CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
9/12/2022
1 SUBJECT:
Consultant Agreement for Smoke Testing Services between the City of Pacifica and Total Flow, Inc. in connection to the Wastewater Collection System Smoke Testing FY 2022-2023 (C038A) RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Approve Consultant Agreement for Smoke Testing Services between the City of Pacifica and Total Flow, Inc. in the amount of $182,632 in connection to the Wastewater Collection System Smoke Testing FY 2022-2023 (C038A); approve budget authority in the amount of $210,000 which includes 15% contingency in the amount of $27,368; authorize the City Manager to execute all documents related to the project.
STAFF CONTACT:
Rey Mendez, Acting Collection System Manager
(650) 738-4660
[email protected]
Maria Aguilar, P.E., Deputy Director of Public Works (Wastewater) (650) 738-4660
[email protected]
Lisa Petersen, P.E., Director of Public Works
(650) 738-3770
[email protected]
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
During the FY 2022-23 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget approval process, the Council approved funding for the Wastewater Collection System Smoke Testing FY 2022-2023 (C038).
The City’s existing sewer mainlines, in many areas, have loose pipe joints, cracks, and sections of deteriorated pipes. During heavy storm events, these deficiencies enable the storm water to seep into the pipes, further damaging the pipes and significantly increasing the amount of flow in the pipes. Moreover, storm water may enter the sanitary sewer system at points of direct connection to the system due to defective sewer laterals and basement sump pumps improperly or illegally connected to sewer systems.
The City’s wastewater collection system is subject to significant amounts of outside water entering the system (known as infiltration and inflow or I&I), resulting in high peak flows during wet weather events. As a result, sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) have occurred at several locations in the system during these large storm events. In 2011, the City entered a Consent Decree with the non-profit, Our Children's Earth Foundation, and received a Cease-and-Desist Order (CDO) from the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) due to problems with SSO. Both actions required the City to put in place several SSO-reduction strategies.
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The Pedro Point Sewer Rehabilitation Project, which improved roughly 15,000 linear feet (LF) of sewer mains and cut peak wet weather flows (PWWFs) in half in that area, and the Linda Mar Flow Equalization Basin Project, which gives the City flexibility in addressing and cutting PWWFs to the City's Calera Creek Water Recycling Plant (Plant), are two projects that were implemented to address the I&I problem. The City has also finished a number of other rehabilitation and repair projects to decrease I&I. Moreover, since 2011, approximately 3,000 private sewer laterals, or about 25-percent of the laterals in the system have also been replaced as part of the City’s Sewer Lateral Replacement Program, as bad lateral connections can significantly add to the I&I problem.
In August 2021, the update to the Collection System Master Plan (Master Plan) was completed taking system modifications into account, evaluating expected flows, and identifying system capacity upgrade projects. The Master Plan study found areas of potential I&I that included illicit discharges of surface runoff on private property as well as defective service laterals in various areas that included Pedro Point, Linda Mar and Park Pacifica. The storm events in October and December 2021, which sent significant high flows into the Collection System and to the Plant, confirmed the City’s wastewater collection system’s significant I&I problem and the need for this issue to be aggressively addressed. Infiltration of storm water (of any amount) into the sanitary sewer system increases the possibility of overflow of untreated wastewater during storm events and potential of environmental and property damage.
The main method used to detect and locate direct inflow water sources into sewer systems is smoke testing. Smoke testing is a common test method used to identify sections of a sanitary sewer collection system that have defects such as cracks, leaks or faulty connections that allow rainwater to enter the underground sewer pipe network. The process involves blowing a harmless smoke into sanitary sewers at manholes and recording observations of where the smoke emerges from the ground, from sewer or drainage structures, or from buildings (called “smoke returns”). The smoke returns indicate the potential pathways of unwanted flow into the sanitary sewer system from various sources including private sewer laterals. Research has shown that 65% of unwanted water inflow to sewer systems come from locations other than the main sewer lines. Smoke testing has been used by sewer utilities for over 40 years and is a vital tool for success in locating areas of I&I. The smoke used for smoke testing sewers is specifically manufactured for this purpose, and leaves no residuals or stains, is odorless and non-toxic and has no adverse-affects to humans, pets, plants, food, or material items.
