City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: September 9, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.C
1 of 5
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Water Resources Subject: Award RFP #445 and Professional Services Agreement to Hazen and Sawyer for On-Call Groundwater Remediation Technical Support
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemptions pursuant to Section 15307 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources) and Section 15308 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines;
2. Award RFP #445 to Hazen and Sawyer for on-call remediation technical support services for the Public Works Department; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with Hazen and Sawyer in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 for a five-year period, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
The City of Santa Monica is a recognized leader for its long history of implementing innovative and sustainable water supply projects and policies to provide a climateresilient water supply for the community. As part of the City’s efforts to reduce its reliance on imported water supplies and restore local groundwater aquifers, it has implemented first-of-its-kind treatment technologies to remove industrial contaminants from the Charnock and Olympic Well Fields.
The City is currently evaluating water quality impacts from historical industrial operations and feasibility of extracting groundwater from the Coastal Subbasin beneath the Santa Monica Airport to further bolster local water supplies. To assist in ongoing groundwater remediation and restoration efforts, staff in the Water Resources Division 2 of 5
issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to retain professional environmental and engineering consulting firms to provide as-needed remediation technical support. These services include conducting site investigations and assessments, developing and updating groundwater models, reviewing ongoing investigations and technical documents prepared by responsible parties, and preparing technical studies. Staff recommends awarding the on-call remediation technical support services to Hazen and Sawyer in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 for a three-year term, with two one-year renewal options.
Discussion
The Water Resources Division provides drinking water, wastewater collection, and recycled water services to residents, commercial users, and other users within the City boundaries. The City currently services approximately 18,000 metered customers with a current average annual water demand of approximately 11,600 acre-feet per year (AFY). A critical part of the City’s goal to reduce its reliance on imported water supplies is maintaining a sustainable, local groundwater supply that includes implementing sustainable management practices and projects outlined in the Santa Monica Basin Groundwater Sustainability Plan as well as restoring water quality in the local groundwater aquifer that has been impaired by industrial contamination. Historical industrial activities have contaminated the City’s Charnock Well Field and Olympic Well Field where restoration efforts are currently underway to pump and remove these industrial contaminants. The City has identified the Coastal Subbasin as a water supply reliability reserve and is currently investigating the impact of historical site use within the Coastal Subbasin and its impact on groundwater quality for drinking water use.
On-call, or as-needed, remediation technical services would assist the division to maintain regulatory compliance with remediation activities, monitor contamination plume removal activities, and provide technical review of responsible party investigations or activities. Some of the key areas of technical service to be provided are: 1) monitor for emerging contaminants in the City’s groundwater well fields, 2) participate in discussions with regulators overseeing site remediation, and 3) provide as-needed 3 of 5
technical review of responsible party investigations and work plans for the Coastal Subbasin (groundwater aquifer beneath the Santa Monica Airport) as they arise to hold them accountable for restoring the contaminated site to background levels.
Vendor Selection
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified
Persons/Firms
Hazen and Sawyer
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
Apex
Environmental
& Water
Resources,
LLC
Dudek Hazen and
Sawyer
Montrose
Environmental
Solutions, Inc.
TRC Solutions,
Inc.
Bid Data
Date Posted Posted On Advertise In (City
Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
Date Publicly
Opened
04/03/2025 City’s Online
Bidding Site
Santa Monica
Daily Press
47 05/01/2025
Justification to Award
The proposals were reviewed by a selection panel consisting of staff from the Public Works Department, Water Resources Division. Proposal evaluations were based on project understanding and work plan (demonstrated knowledge of historical groundwater contamination and remediation activities at the City’s groundwater well fields); previous experience (having delivered similar efforts for nearby cities and water districts); ability to deliver; quality of product; cost; and compliance with City requirements. Hazen and Sawyer was selected as the best-qualified firm due to its understanding of historical industrial activities at the City’s well fields, familiarity with the City’s efforts to remediate and restore its groundwater aquifers, technical expertise 4 of 5
in groundwater remediation, and experience with regulatory agencies responsible for restoration (Regional Water Quality Control Board) and drinking water protection (Division of Drinking Water).
Environmental Review
Technical support services for remediation that may be performed under the on-call remediation technical services are categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15307 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources) and Section 15308 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) of the CEQA Guidelines. Section 15307 exempts actions taken by regulatory agencies as authorized by state law or local ordinance to assure the maintenance, restoration, or enhancement of a natural resource where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. Section 15308 exempts actions taken by regulatory agencies, as authorized by state or local ordinance, to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. The contract for groundwater remediation would provide for protection of the City’s water resources.
Therefore, the contract is exempt pursuant to Section 15307 and Section 15308 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the Water Fund to award a contract to Hazen and Sawyer for on-call technical services related to groundwater remediation. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Contract Request
FY 2025-26
Request Amount Account # Future Years Total Contract Amount $350,000 50500001.552010 $1,150,000 $1,500,000
5 of 5
Prepared By: Thomas Poon, Engineering Support Services Administrator Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. FY 25-26 Oaks Initative (Hazen & Sawyer)
B. FY 25-26 Levine Act (Hazen & Sawyer)