CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 14 Section Name: CONSENT CALENDAR Account Number: 72-4674 File ID: 26-11505 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: August 17, 2026
SUBJECT:
Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update — Appropriation and Agreement RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution to appropriate $450,000 to the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan budget from the Sewer Fund Reserves, revising the total project budget to a value of $800,000; award a design professional services agreement with Woodard & Curran for the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update in the amount of $1,165,603; establish a contingency reserve in the amount of $120,000; and authorize the Public Works Director to execute the agreement in substantially the form presented and issue project-specific task orders or amendments within the agreement and contingency amounts.
BACKGROUND:
The City is currently under a Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) Cease and Desist Order (CDO) requiring improvements to its collection and treatment systems to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows and unauthorized discharges.
The Clean Water Program (CWP) was established to replace aging infrastructure, enhance reliability, reduce inflow and infiltration, provide capacity for wet weather flows, and enhance the treatment processes in the City’s system. The CWP is expected to be completed by the end of Fiscal Year 2026-27, and a new master planning effort is needed to determine existing deficiencies in the system, look at future capacity needs, and provide a complete sewer model for the City’s ongoing needs for analysis of development impacts.
San Mateo’s wastewater collection system includes a network of 234 miles of pipe, 5,555 sewer manholes, and 26 sewer pump stations, divided into five major sewer basins labeled A, B, C, D, and E. To rehabilitate all sewer infrastructure, the City has an overall rehabilitation schedule, which shows a rotating schedule of the five basins’ different phases (i.e., CCTV, Evaluation, Design, and Rehabilitation).
In March 2026, a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update was issued. Two consulting firms responded to the RFP. Staff evaluated the two proposals on the basis of proposal quality, key staff, project understanding, past performance, local experience, scope, fees, approach, references, and skill set, and concluded that Woodard & Curran is best qualified to provide the scope of services for the CWP. The total proposed cost for Woodard & Curran is $1,165,603.
The proposal from the other firm, Schaff & Wheeler Consulting Civil Engineers, was $1,463,698.
For Fiscal Year 2026-27, the tasks staff will request to be performed include Tasks 1-4, 5.1-5.4, and 6.1-6.2 for a total of $706,714 (see Attachment 2), including data collection and review, flow monitoring, hydraulic model development, system performance evaluation and improvement needs, and general project management and coordination. These initial tasks will assist with development review and prioritization of the next set of capital improvement projects to be designed and constructed. Fiscal Year 2027-2028 will include the remaining tasks, including a pump station condition assessment, a force main study and inspection plan, a seismic vulnerability assessment, a long-term capital improvement plan, and the Final Sewer Master Plan document.
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Based on the above, staff recommends award of an agreement to Woodard & Curran in an amount not to exceed $1,165,603 (including optional task 3.3) with services to be commenced and completed as set forth in the Project Schedule.
BUDGET IMPACT:
The Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update Project (46S195) currently has a budget of $350,000. Staff estimates a total funding need of $800,000 to cover the cost of Staff time and the cost of the Agreement with Woodard & Curran for Fiscal Year 2026-27 tasks.
Adoption of the Resolution will appropriate $450,000 from the Sewer Fund Reserves to the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Project (46S195), revising the total FY 2026-27 project budget to a value of $800,000. With the approval of the appropriation, sufficient funding to award this agreement and begin the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update will be available.
Funding needs for future years of the agreement will be addressed as needed during the annual budget development process.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
Adoption of a Resolution to appropriate funds to the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update budget from the Sewer Fund reserves is not a project subject to CEQA, because it consists of a government fiscal activity which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(4).) In addition, approval of an agreement to update the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan to address the City’s wastewater collection and treatment systems is exempt from CEQA, because it involves feasibility or planning studies for future actions that the City has not approved, adopted, or funded. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15262.)
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This staff report supports the Infrastructure initiative.
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – Proposed Resolution
Att 2 – Agreement
STAFF CONTACT
Laura Webb, Senior Engineer
[email protected]
(650) 522-7322
Thomas Williams, Engineering Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7307