REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Award of Contract for Design and Construction Support Services for the Lawrence Expressway Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Initial Project (F17-036)
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Council approval is requested to award a contract to Water Works Engineers, LLC of Roseville in an amount not-to-exceed $273,256 for design and construction support services for the Lawrence Expressway Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Initial Project (Initial Project), and for a 10% design contingency in the amount of $27,326.
EXISTING POLICY
Consistent with the provision of Sunnyvale Municipal Code Section 2.08.070(b)(1), contracts for the procurement of professional or specialized services may be exempted from the competitive proposal process.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This award is for the design phase and construction support services and is not a project which has the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment under the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") Guidelines section 15061(b)(3); however it is expected that the CEQA determination for construction of this project will be a categorical exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15301(c) for existing facilities involving no expansion of use.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Lawrence Expressway Sanitary Sewer trunk main is a critical pipe for carrying sewage from the southern and eastern portions of the City and the Rancho Rinconada area in Cupertino and San Jose to the Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP). Based on available records, staff believes that the sewer trunk main was originally installed in 1953 with a life expectancy of approximately 50 years. It is constructed of multiple materials and gradually increases in size from 15” at Stevens Creek Boulevard to 48” at Borregas Avenue where it enters the WPCP.
Lawrence Expressway is a multi-lane major thoroughfare with heavy traffic and is controlled by the County of Santa Clara. Consequently, a permit is required from the County prior to accessing the sewer trunk main, and the heavy traffic requires extensive traffic control. Additionally, the line is much larger than most sanitary sewer lines in the City making the standard equipment used by staff ineffective for routine cleaning and inspection. Maintenance work on such large lines is best done and is most cost effective if the required work is performed by a contractor with specialized equipment. This line like the majority of sewer lines is impacted by corrosive sewer gasses which could lead over time to among other things structural defects. In 2007 a manhole rehabilitation project was done to apply cement lining to the manholes , this slowed down the deterioration of the manhole structures and extended their useful life which facilitated continued access to the trunk main.
In early 2015 the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for completion of a condition assessment and preparation of a preliminary design report for the Lawrence Expressway Sanitary Sewer Trunk Main. WaterWorks Engineers was the selected firm to complete this work, with a contract awarded by Council in April 2015 in the amount of $426,000 (RTC No. 15-0346). The work scope included a comprehensive condition assessment and preparation of a preliminary design report to rehabilitate the aging infrastructure. Prior to completing the condition assessment, WaterWorks had to perform “light” cleaning in order to conduct video inspections of the trunk main and identify defects. This information was used to make recommendations for rehabilitation work necessary to ensure continued, reliable operation.
The condition assessment work was completed in 2016 and an overall risk rating for each pipeline segment was assigned on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being a relatively low risk and 5 being a high risk of failure. A majority of the trunk main segments have overall risk ratings of 4 or 5. Based on these results, a rehabilitation of the entire line is recommended in the next 2 to 5 years. The Initial Project will provide additional access points to the trunk main, complete heavy cleaning and inspection of pipe segments that could not be completed due to limited access, and repair defects that pose an imminent failure risk within the next 1 to 2 years.
Due to their familiarity with the project and their satisfactory completion of the preliminary design report for the overall rehabilitation, WaterWorks is well suited to provide services for this project. The scope of work includes design, preparation of construction bid documents and construction support services for the Initial Project. The Initial Project will correct the severe structural defects, improve access to the line, and conduct heavy cleaning and additional inspection, where necessary.
Due to the heavy traffic, working hour restrictions, and the number of other jurisdictions involved in work on Lawrence Expressway, this project poses a unique challenge. WaterWorks successfully complied with all requirements when they conducted the condition assessment and will be able to use this experience to prepare complete and accurate construction documents that represent the working conditions and restrictions that the contractor can expect during construction of the initial project.
Following the completion of the Initial Project, staff anticipates conducting an RFP process to design the larger rehabilitation project. It is important to note that rehabilitation of the entire trunk line is anticipated to cost between $25 and $30 million. The rehabilitation of the entire trunk line is not currently included in the City’s Wastewater Management Fund Long Term Financial plan. The current plan only includes $7 million for the Initial Project. Financing options are being considered and will be brought back to Council at a future date.
FISCAL IMPACT
The FY 2016/17 Budget includes approximately $7 million for this project over the next three years. This provides sufficient funding for this contract; however the funding for the rehabilitation of the entire trunk line is yet to be identified. It is most likely that due to the required timing and magnitude of the rehabilitation of the entire trunk line, debt financing will be required.
Funding Source
Funding for the project is from the Wastewater Management Fund.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Award a design contract, in substantially the same format as Attachment 1 to the report in an amount not-to-exceed $273,256 to Water Works Engineers, LLC for the subject project, and authorize the City Manager to execute the contract when all the necessary conditions have been met; and approve a 10% design contingency in the amount of $27,326.
Staff
Prepared by: Pete Gonda, Purchasing Officer
Reviewed by: Timothy J. Kirby, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: John Stufflebean, Director of Environmental Services
Reviewed by: Manuel Pineda, Director, Public Works
Reviewed by: Walter C. Rossmann, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Deanna J. Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENT
1. Draft Consultant Services Agreement