and,
B. Authorizing the City Manager or the Assistant City Manager to sign the necessary documents.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to modifications as conditioned by City Council; or,
3. Refer to staff for reconsideration of specific items; or,
4. Deny.
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 200, et seq. and Section 3.04.120 of the Merced Municipal Code.
Services with an estimated value greater than $32,000.00 are made by written contract in accordance with Merced Municipal Code, Title 3 - Revenue and Finance, Chapter 3.04.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the 2019-2020 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION
Wastewater generated within the City of Merced city limits is processed at the Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF), located southwest of the City at 10260 Gove Road. Currently, the City’s WWTF is designed with a capacity of 12 million gallons per day (MGD). In achieving this wastewater flow capacity, the following upgrades were completed:
In 2011, Phase IV upgrades included adding tertiary treatment, a new headworks, a third primary clarifier, and ultra-violet disinfection. These allowed a safe and suitable form of effluent water reuse and discharge to the Hartley Slough sensitive aquatic habitat.
In 2013, the Phase V solids handling project improved the sludge drying practices by diverting digested sludge from earthen drying beds to a modern cement lined active solar drying facility. Centrifuges were installed for biosolids thickening, along with a solids holding tank, methane gas storage capability, a septage receiving station, and other related solids handling facilities.
In 2016, a new laboratory was constructed to improve quality control during the analysis of the treatment plant’s water samples.
Based upon the City’s Vision 2030 General Plan, projected growth in residential, commercial, and industrial developments will necessitate continued expansion of the plant capacity. An increase in capacity of 16 or 20 MGD is proposed, dependent on projected changes in regulatory requirements (generally more stringent over time), wastewater chemical data, and available funding to construct the upgrades. Future regulatory items of concern include, but are not limited to; virus disinfection, salinity control, ammonia control, recycled water use, and nitrogen loading to groundwater due to land application of generated waste solids.
An analysis of the existing facilities, impending regulatory requirements, and new available technologies, is necessary to begin the preliminary design of the upgrades to achieve the 16 or 20 MGD capacity.
Request-for-Proposals
Staff solicited proposals to obtain the services of a consulting firm with appropriately licensed engineers with water treatment facility experience. Two firms submitted proposals as of the suspense date. An evaluation committee was convened consisting of Public Works and Engineering staff members. Each member rated the proposals by granting up to 100 points on criteria including, but not limited to: staff qualifications, technical experience, technical approach and completeness. Shown below are the proposals’ combined scores out of a maximum possible of 400 total points:
Carollo Engineers, Fresno, California 316
Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., Rocklin, California 350
In addition to the written proposals’ evaluation, City staff interviewed the two firms’ staff via teleconference (due to COVID-19 constraints). The evaluators selected Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. (Stantec) as the superior proposal. Staff requested that Stantec provide a scope-of-work to evaluate alternatives for cost effective upgrades to achieve the 16 or 20 MGD capacity and meet regulatory requirements.
The Stantec contract under consideration includes the following major tasks:
• Evaluate existing water treatment systems and performance;
• Evaluate current and future Regional Water Quality Control Board regulatory wastewater discharge requirements;
• Evaluate options for improvement and expansion to include methane gas utilization;
• Evaluate costs associated with alternatives;
• Prepare a Preliminary Design Report with select recommendations;
• Assist with a State Revolving Fund application and associated requirements.
The Stantec fee proposal for completing the above tasks is for the not-to-exceed sum of $451,900.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
This project was established as a Capital Improvement Project and account 553-1108-637.65-00-118015 contains sufficient funding to complete the project.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Contract