City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: April 22, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.C
1 of 4
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Water Resources Subject: Award Bid to Carbon Activated Corporation to Provide Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Media for the Water Resources Division
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15301 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Award Bid #4497 to Carbon Activated Corporation to provide Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) media along with haul-away and reactivation services for spent media for the Public Works Department; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Carbon Activated Corporation in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000 over a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
The City of Santa Monica’s Water Resources Division within the Public Works Department provides safe, high-quality drinking water to the community through a multibarrier water treatment system. As part of the multi-barrier treatment system, Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) media is used at the City’s Arcadia Water Treatment Plant and Charnock Water Treatment Plant to remove contaminants from local groundwater aquifers and provide safe drinking water to approximately 18,000 Santa Monica residential, commercial, and institutional customers. The GAC media needs to be replaced periodically to ensure the removal of groundwater contaminants, and that the City’s drinking water meets or exceeds all federal and state drinking water standards.
Staff recommends that Council award bid #4497 to and execute a five-year agreement 2 of 4
in an amount not to exceed $3,000,000 with Carbon Activated Corporation to provide GAC media along with haul-away and reactivation services for spent media.
Discussion
The City uses GAC filter media at both its Arcadia and Charnock Water Treatment Plants to remove contaminants from groundwater including methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), ter-butyl alcohol (TBA), and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as part of a multi-barrier water treatment process to produce safe, high-quality drinking water that meets or exceeds federal and state water quality requirements for use by Santa Monica customers. As contaminated water flows through the GAC, contaminants stick to the GAC surface and are removed. Over time, the adsorption sites on the GAC media are exhausted and need to be replaced to ensure continued removal of groundwater contaminants.
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Bidder Carbon Activated Corporation
Evaluation Criteria Price; the experience and reference of the bidder to similar magnitude of project;
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.180
Bid Data
Date
Posted Posted On
Advertise In
(City Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
01/31/2025 City's Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica Daily
Press
23 02/27/2025
Best Bidder Justification
Carbon Activated Corporation was chosen as the best bidder by an evaluation committee of Water Resources Division staff as they were the overall lowest price over the five-year period with fixed pricing for all five years. The other three bidders were either more expensive or had escalators in the future renewal years which made their overall five-year contract higher in price. Carbon Activated also Submittals Received
Carbon Activated
Corporation $25,831 per load Calgon Carbon Corporation $48,000 per load Karbonous, Inc. $24,484 per load CARB USA LLC $30,500 per load 3 of 4
demonstrated their ability to deliver the GAC on the same magnitude and frequency as the City of Santa Monica’s Water division requires based on references from other similar agencies.
Environmental Review
The replacement of GAC filter media at the Charnock Treatment Plant and Arcadia Water Treatment Plant is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines. Section 15301 provides exemption for the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination.
The purchase order would continue the practice of periodic replacement of the GAC filter media at the Charnock Treatment Plant and Arcadia Water Treatment Plant. The agreement would not expand or materially change existing facilities or operations.
Therefore, the award agreement is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve funding from the Water Fund to award a contract with Carbon Activated Corporation to provide GAC media along with haul-away and reactivation services for spent media.
Agreement Request
FY 2024-25
Request Amount
Department
Account #
Future Year
Request Amount
Total Contract
Amount
$300,000 50500002.525084 $2,700,000 $3,000,000
Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval. 4 of 4
Prepared By: Thomas Poon, Engineering Support Services Administrator Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Carbon Activated - Oaks Initiative
B. Carbon Activated - Levine Act