Item Number: 12
City Council / Board of Directors
Written Communications
Meeting of: May 5, 2026
Submitted By:
Fredy Bonilla, City Engineer
Subject:
Rejection of all Bids for IWWTP Direct Connection 1 & 2 Project Recommendation:
That the Honorable Board of Directors (Board) reject all bids received for the Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWWTP) Direct Connection 1 & 2 Project, Project No.
MS26-107, and authorize staff to reevaluate the scope and readvertise the project.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no fiscal impact associated with rejecting all bids for the IWWTP Direct Connection 1 & 2 Project, as no contract will be awarded at this time and therefore no expenditures will be incurred. This project is funded entirely from Fund 412, Wastewater Treatment. The budget account number, account description, and amount available in the approved budget are shown below:
Budget Account No. Account Description Amount Available 4120710 - 55080 - 77458 Infrastructure Improvements $398,373.08 Strategic Plan Goal:
This item aligns with “Goal E Invest in Infrastructure” in the City of Victorville Strategic Plan 2023-2026 by replacing severely deteriorated manholes at the City’s IWWTP and installing stainless steel slide gates with motorized actuators to improve operational flexibility and flow control.
Background:
The IWWTP Direct Connection 1 & 2 Project, Capital Project No. 77458, was added to the City’s FY25/26 Budget during the mid-year budget review process approved by the City Council on February 3, 2026.
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The scope of work for this project includes the removal and replacement of two severely deteriorated manholes (Manholes 1 & 2, as shown in Attachment B – Project Layout) at the City's IWWTP. The IWWTP conveys sanitary sewer bypass flows and excess recycled water, as needed, to Manhole 1, which then flows to Manhole 2, while sludge is conveyed directly to Manhole 2. These flows are ultimately discharged to the Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) through the VVWRA-owned Adelanto Interceptor Line.
The project also includes reconfiguring the discharge connection by replacing the existing gooseneck configuration with a direct connection to the proposed manholes to improve flow conditions and reduce turbulence-induced corrosion, as well as installing stainless steel slide gates with motorized actuators in the wet well to enhance operational flexibility and flow control.
Engineering staff recently solicited bids for the IWWTP Direct Connection 1 & 2 Project.
The Notice of Inviting Bids was published in the Daily Press on March 6, 2026, and posted on the City's OpenGov Purchasing Portal. On April 16, 2026, the City received two (2) bids for the project, summarized as follows:
Contractor Location Bid Amount
Pyramid building & Engineering, Inc. Hesperia, California $2,834,035 RE Chaffee Construction Inc. Wrightwood, California $3,637,700 Discussion:
The lowest responsive bid was submitted by Pyramid Building & Engineering, Inc., in the amount of $2,834,035, which exceeds the available project budget by more than $2.4M.
The primary cost deviation resulted from the required bypass of raw sewage influent during installation of the slide gates. This work was initially anticipated to be completed within 6-8 hours during nighttime low-flow conditions; however, the contractors indicated that a continuous full bypass for 2–3 days would be necessary. This significantly increased costs, as it requires continuous operation of a nearly 2 MGD bypass system, 24-hours per day, for up to three days at a maximum flow capacity of 3,000 gpm, comparable to the booster station capacity, increasing estimated bypass costs from approximately $1,000,000 to $2,600,000.
Engineering and Public Works staff recommend that all bids be rejected at this time. Staff have identified opportunities to refine the project to better align with available funding and operational needs. The project scope will be reduced to manhole replacement only, and the slide gate installation will be deferred to a future project while more efficient alternatives are evaluated. Upon completion of these revisions, the project will be re- advertised.
Staff recommends that the Honorable Board reject all bids received for the IWWTP Direct Connection 1 & 2 Project and authorize staff to reevaluate the scope and re-advertise the project at the earliest practicable date.
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Staff is available for any questions the Board may have.
Prepared By:
Dennis Lee, Associate Civil Engineer
Attachments: A. Bid Proposals
B. Project Layout