DATE: August 18, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Approving Addendums No. 1 and No. 2 and Authorizing the City Manager to 1) Award a Contract to Corcus Construction, Inc ., in an Amount not to exceed $1,262,240 and Approve $ 126,224 in Administrative Construction Contingency , and 2) Amend the Existing Professional Service s Agreement with HydroScience Engineers, Inc. , to Increase the Contract Amount by $ 44,203; and 3) Appropriate Additional Funds in the Amount of $471,275 for the Water Resource Recovery Facility Effluent Return Pump Station Project, Project No. 07806
RECOMMENDATION
That City Council adopts the attached resolution (Attachment II):
1. Approving Addendums No. 1 and No. 2, which were issued to make minor revisions to the plans and specifications and to answer bidder clarification questions for the Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) Effluent Channel Return Pump Station Project, Project No. 07806; and
2. Authorizing the City Manager to award a construction contract to Corcus Construction, Inc. , for the WRRF Effluent Channel Return Pump Station Project , Project No. 07806, in an amount of $1,262,240 and approving $ 126,224 in administrative construction contingency; and
3. Authorizing the City Manager to amend the Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Hydro Science Engineers Inc. (HydroScience), to include engineering services during construction, increasing the contract amount by $44,203 to a not -to-exceed limit of $142,811; and
4. Appropriating additional funds in the amount of $471,275 from the Sewer System Replacement Fund (Fund 611) and Sewer System Improvement Fund (Fund 612).
SUMMARY
The City of Hayward WRRF treats an average of 11 million gallons per day (MGD) and complies with all current effluent discharge regulations. During storm events, excess treated wastewater is temporarily stored in on -site ponds until it can be returned to the effluent channel for discharge into the San Francisco Bay . To improve wet -weather operations and
restore storage capacity more quickly, a new return pumping station at Pond 4 has been designed to increase pumping capacity from 1 MGD to 3 MGD.
On July 21, 2026, Four (4) bids were received. Corcus Construction submitted the lowest bid amount of $ 1,262,240, which is approximately 6% above the Engineer’s Estimate of $1,190,000. Staff are requesting City Council’s approval of Addendum No. 1 and No. 2, which provided minor revisions to clarify the specifications and plans, awarding the construction contract to the lowest responsible bidder, Corcus Construction, Inc, in the amount o f $1,262,240, and approving $ 126,224 in administrative construction contingency (change orders).
HydroScience has performed design and bidding services for the WRRF Effluent Channel Return Pump Station Project. Staff are requesting City Council approval to amend the PSA with Hydroscience to include engineering services during construction.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item does not impact the General Fund or Measure C.
The WRRF Effluent Channel Return Pump Project is fully funded by wastewater enterprise funds. The Adopted FY 2027 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) includes funding for the Project in the Sewer Replacement Fund (Fund 61 1) and Sewer Improvement Fund (Fund 612), shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1
Fund Project
No.
Description Budget
611 07806 WRRF Effluent Channel Return Pump
Station Project
$580,000
612 07806 WRRF Effluent Channel Return Pump
Station Project
$580,000
Total $1,160,000
The estimated project costs are as follows:
Total Project Cost
Engineering Services (Consultant) $98,608
Engineering Services During Construction (Consultant) $44,203 Construction Contract $1,262,240
Construction Contingency (10% of Construction Contract) $126,224 Administration and Inspection - City Staff $100,000
Total $1,631,275
The total anticipated project cost is currently higher than the estimate included in the adopted CIP due to refinements that were made during the design process and bids that came in slightly higher than originally anticipated . Staff requests that an additional amount of $471,275 be appropriated to cover these costs. There are sufficient fund balances in both Sewer Replacement Fund (Fund 611) and Sewer Improvement Fund (Fund 612).
BACKGROUND
At the western end of the WRRF, the City used to operate seven oxidation ponds. Two of the ponds have been filled, and the remaining five no longer function as active oxidation ponds.
The remaining ponds currently function as storage facilities for treated wastewater.
The City is a member of the East Bay Dischargers Authority (EBDA), a joint powers authority that operates a common sewer outfall shared by several other sewer agencies. Under the latest version of EBDA’s Joint Powers Agreement, the City is permitted to discharge no greater than 15 MGD to EBDA’s pipeline. During the dry season and most of the rainy season, this is sufficient for discharging all of Hayward’s wastewater. However, during major storm events, flows exceeding 15 MGD are diverted to the former oxidation ponds for temporary storage. As treatment and discharge capacity becomes available, the stored water is pumped back to the channel, restoring available storage capacity in the ponds for future storm events.
