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Agenda Report
June 22, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Water and Power Department
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT
WITH R C FOSTER CORPORATION TO PROVIDE LABOR AND
MATERIALS FOR THE EXPLORER WELL ABOVE-GRADE
IMPROVEMENTS FOR AN AMOUNT NOT-TO-EXCEED $4,361,375
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the action proposed herein is not a "project" subject to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21065 and within the meaning of State CEQA Guidelines Section 15378; and
2. Accept the lowest and best bid dated April 30, 2026, submitted by R C Foster Corporation in response to the project plans and specifications for the Explorer Well Above-Grade Improvements, and authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract not-to-exceed $4,361,375, which includes the base amount of $3,792,500 and a contingency of $568,875 to provide for any necessary change orders.
BACKGROUND:
Pasadena Water and Power ("PWP") owns four groundwater wells in the northwest region of Pasadena collectively known as the Monk Hill Wells. Groundwater from the Monk Hill basin contains Volatile Organic Compounds ("VOCs") and perchlorate due to past disposal practices by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory ("JPL"), which is owned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA") and managed by the California Institute of Technology ("Caltech").
On January 23, 2006, the City of Pasadena ("City") and Caltech entered into Contract No. 18989, which provides a funding mechanism for the City to construct and operate the Monk Hill Treatment Plant ("MHTP") for the removal ofVOCs and perchlorate. Under Contract No. 18989, the direct costs associated with the operation and maintenance of the MHTP are reimbursable by Caltech.
MEETING OF _06/22/2026_AGENDA ITEM NO.2
Authorize Contract with R C Foster Corporation for the Explorer Well Above-Grade Improvements June 22, 2026
In 2014, NASA prepared a remediation plan to optimize the groundwater cleanup downgradient of the JPL. NASA'S Optimization Work Plan identified that a new well in the Monk Hill basin, Explorer Well, would shorten the life cycle of the groundwater cleanup operations. Explorer Well will pump groundwater to the MHTP for treatment before entering PWP's water distribution system. In addition to further helping with the groundwater cleanup, Explorer Well will also strengthen PWP's infrastructure reliability and resource resiliency. The construction costs for the Explorer Well will be reimbursed by Caltech under Contract No. 18989.
The Explorer Well is located approximately 1,000 feet north of the existing Arroyo Well.
The first phase of the project was the below-grade improvements, which was completed in May 2025. The below-grade improvements included drilling, construction, well development, pump test, and water quality sampling. The data and analysis from the first phase provided the required information needed to proceed with the design for the second and final phase of the project, which is the above-grade improvements.
The above-grade improvements of the Explorer Well include the installation of a well pump and motor, mechanical infrastructure, electrical equipment, and approximately 800 feet of water pipeline. A new well building will house the well pump, motor, and electrical equipment. The above-grade improvements are expected to be completed by Winter 2027.
The Notice Inviting Bids for Project ID: 2026-IFB-LM-0081 was posted online through OpenGov on March 30, 2026. The posting generated notices to all vendors who have previously registered with the City for this particular commodity class. A total of 88 vendors downloaded the specifications, of which one was local. Nine contractors attended the mandatory pre-bid meeting on April 9, 2026. A total of six bids were received by the bid opening date, with no bids received from local contractors.
The results of the bids were as follows:
Bidders
R C Foster Corporation (Corona, CA)
Pacific Hydrotech Corporation (Perris, CA)
Cora Constructors, Inc. (Palm Desert, CA)
Layne Christensen Company (Redlands, CA)
Caliagua, Inc. (Anaheim, CA)
Canyon Springs Enterprises (Temecula, CA)
Engineer's Estimate
Total Bid
$3,792,500
$3,821,000
$3,953,953
$4,381,745
$4,390,100
$4,434,800
$4,430,000
R C Foster Corporation was the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that complied with the Specification requirements.
The proposed contract complies with Competitive Bidding and Purchasing Ordinance P.M.C. 4.08 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. The project was bid as a prevailing wage project and workers employed by the contractor will be paid the general prevailing rate of per diem wages as determined by the California Director of Authorize Contract with R C Foster Corporation for the Explorer Well Above-Grade Improvements June 22, 2026
Industrial Relations. The project will meet the requirements of prevailing wage law under California Labor Code Sections 1720 through 1861 and Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.
It is recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to enter into a contract with R C Foster Corporation in the amount of $4,361,375, which includes the base amount of $3,792,500 and a contingency of $568,875 for any necessary change orders. R C Foster Corporation has experience and completed similar projects with the City of Pasadena, City of Corona, and California Domestic Water Company.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION:
This project is consistent with the Water System and Resources Plan for improved system resiliency and redundancy in response to disruption in distribution of water during emergencies or natural disasters. It supports the City Council's goal to maintain adequate drinking water supply and to protect human health and safety in a major catastrophic event, such as an earthquake or region-wide power outage.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
CEQA excludes, from environmental review, actions that are not "projects" as defined by Public Resources Code Section 21065 and within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. Sections 21065 and 15378 define a project as an action which may cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Section 15378(b) excludes from the definition of "project" continuing administrative or maintenance activities, such as purchases for supplies and services. The actions proposed herein, authorizing the City Manager to enter into a contract for construction purposes, are an administrative activity for the purchasing of services, and therefore is not a "project" as defined by CEQA. Since the action is not a project subject to CEQA, no environmental document is required.
Furthermore, in accordance with the requirements ofCEQA, an Initial Study ("IS") was previously prepared to identify and analyze the potential impacts the improvements to the Explorer Well could have on the environment. Based on the analysis in the IS, all of the potentially significant impacts would be reduced to a less than significant level by incorporating mitigation measures into the project. A Mitigated Negative Declaration ("MND") and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program ("MMRP") were prepared for the project and, on July 8, 2024, the City Council adopted the MND and corresponding MMRP for the project. The construction resulting from this proposed action, the above- grade improvements for the Explorer Well project, is within the scope of the IS/MND and MMRP that were previously adopted. The initial construction phase, the below-grade improvements, was completed in May 2025 and the above-grade improvements are the second phase of project construction. The proposed above-grade improvements are substantially the same as those described and evaluated in the adopted IS/MND and the conditions on the site and in the surrounding area are substantially the same as those considered in the adopted IS/MND. Thus, there would be no new significant environmental effects nor a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects as a result of changes to the project, changes with respect to the Authorize Contract with R C Foster Corporation for the Explorer Well Above-Grade Improvements June 22, 2026
circumstances under which the project is undertaken, or new information of substantial importance that has arisen since adoption of the IS/MND. Therefore, none of the criteria identified in State CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 have occurred and no subsequent or supplemental CEQA documentation is necessary.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The maximum cost of this contract, including contingency, will be $4,361,375, should all authorized services be fully expended. Funding for this action will be addressed by the utilization of the Monk Hill Groundwater Treatment Improvements (01076) CIP budget. It is anticipated that approximately $3,000,000 will be expended in Fiscal Year ("FY") 2027.
The remainder of the costs will be expended in FY 2028. All costs are reimbursable by Caltech under Contract No. 18989. There is no impact to the General Fund.
The following table represents a project summary.
Base Bid$3,792,500
Contract Contingency
Total Fiscal Impact
$ 568,875
$4,361,375
Respectfully submitted,
DAVID M. REYES
General Manager
Water and Power Department
Prepared by:
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Stacie N. Takeguchi
Chief Assistant General Manager
Water and Power Department
Approved by:
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5^ MATTHEW'E. HAWKESWORTH
Interim City Manager