Title
Recommendation to Authorize the City Manager to Execute an Agreement with Woodard & Curran to Update the Sewer Master Plan in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $231,481, including a 5% Contingency.
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this action is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities). (Public Works 50141600)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Gerry Beaudin, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Alameda's (City) current Sewer Master Plan, completed in 2015, serves as the primary planning document for the management, rehabilitation, and capacity improvements of the sanitary sewer collection system. Since the adoption of the 2015 Master Plan, the City has completed significant sewer infrastructure improvements, collected additional system condition information, and experienced changes in development patterns and regulatory requirements.
The proposed Sewer Master Plan Update will evaluate the current condition and performance of the sanitary sewer system, update the City's hydraulic model and rehabilitation prioritization tools, assess future capacity needs, and develop an updated Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The updated plan will support compliance with the City's Consent Decree obligations, Sewer System Management Plan requirements, and other regulatory mandates while providing a framework for future capital investments.
BACKGROUND
The City owns and maintains approximately 142 miles of sanitary sewer pipelines, 45 pump stations, and related infrastructure. The 2015 Sewer Master Plan established the City's long-term strategy for sewer rehabilitation, capacity management, and capital investment planning.
Over the past decade, the City has invested substantially in sewer system improvements and has continued to collect asset condition information through closed-circuit television inspections, maintenance activities, and system monitoring. In addition, new development, changing regulatory requirements, and updated infrastructure data warrant a comprehensive review and update of the Sewer Master Plan.
Industry practice recommends that wastewater collection system master plans be reviewed and updated approximately every five to ten years to reflect completed capital projects, updated asset condition information, changes in land use and development, evolving regulatory requirements, and current system performance data. The City's current Sewer Master Plan was completed in 2015 and is now more than ten years old. Updating the plan now will ensure that the City's capital improvement priorities, rehabilitation strategies, and capacity planning efforts are based on current information and continue to support regulatory compliance and long-term asset management objectives.
DISCUSSION
The proposed scope of work includes:
• Review and evaluation of existing sewer system data, regulatory requirements, and planning documents;
• Development and implementation of a wet-weather flow monitoring program;
• Update and calibration of the City's hydraulic sewer model;
• Evaluation of sewer system capacity and future infrastructure needs;
• Consider and incorporate impacts of rising groundwater and sea level rise;
• Update of the City's sewer asset risk prioritization methodology;
• Development of an updated Capital Improvement Program; and
• Preparation of a comprehensive Sewer Master Plan Update report.
The updated Sewer Master Plan will provide the City with a current assessment of system performance, support regulatory compliance efforts, and establish priorities for future sewer rehabilitation, replacement, and capacity improvement projects.
Sole Source Justification
Staff recommends awarding this agreement on a sole-source basis to Woodard & Curran. The consultant prepared the City's 2015 Sewer Master Plan and developed the hydraulic model, asset prioritization methodology, and associated technical databases that continue to serve as the foundation for the City's sewer planning program.
The existing hydraulic model is proprietary to the modeling platform and has been maintained by Woodard & Curran since its original development. Updating the Sewer Master Plan requires detailed knowledge of the model structure, calibration assumptions, historical flow monitoring data, regulatory compliance analyses, and risk-based rehabilitation methodology developed as part of the 2015 effort.
Utilizing a different consultant would require substantial time and cost to recreate, verify, and understand the existing model framework and planning assumptions before work on the update could begin. This would increase project costs, introduce schedule delays, and create the potential for inconsistencies between the previous and updated Sewer Master Plans.
Because the consultant possesses unique institutional knowledge of the City's sewer system planning framework, existing hydraulic model, and rehabilitation prioritization methodology, staff has determined that a sole-source procurement is in the City's best interest and will provide the most efficient and cost-effective approach for completing the Sewer Master Plan Update
Staff recommends City Council authorize an agreement with Woodard & Curran for an amount not-to-exceed $231,480.90, including a 5% contingency.
ALTERNATIVES
• Approve the Agreement with Woodard & Curran, as recommended.
• Direct staff to conduct a competitive procurement process. This alternative would delay completion of the Sewer Master Plan Update and require a new consultant to become familiar with the City's existing hydraulic model, planning framework, and regulatory compliance requirements, likely resulting in additional costs and schedule impacts.
• Take no action. This alternative would leave the City reliant on planning information that is more than ten years old and could impair the City's ability to effectively prioritize sewer infrastructure investments and demonstrate ongoing regulatory compliance.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total proposed cost of the Agreement is $231,480.90. Funding is available in the Sewer Enterprise Fund (50141600) and appropriated in the approved Capital Improvement Program budget. There is no impact to the General Fund.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with Strategic Plan Project TIE21, rehabilitate 8 miles of sewer pipes.
This action is also consistent with General Plan Policy CC-22: Ensure resilience and long-term functionality of critical public assets threatened by earthquakes, sea level rise, or rising groundwater.
This action is subject to the Levine Act.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this action is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities).
CLIMATE IMPACT
The proposed agreement is for a planning effort and does not, by itself, result in direct greenhouse gas emissions reductions or other measurable climate impacts. However, the Sewer Master Plan Update will help the City identify and prioritize future sewer rehabilitation and capacity improvement projects that support the long-term reliability and resilience of critical wastewater infrastructure.
Maintaining and replacing aging sewer infrastructure before failure helps protect public health, water quality, and the environment by reducing the potential for sanitary sewer overflows. In addition, the Master Plan Update includes consideration of potential impacts associated with groundwater conditions and sea level rise, helping inform future infrastructure planning and climate adaptation efforts.
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with Woodard & Curran to update the City of Alameda’s Sewer Master Plan in an amount not-to-exceed $231,480.90, including a 5% contingency.
Respectfully submitted,
Erin Smith, Public Works Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Agreement