City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: November 18, 2025
Agenda Item: 4.D
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Water Resources Subject: Approval of Modification to the Purchase Order with Hach Company for Chemical Analyzer Equipment and Reagents
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines; and
2. Authorize the Procurement Manager to issue a change order to purchase order #22600794 in the amount of $150,000 with Hach Company for water treatment chemical analyzer equipment and reagents for the Public Works Department.
This would result in a revised purchase order total not to exceed $525,000, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval.
Summary
The City of Santa Monica utilizes a total of 48 Hach analyzers across the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant, Charnock Treatment Plant, and newly constructed Olympic Advanced Water Treatment Plant to continuously monitor the quality of groundwater treated and delivered through the City’s potable water distribution system. Hach Company is the sole manufacturer and distributor of these proprietary analyzers. Due to the specialized nature of the equipment, the City Council, at its June 22, 2021 meeting, authorized the Procurement Manager to issue a sole source purchase order with Hach Company as an exception to the competitive bidding process, in accordance with Section 2.24.250(b).
The original authorization was for an amount not to exceed $375,000 over five years.
Staff recommends increasing the approved spending authority by an amount not to exceed $150,000, for a new total amount not to exceed $525,000, to support increased water quality monitoring requirements mandated by state regulators and to support the 2 of 4
recent upgrades and expansion of the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant that was completed in the summer of 2025.
Discussion
Various water quality analyzers are installed at the City’s three water treatment facilities to continuously monitor water quality and chemistry throughout the multi-barrier treatment processes. These online analyzers provide continuous monitoring of various water quality parameters, including pH, ammonia, monochloramines, free chlorine, conductivity, fluoride, sulfides, and turbidity to ensure each treatment process is within its design parameters to produce high-quality drinking water for the community. Water operators and chemists also use Hach instruments and reagents to calibrate testing equipment and perform daily water quality testing. These analyzers provide staff with the data needed to make treatment process adjustments at various steps during the multi-barrier water treatment process, in order to deliver potable water that meets or exceeds federal, state, and local requirements.
Hach Company is the sole authorized manufacturer and direct distributor for all Hachbranded instrumentation and chemistry lab reagents. It is for this proprietary reason that City Council awarded a sole source purchase order to Hach Company on June 22, 2021, to furnish and deliver water treatment chemical analyzer equipment and reagents as an exception to the competitive bidding process per SMMC Section 2.24.080 Exception to Competitive Bidding Section (b) in an amount not to exceed $375,000 over a five-year period with future funding contingent on City Council approval. Due to a rise in the price of consumables and increased purchases of these consumables from increased regulatory monitoring requirements from the recent completion of the Olympic Well Field Restoration and Arcadia Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project, Water Resources staff seeks authority to approve an additional amount not to exceed $150,000, for a new five year total not to exceed $525,000, to support Hach water quality analyzers used to provide 24/7 water quality monitoring at the City’s three water treatment plants. The additional amount was calculated based on the estimated quantity 3 of 4
of consumables needed for the duration of the fiscal year and current pricing of those consumables.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
06/22/2021
(Attachment A)
Award of purchase order to furnish & deliver water treatment chemical analyzer equipment, instruments & reagents
Environmental Review
The purchase order for repair parts and supplies to perform preventive maintenance and/or emergency repairs is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. Section 15301 “exempts the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use.” The purchase order would allow for the continuance of day-to-day water operations at water treatment facilities and would not expand or materially change existing facilities or operations. Therefore, the project is categorically exempt as set forth in Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
Staff seeks authority to approve available funding from the Water Fund to increase the amount of the purchase order with Hach Company to furnish and deliver analyzer equipment and reagents.
Purchase Order Modification Request
Agreement #
Current
Authorized
Amount
FY 2025-26
Request
Amount
Account # Total Revised
Contract Amount
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Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
Prepared By: Alvin Ho, Senior Administrative Analyst
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. June 22, 2021 Staff Report (Web Link)
B. FY 25-26 Oaks (Hach)
C. FY 25-26 Levine (Hach)
22600794 $375,000 $150,000 50500001.525080 $525,000