The current total pumping capacity of 1.0 MGD has been demonstrated to be insufficient for drawing down the pond water level between major storm events. In January of 2023, the former oxidation ponds came close to overtopping.
To improve system resiliency, increase wet -weather pumping capacity, and enhance the facility’s preparedness for future storm events, an upgrade to the pump station is proposed.
The project includes larger-diameter piping and a new pump platform to accommodate the new equipment and associated instrumentation, as well as a new 3MGD pump with a second backup 3MGD pump. The system will include variable frequency drives (VFDs) for adjustable pumping rates. The existing spare buckets in the motor control center (MCC) in the chlorination building will be utilized for new pump breakers, while the VFDs will be installed locally near the pumps. The new pumping system will also be integrated into the plant’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to improve monitoring and operational control.
DISCUSSION
On June 16, 20261, Council approved the plans and specifications and the use of certain sole source products for the project and authorized the call for bids.
On July 21, 2026, the City received four (4) bids for the project ranging from $1,262,240 to $1,494,483. Corcus Construction submitted the lowest bid in the amount of $ 1,262,240, which is approximately 6% above the Engineer’s Estimate of $1,190,000. The average of the
1 https://hayward.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=8070853&GUID=83FF6AED-181D-4389-BBDC- 919E75DC5132&Options=ID|Text|&Search=7806
four (4) bids received was $1,321,378, which is approximately 11% above the Engineer’s estimate. An additional $ 126,224 (or 10% of the contract amount) is included for potential administrative construction contingency in the event additional funds are needed for unforeseen conditions and changes during construction.
This project currently has an adopted CIP budget of $1,160,000. This budget is based on an estimate that was prepared in 2023. Several aspects of the project have changed since that time - primarily to enhance operability for WRRF staff and to improve effluent quality - that have increased th e total CIP cost to $1,631,275. Some key changes since the original 2023 estimate include:
• A floating intake structure has been added to the project that will allow the pumps to return surface water from the former oxidation ponds to the effluent channel. Surface water has less total suspended solids than water from the bottom of the ponds, which represents an improvement over other intake alternatives as well as existing operations.
• Variable frequency drives have been added to the pumps, which will allow for more gradual stop and start of the pumps, and for reducing flows when appropriate for operational needs. This improves operability and reduces energy use. • The outlet structure to the effluent channel was modified during design to include several outlet points distributed across the surface of the effluent channel. This revision minimizes the risk of turbulence kicking up sediment in the effluent channel.
It will also reduce the rate of buildup of surface scum in the effluent channel, ultimately reducing odors, improving effluent quality, and reducing the need for plant staff to do weekend “channel flushes.”
• Construction cost escalation has been substantial since 2023.
This project is categorically exempt from environmental review from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301, Class 1 – Existing Facilities.
The original agreement with HydroScience did not go through a formal Request for Proposal process, as the original agreement was under $100,000 and it was anticipated that the total design fee would remain below $100,000 . As the project progressed, however, additional design effort was required to incorporate improvements that enhance water quality and facility operations, including a floating intake system and modifications to reduce the accumulation of the sludge blanket in the effluent channel. As a result, the consultant's total fee will now increase beyond $100,000. The original contract amount was $74,778. This was amended in August of 2026 for an additional $23,830 for bid phase services and to accommodate design enhancement, bringing the total contract amount to $98,608. Staff have identified that additional engineering services during construction is essential to continue the project. Staff are requesting that this contract be amended to include an additional $44,203, bringing the total contract amount to $142,811.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
While this agenda item is not associated with a specific project identified in the Strategic Roadmap, it supports the Invest in Infrastructure priority, specifically:
• Invest in Water Supplies, Sanitation Infrastructure & Storm Sewers
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
Replacing the aging, low -capacity pumping system with a modern 3 MGD system will improve the WRRF's reliability, resilience, and wet -weather operations. The upgrade will reduce the risk of equipment failure and pond overtopping, restore storage capacity mo re quickly after storms, improve energy efficiency through VFDs, and support regulatory compliance while protecting surrounding environmental resources. This upgrade may also be used to support enhanced wastewater treatment using constructed wetlands.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Because of the location and size of the project, it does not impose any public impact. Project information is publicly available on the city website’s CIP online budget book2.
NEXT STEPS
The following schedule has been developed for this project:
Award Construction Contract August 18, 2026
Notice to Proceed September 2026
Project Completion Summer 2027
Prepared by: Kevin Kaveh, Assistant Civil Engineer
Reviewed by Kyle Carbert, Principal Utilities Engineer
Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
______________________________
Jennifer Ott, City Manager
2 https://www.hayward-ca.gov/your-government/documents/capital-improvement-program