City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: July 26, 2022
Agenda Item: 5.A
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Water Resources Subject: Award Bid and Enter into Agreement with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc., to Prepare a Recycled Water Master Plan
Recommended Action
Staff Recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP# 318 to Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc., to provide professional services for the development of a Recycled Water Master Plan;
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a professional services agreement with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $363,000 to provide professional services for the development of a Recycled Water Master Plan; and
3. Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions section of this report.
Summary
The City’s Public Works Department – Water Resources Division operates and maintains the City’s non-potable water or recycled water distribution system. The existing recycled water distribution is limited in service area and capacity as historical production of non-potable water in the City has been limited to dry weather urban runoff captured by the Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility (SMURRF) and accounts for less than 1% of the City’s total water supply. With the completion of the City’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP) in Fall of 2022, recycled water production in the City will increase and account for approximately 10%, or up to 1,680 acre-feet per year, of the City’s water supply. A comprehensive Recycled Water Master Plan is needed to support the SWIP and establish a road map for future recycled water infrastructure development to serve existing and new recycled water users and City 2 of 6
services. Staff recommends that RFP #318 be awarded to Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc., and that an agreement be negotiated and executed to prepare the City’s Recycled Water Master Plan.
Discussion
In 2018, City Council approved the updated Sustainable Water Master Plan aimed to reduce the City’s reliance on imported water supplies and ensure long-term water resiliency through water conservation, developing alternative water supplies (e.g., recycled water), and increasing local groundwater production. The 2018 Sustainable Water Master Plan and the various water supply projects being currently implemented to increase the sustainability and drought resiliency of the City’s water supply by 2023 are essential components of the City’s overarching sustainable city goals outlined in the 2019 Climate Action & Adaptation Plan to achieve carbon neutrality.
A critical component of the 2018 Sustainable Water Master Plan is the development of alternative water supplies that are drought resilient and sustainable through the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP). The SWIP will leverage stormwater, dry weather urban runoff, and municipal wastewater to produce advanced treated recycled water that will be suitable for irrigation, dual plumbing applications (e.g., toilet flushing), and for potable reuse to recharge local groundwater aquifers. The Recycled Water Master Plan will be the first of its kind for the City to leverage SWIP’s drought resilient water supply to increase recycled water use in the City through expanding the City’s recycled water distribution infrastructure and mitigate against on-going drought conditions across the region and the State of California. The Recycled Water Master Plan aims to identify new recycled water users in the City to increase recycled water use, establish a robust hydraulic model to facilitate future system expansion, and develop a capital improvement program to expand the City’s recycled water infrastructure.
On March 22, 2022, City Council approved Santa Monica Municipal Code Section
7.12.170 requiring the implementation of recycled water use for applicable new development; however, the City’s existing non-potable water distribution system is 3 of 6
limited in extent and capacity. The Recycled Water Master Plan will establish a pathway and timeline to expand the City’s recycled water user area to compliment SMMC Section 7.12.170 and increase recycled water use across the City to reduce potable water demand, which is critical in conditions such as the on-going drought across the State of California.
The City currently operates a limited non-potable water distribution system supplying City facilities and some private users with non-potable water from SMURRF confined to only landscape irrigation and toilet flushing at limited facilities. The City’s non-potable water customer base is constrained to primarily City-owned facilities and two private customers as the SMURRF is a stormwater best management practice facility not permitted for water recycling per California regulations. With the implementation of SWIP, not only will recycled water production in the City significantly increase but the City will also be able to obtain permits from the Regional Water Quality Control Board for recycled water distribution and potable reuse in recharging local groundwater aquifers. This represents a significant opportunity for the City to maximize use of recycled water throughout the City, expand its recycled water customer base, and help reduce the City’s reliance on imported water supplies.
The Recycled Water Master Plan will also align the City’s current and planned future recycled water infrastructure with other long-range planning documents and efforts including the 6th Cycle Housing Element and the future of the Santa Monica Airport. This will allow future developments to incorporate the use of recycled water to the extent possible under the State of California’s recycled water regulations.
