City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: December 11, 2024
FROM: Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2024-73 Declaring an Emergency and Authorizing Emergency Work at the City WWTP in an Amount Not to Exceed $950,000
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council consider and adopt Resolution No. 2024-73, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Declaring an Emergency Pursuant to Section 22050 of the Public Contract Code and Section 3.16.050 of the Gonzales Municipal Code Ratifying and Authorizing Emergency Work at the City Wastewater Treatment Plant in an Amount Not to Exceed $950,000.
BACKGROUND
The City operates a wastewater system that serves residents, businesses, and industrial facilities. The Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is permitted to treat and dispose 1.3 million gallons/day by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board under Waste Discharge Requirements R3- 2006-005. Over the last six weeks, public works staff have observed that the WWTP treatment ponds at the wastewater treatment facility have been more full than usual, thus it’s been a challenge to discharge the treated wastewater using the three disposal fields.
Staff believes the WWTP is struggling to treat and dispose of wastewater for the following reasons:
1. The last two years of heavy rainfall and regular dam releases from Lake Nacimiento and Lake San Antonio has resulted in higher groundwater along the Salinas River. Groundwater used to be more than 10 feet below the bottom of the disposal beds and it’s now closer to 4 feet. Higher groundwater has decreased the performance of the disposal beds as there’s less storage for the water to drain to.
AGENDA
ITEM
5 2. The slow percolation of the disposal beds has made it difficult for public works staff to get a tractor with implements in the disposal beds to rip the bottom of the beds to improve the percolation.
3. The processing facilities ramped up their production for the holiday season and some of the processing facilities exceeded their Industrial Wastewater (IW) allocations in the last two months.
Disposal of treated wastewater is critical to operating the WWTP. Under the circumstances described above, the City risks spilling wastewater onto adjacent private property and ultimately into the Salinas River. Having a pond breach and spill wastewater would be very catastrophic and would result in the following:
1. The City would need to hire a contractor to repair the pond and any other damage to return the WWTP to operation.
2. Pay a farmer for their loss of crop and use of their land for an extended time period.
3. Significant fines from the Regional Water Quality Control Board.
4. Industrial facilities could not operate until the WWTP is repaired and returned to operation.
Staff notified the Processing Facilities) of the problem and discussed staying below their IW allocation and options to reduce the amount of ag-wash water being sent to the WWTP. Once the IW System is completed in Spring 2027, the IW discharge from the three main Processing Facilities will be shifted from the WWTP to the Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility (IWTF).
On December 6, 2024, staff concluded that there was an immediate need to take action to address the WWTP’s percolation problems, including transporting treated wastewater to the City of Soledad’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and increase the disposal capacity of the WWTP by constructing a new disposal field on an expedited basis.
REVIEW AND ANALYSIS
Dudek Consulting prepared the attached exhibit of the proposed disposal pond on the city-owned property just east of the WWTP. Once the disposal pond is constructed, treated wastewater will be pumped from the end of the treatment ponds to the new disposal pond for percolation into the ground. Adding this disposal pond will improve the WWTP ability to dispose of treated wastewater. The new disposal pond should be able to be used in future Phase 2 of the IWTF with some modifications.
Staff obtained quotes from two contractors to construct the new disposal field and install the piping to convey treated wastewater from the end of the ponds at the WWTP to the new disposal pond. Staff is recommending the city engage Swift Tectonics as they provided the lower cost and are able to begin the work immediately. The other contractor indicated possible difficulties mobilizing prior to the holidays.
To dispose of some treated wastewater, on Friday, December 6, staff hired two companies (A & G Pumping and Star Sanitation) to pump treated wastewater at the WWTP and truck it to the City of Soledad’s WWTP. Staff anticipates trucking treated wastewater to the City of Soledad’s WWTP until the new disposal field is operational. Completion of the new disposal field is expected to be complete by January 17, 2025 (possibly sooner).