The Wastewater Collection System Smoke Testing FY 2022-2023 (C038A) (Project) will conduct smoke testing of the sanitary sewer system in the neighborhoods of Linda Mar, Pedro Point and Park Pacifica. These areas were identified in the Updated Master Plan as having the highest peak infiltration/inflow (“I/I”) rates. Although the replacement of sewer mainlines in Pedro Point and some areas in lower Linda Mar have shown reductions in I&I, the I&I problem is still high in the Linda Mar drainage basin.
The City continues to fund the Sewer Lateral Replacement Program that helps with the cost of residential sewer lateral replacements and has recently increased the annual fund amount to $200,000. This will allow residents with lateral connections that are contributing to the City’s I&I problem to access $2,000 in grant funding from the City to help with the repair cost. In addition, the approved 5-year Capital Improvement Program for FY 2022-2027 includes the replacements of the remaining sewer mainlines in Lower Linda Mar in the amount of $10,000,000.
On August 12, 2022, the Wastewater Division issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for professional consulting services to perform smoke testing of the City’s sanitary sewer system in the Linda Mar, Pedro Point and Park Pacifica areas. On September 1, 2022, five consultants provided proposals with costs as shown below:
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Proposer Fee
Total Flow, Inc. $182,632
V&A Consulting Engineers, Inc. $186,249
ADS Environmental Services $197,889
Duke’s $277,047
National Plant Services $305,426
The low-cost proposal was from Total Flow, Inc. Along with cost, staff reviewed the Consultant’s qualifications and methods for completing the work provided in the proposal. Staff held a conference call with the Consultant to ensure that they understood the requirements of the project. Staff also verified their references and were satisfied. Although all the above consultants were deemed qualified to complete work required for the Project, staff determined Total Flow, Inc. was qualified to perform the work for the lowest cost.
Accordingly, the City Manager recommends award of the contract to Total Flow, Inc. The Project is expected to commence soon after award of contract.
City staff along with the consultant will provide sufficient public notification prior to the smoke testing. Notifications will include Connect with Pacifica and other social media postings, newspaper notifications, advanced direct notifications to residents and as well as notifications 48 hours prior to the to smoke testing. The Consultant is also required to notify emergency services (Police and Fire dispatch) and the County Dept. of Environment Health. The Project will commence as soon as the City Council approves the agreement as the testing must be completed during the dry season. It is anticipated that the project will be completed by the end of October 2022.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
Council may choose not to approve the Consultant Agreement for Smoke Testing Services; however, this will result in project delays, possible increase of services costs, and prevent identification of sources of direct inflow to the City’s sewer system that contribute to high I&I.
Staff does not recommend this alternate action.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
Approval of the Consultant Agreement for Smoke Testing Services is consistent with the following Council adopted Goals:
• Stewardship of City Infrastructure and Maintaining a Safe Community: The Smoke Testing of the sanitary sewer will be used to detect cracks/connection issues in the sewer system where unwanted water is entering the City’s sewer system. Findings will be used to correct and fix the system thus help reduce the I&I in the Collection System.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of Smoke Testing is $182,632.00. City staff recommends including a 15% contingency for any additional work that may arise. The Source and Use of Funds spreadsheet is shown below.
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Total Use of Funds
Smoke Testing $ 182,632.00
Contingency (15%) $ 27,368.00
Total Cost $ 210,000.00
Total Project Source
Enterprise Fund (Fund 34) Account No. $ 300,000.00
34.900000.52800.C038.000
Estimated Project End Balance $ 90,000.00
No additional budget authority is necessary as sufficient funds have been allocated in the Wastewater Enterprise Fund FY 2022-23 budget for this project. The total cost of $210,000 is within the project budget of $300,000 allocated for Wastewater Collection System Smoke Testing FY 2022-2023.
ORIGINATED BY:
Public Works - Wastewater Division
ATTACHMENT LIST:
CollectionSystemSmokeTestingFY22-23 Map (PDF)
ConsultantAgreement SmokeTesting Services Total Flow Inc Revised TFI Signed (PDF)