The core objective of the Recycled Water Master Plan is to assist the City in establishing a road map for future recycled water distribution system infrastructure development to increase the City’s recycled water distribution network, expand the City’s recycled water customer base, and recharge local groundwater aquifers all aimed to reduce the City’s reliance on imported water supplies. In addition, the Recycled Water Master Plan will outline a long-range capital improvement plan for future infrastructure projects that, once implemented, will allow the City to fully utilize the 4 of 6
advanced treated recycled water produced by SWIP. The best qualified firm also included additional services, that are optional, to enhance the City’s Recycled Water Master Plan. These optional services are not guaranteed to the consultant and funds would only be expended for each optional service as authorized by City staff. These additional enhancements, which total to approximately $113,000, includes:
• Alternative analysis (up to 3 alternatives), which include additional hydraulic model scenarios, is budgeted as an optional service. The alternatives analysis could consider partnerships through the Santa Monica Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency to increase groundwater recharge with advanced treated recycled water in the City’s groundwater basins or it could consider future planning efforts for the City’s Airport property.
• A broader market survey of potential recycled water customers throughout the City. The broader market survey would consider future recycled water users as state regulations on approved customer/end use of advanced treated recycled water is still evolving. Planning for future scenarios would maximize recycled water use in the City and provide a robust master planning effort beyond current regulated recycled water uses.
• Framework for the City’s recycled water revenue program. This optional service would develop the framework and pricing policy for the City’s recycled water to align with future recycled water expansion scenarios.
Vendor/Consultant Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Person/Firm Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc.
Evaluation Criteria Training/credentials/experience, competence/skill, capacity/ability to perform services promptly, sufficiency of financial/other resources, character/reputation, ability to provide future services as needed and price.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.190
RFPs Received
Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc. Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.
RFP Data
Posted On Posted On
Advertised In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
03/22/2022 City's Online
Bidding Site Santa Monica Daily Press 28 05/13/2022
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Justification to Award
The proposals were reviewed by a selection panel consisting of staff from the Public Works Department – Water Resources Division. The proposal evaluations were based on project understanding/workplan, previous experience, ability to deliver, quality of product, cost, and compliance with City requirements. Based on the evaluation criteria and criteria in SMMC 2.24.190, Staff recommends Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc., as the best qualified firm to prepare the Recycled Water Master Plan based on their extensive and prior experience in developing similar recycled water master plans for other California municipalities and agencies including San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Eastern Municipal Water District, City of Santa Cruz, and Monterey One Water.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
11/27/2018
(Attachment A)
Sustainable Water Master Plan Update and Pathway to Water SelfSufficiency 9/10/19
(Attachment B)
City Council authorized the construction phase of the SWIP by awarding the Guaranteed Maximum Price contract amendment for construction services.
3/22/22
(Attachment C)
City Council approved modification of Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 7.12.170 to incorporate water recycling requirements.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Wastewater Fund to award an agreement with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc., for the development of the City’s Recycled Water Master Plan. The cost of the base scope of services for the Recycled Water Master Plan is included in the adopted FY 2022-23 Capital Improvement Program Budget. Award of the agreement with optional services would require an additional $113,000 appropriation from the Wastewater Fund’s operating budget. The Wastewater Enterprise fund has sufficient surplus in its current operating budget to cover the additional cost.
FY 2022-23 CIP Budget Changes
Additional Appropriation of Funds Requested
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Account Number(s) Amount
C5108610.689000 $113,000
Agreement Request
FY 2022-23
Budget
Request Amount
CIP Account # Total Contract
Amount
$363,000 C5108610.689000 $363,000
Prepared By: Chris Aguillon, Water Resources Protection Specialist Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. 2018 Sustainable Water Master Plan (Web Link)
B. Approval of SWIP Design/Build Contract Guaranteed Maximum Price Amendment (Web Link)
C. ORD - Recycled Water Ordinance
D. Oaks Initiative Disclsoure (Kennedy Jenks)