REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Receive a Report of an Emergency Repair Project for the Water Pollution Control Plant Oxidation Pond Levees
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Sunnyvale's Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) has two large ponds located north of the Plant that provide biological treatment of wastewater. The west pond is approximately 300 acres in size and the smaller east pond is approximately 100 acres in size. These ponds are protected by approximately 6.6 miles of levees. The levees recently experienced leaks at three separate locations. The leaks in the west pond's west levee allowed partially treated wastewater to enter a basin owned by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The leak on the east pond's north levee allowed tidal water from the Guadalupe Slough into the east pond.
Emergency repairs on the west pond's west levee were needed to stabilize the levee and prevent leakage of partially treated wastewater from the pond into the waters of the United States, an unpermitted release. Emergency repairs on the east pond's north levee were needed to prevent tidal water from leaking into the treatment pond and compromising biological treatment of the wastewater and prevent partially treated wastewater leaking from the pond into the Guadalupe Slough.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the City Manager authorized repairs on an emergency basis. The City Manager also informed the City Council via email regarding the need for emergency repairs.
EXISTING POLICY
Sunnyvale Municipal Code Section 2.08.190 (Emergency Procurements) - The city manager, the purchasing officer or a department head, or a designee of such individual, may make or authorize others to make emergency procurements, regardless of the cost, if there is an urgent necessity to do so for the preservation of life, health, or property. Such emergency procurements shall be made with such competition as is practical under the circumstances and shall be limited to those goods and ser...
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