City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: Utilities
Meeting Date: April 6, 2026
Report #:2601-5871
TITLE
Approval of General Services Contract No. C26194173 with Duke’s Root Control for a Total Not- to-Exceed Amount of $279,098 and a Three-Year Term and for Root Foaming Treatment Services; and Finding of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Categorical Exemption pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15301, Maintenance of Existing Facilities
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that Council approve and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute Contract No. C26194173 (Attachment A), with Duke’s Root Control, to provide root treatment services for wastewater facilities for a term of 3 years and a total amount not-to-exceed $279,098.
BACKGROUND
The City of Palo Alto’s Utilities Department is responsible for the maintenance, repair, replacement, and construction of the City’s wastewater collection system, which consists of approximately 216 miles of wastewater mainlines and 18,000 laterals. This contract provides services to control root intrusion in predesignated areas of the City’s wastewater collection system where mechanical rodding is not feasible due to rough terrain or limited accessibility.
The vendor applies a chemical root control agent specifically designed to eliminate existing root growth within the lines and inhibit future regrowth and sewer line intrusion, without permanently damaging the vegetation producing the roots or disrupting wastewater treatment processes.
The City previously awarded a contract to Duke’s Root Control on April 28, 2022, for root treatment services. The contract term was three years with a not-to-exceed amount of $210,000. Staff is requesting Council approval of a new contract to continue these services. The increased contract amount for this period is due to rising costs and the inclusion of additional wastewater segments beyond those previously treated. These additional locations have been
identified as requiring treatment because they are difficult to access and cannot be serviced using the City’s flushing trucks.
ANALYSIS
Solicitation Process
The 2025 solicitation was issued as a Request for Quotation (RFQ) 194173. This RFQ was for the treatment of 163 wastewater main segments. The City of Palo Alto received only one bid, from Duke’s Root Control, totaling $301,072 for a three-year term.
Table 1: Summary of Request for Quotation
Proposal Description Sewer Main Root Foaming Project for a 3 year Period
Proposed Length of Project 3 years
Number of Vendors Notified 3529
Number of Proposal Packages Downloaded 18
Total Days to Respond to Proposal 27
Pre-Proposal Meeting No
Pre-Proposal Meeting Date NA
Number of Proposals Received 1
Proposal Price Range $301,072
Public Link to Solicitation https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/pa lo-alto-ca/projects/173844
During further review of the original project scope—root treatment for 163 wastewater main segments—the City identified an additional 13 segments that would benefit from root treatment based on ongoing maintenance efforts. This increased the total number of segments to 176. In subsequent discussions, Duke’s Root Control informed the City that it is part of a cooperative agreement through HGACBuy, a nationwide government procurement service that streamlines public purchasing. The City is a member of HGACBuy. Through HGACBuy, Duke’s Root Control was able to offer more competitive pricing, resulting in a revised total cost of $279,098, which includes the additional segments. The City has decided to proceed with awarding the contract through the COOP agreement rather than through the formal RFQ solicitation process. This approach allows the City to take advantage of pre-negotiated and competitively established pricing. Table 2 below reflects the pricing for all three years of the contract term.
Prior to making this determination, the City conducted due diligence on Duke’s Root Control, including a review of qualifications, past performance, and overall reliability. Based on this evaluation, as well as the City’s direct experience working with the company under a previous contract, the City has determined that the bidder is responsible and capable of successfully fulfilling the requirements of the contract.
Table 2: Cost Breakdown of Proposed Work per Year (Year 1 to 3*) Item Description Quantity Price Total
4.9, 5.4, 6” Pipe Sewer Root Control 18,364 ft $2.02 $37,095.28 8” Pipe Sewer Root Control 8,035 ft $2.02 $16,230.70
10” Pipe Sewer Root Control 2,737 ft $2.43 $6,650.91
12” Pipe Sewer Root Control 2,777 ft $2.43 $6,748.11
15” Pipe Sewer Root Control 4,839 ft $4.61 $22,307.79
Traffic Control 1 $4,000 $4,000.00
TOTAL AMOUNT $93,032.79
*Quote reflects no cost increases over the three years of the contract term. Above price is annual cost.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Funding for the first year of the contract is available in the FY 2026 Utilities Operating Budgets.
Funding for subsequent years is contingent upon annual appropriation and approval of funds.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Stakeholder engagement consisted of the request for quotation and bidding process described above. A pre-bid meeting was not conducted because of the limited number of vendors qualified to provide these services. Bidders were also invited to submit any questions to the OpenGov portal.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 because the application of a root control agent in existing sewer main lines constitutes routine maintenance of an existing public utility infrastructure and involves no expansion of existing use.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: General Services Contract C26194173 with Duke's Root Control for Root Foaming Treatment Services
APPROVED BY:
Alan Kurotori, Director of Utilities
Staff: Amanda Tse, Utilities Project Coordinator