Cotati City Council
Agenda Staff Report
Item type: CONSENT CALENDAR (ACTION)
To: City Council
Subject: CONSIDERATION OF STANDARD SERVICE AGREEMENT
FOR WELL 3 CAMERA AND DEVELOPMENT AND PUMP
INSTALLATION
Date: March 11, 2025
Written by: Craig Scott, Director of Public Works/City Engineer Recommendation
It is recommended the City of Cotati City Council by Motion approve a Standard Service Agreement with Weeks Drilling & Pump Co. for completing camera inspection, well development, pump installation and associated tasks for Well 3 and authorize the City Manager to execute said agreement and any needed change orders up to $60,000 which is within the total amount for the Well 1A/Well 3 Treatment Renewal and Replacement Project.
Background
The City owns and operates a public water system providing drinking water for its residents and businesses. The water system consists of three wells which require ongoing maintenance and occasionally, a major piece of equipment will fail causing the well to be out of service. When equipment fails, the City needs to act quickly to make the repairs and bring the well back into service. During the period the well is offline, the City relies more on its other sources of water including its other wells and the water delivered from Sonoma Water.
Analysis/Discussion
In late-January this year, the submersible pump at the City’s Well 3 failed and the City reached out to two well servicing companies for quotes to replace the pump and perform inspections and development of the well. Development is typically done when well production has dropped or when the opportunity arises when the pump and piping have been removed for servicing. The development ensures the well operates efficiently and removes fine sediment that has accumulated clearing any blockages in the well screens improving water flow through the screens. The pump that failed was installed in 2014 and had exceeded its useful life of 7 to 9 years and, prior to its failure, Public Works staff had noticed a decrease in water production.
Therefore, cleaning the well, at this time, is recommended.
Staff requested and received quotes from two well-servicing companies to replace the pump and bring the well back into service. The quotes were similar with total prices of $77,573 from PumpMan and $51,795.28 from Weeks Drilling & Pump Co. with the low bid including the added tasks of well development and sanitizing the well. The City is responsible for collecting the bacteriological test and sending it to the lab for final clearance of the water quality before bringing it back into production.
Staff have reviewed and negotiated the service contract with Weeks Drilling & Pump Co., finds it to be fair and reasonable and recommends it for approval. Once approved, the pump is anticipated to take two weeks for delivery and the installation would be scheduled within a week or two. The work is expected to take a few days and clearing the well for production another few days. Therefore, the well is anticipated to be back in production by early April.
Financial Considerations
The City’s adopted Fiscal Year 24/25 budget includes the Well 1A/Well 3 Treatment Renewal and Replacement Project with a total Project amount of $68,000 and is sufficient to cover the proposed Well 3 work. The proposed well development (cleaning) and pump replacement are within the intended scope of this Project. There are additional renewal and replacement needs at Well sites 1a and 3, and Capital Improvement Projects are being proposed for the upcoming FY25/26 and 26/27 Budgets to address these needs.
Environmental Issues
This action is found to qualify for a Class 1 Categorical Exemption under CEQA Section 15301 in that the project consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of the existing or former use.