The estimated costs for the new disposal field are in this table:
Contractor/Consultant Estimated
Cost
1 Swift Tectonics to construct Disposal Pond and install piping $400,000 2 Trucking Wastewater to City of Soledad Sewer System $200,000 3 Dudek Consulting (design services) $10,000
4 MNS Engineers (construction inspection) $10,000
5 Polaris Consulting (construction staking) $10,000
6 Pacific Crest (soil compaction testing) $20,000
7 Pump Procurement and Installation $115,000
8 Fencing Material and Installation $25,000
9 Misc Piping for Pump Suction & Connection $10,000
10 Contingency $150,000
Total = $950,000
Staff discussed the construction of the new disposal field with Regional Water Board staff, and they support the approach as long as it doesn’t increase the capacity of the WWTP and is only used in emergencies. They will revise the city’s WDR permit to incorporate the use of the new disposal pond with conditions.
The Council is being asked to consider the adoption of a resolution declaring an emergency authorizing the City to dispense with normal contracting procedures, to ratify any and all actions that have been taken to address emergency circumstances since December 6, 2024, and to authorize appropriate remedial work in an amount not to exceed $950,000 in order to respond to percolation problems in the disposal fields at the City’s WWTP. As noted above, these problems have the potential to lead to overtopping and uncontrolled discharge of treated wastewater if left unattended.
Section 3.16.050 of the Gonzales City Code provides an exception to the bidding requirements for the purchase of equipment and supplies when an “emergency” (defined in part as a breakdown in machinery or an essential service which requires the immediate purchase of supplies or services to protect the public health, welfare and safety) arises, and operational problems associated with disposal of treated water from the City’s WWTP have created such a City emergency.
Sections 22050 and 20168 of the Public Contract Code provide that in the case of an emergency, the City Council, by four-fifths vote, may pass a resolution declaring the public interest and necessity demand the immediate expenditure of public funds to safeguard life, health and property, and that such monies may be expended without compliance with mandatory contract bidding procedures. Section 1102 of the Public Contract Code defines emergency as a sudden, unexpected occurrence that poses a clear and imminent danger, requiring action to prevent or mitigate the loss or impairment of life, health or property, and the circumstances surrounding operational problems at the WWTP have created the need to take immediate action to address the cause of said problems, meeting this definition of emergency.
How Recommendation Supports the Vision
Gonzales will continue to be a safe, clean, family-friendly community, diverse in its heritage, and committed to working collaboratively to preserve and retain its small town charm.
Explain: This project supports our vision by making improvements to the wastewater system to for better operation.
Explain how the Recommendation Directly Implements the Mission The City Council and Staff of the City of Gonzales will realize our Vision by providing the leadership, commitment and resources necessary to provide excellent services that enhance the quality of life of our diverse community. X Yes ____ No____ N/A
Explain: Maintaining and improving the wastewater treatment plant enhances the community’s quality of life by providing for treatment and safe disposal of the City’s wastewater.
City services will be delivered in a cost-effective, respectful and friendly manner to insure the safety and well being of the residents and the promotion of business, recreational, housing and employment opportunities in an environmentally sustainable manner. X Yes ____No ____ N/A Explain: See Vision explanation above.
Strong fiscal policies allow us to provide appropriate infrastructure for:
• Public Safety X Yes No N/A
• Housing X Yes No N/A
• Recreation X Yes No N/A
• Environment X Yes No N/A
• Education X Yes No N/A
Explain: See Vision above.
ALTERNATIVES
Do not adopt the Resolution. This action is not recommended as it will not assist the City in preparing and covering costs associated with responding to significant percolation problems at the City’s WWTP.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
The work contemplated in Resolution No. 2024-73 is exempt from analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act per CEQA Guidelines Section 15269-Emergency Projects.
BUDGET IMPACTS
At the time that this report was written, the funding source was still being identified. However, the project will be funded through either the Water Enterprise Fund or the Sewer Impact Fund.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council consider and adopt Resolution No. 2024-73, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Declaring an Emergency Pursuant to Section 22050 of the Public Contract Code and Section 3.16.050 of the Gonzales Municipal Code Ratifying and Authorizing Emergency Work at the City Wastewater Treatment Plant in an Amount Not to Exceed $950,000.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 2024-73
2. Pond Grading
3. Temp Pond Piping