REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: BROCK D. BUCHE, PE, PLS, Director
Department of Public Utilities
BY: PAUL AMICO, PE, Assistant Director
Department of Public Utilities - Administration
JOSEPH DE GEORGE, MS, MBA, Project Manager
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
SUBJECT
Title
Approve a consultant services agreement with Water Systems Consulting, Inc., for an amount not to exceed $767,880, and a contingency amount of $70,000, to prepare a Water Reuse Master Plan for the City of Fresno. (Bid File 12302738) (Citywide).
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that City Council approve a consultant services agreement with Water Systems Consulting, Inc. (Consultant), for an amount not to exceed $767,880, and a contingency amount of $70,000, to prepare a Water Reuse Master Plan (Project) for the City of Fresno (City); and authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to sign the agreement on behalf of the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City Council adopted the existing Recycled Water Master Plan and its associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in April 2013. The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has since constructed infrastructure to produce recycled water and distribute it to users in southwest and downtown Fresno. DPU has recognized the need to update the Recycled Water Master Plan to more broadly consider how water reuse fits into the City’s overall water portfolio. The Water Reuse Master Plan will evaluate the benefits that additional investments in recycled water infrastructure could achieve to balance citywide water resource needs for potable offset while meeting more stringent discharge requirements for the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility (RWRF).
BACKGROUND
In 2013, the City Council adopted the Recycled Water Master Plan that led to the construction of the 5 million gallon per day Tertiary Treatment and Disinfection Facility and associated storage and pumping facilities at the RWRF, and the southwest recycled water transmission and distribution pipeline network. DPU is currently in the design phase of a recycled water storage tank and booster pump station at a satellite location within the distribution system, and considering a reclamation well pipeline connection to the recycled water pumping station at the RWRF. These improvements will expand the supply available for reuse, provide supply redundancy, and increase system reliability to maintain or improve the level of service. DPU has no additional reuse projects planned until the Water Reuse Master Plan is completed.
The Water Reuse Master Plan will be the planning document that establishes the direction for reuse and prioritizes future recycled water infrastructure investments across a 20-year planning horizon. The Water Reuse Master Plan will build on the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan, investigative groundwater studies at the RWRF, the 2019 Citywide Recycled Water Demand and Southwest Recycled Water System Analysis, and include an evaluation of the existing recycled water infrastructure and users, identification of potential reuse demands in the vicinity of the current and future recycled water distribution system, and impacts of recent and potential future regulations on system operations and end-uses of recycled water.
In accordance with Fresno Municipal Code Chapter 4, Article 1, and Administrative Order 6-19 (AO6-19), DPU conducted a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to select a consultant to provide the requisite professional services. On May 22, 2023, the RFQ was published in the Business Journal and posted on the City’s Planet Bids website. Three (3) Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) were received by the deadline of June 13, 2023. A selection committee consisting of representatives from DPU’s Utilities Planning & Engineering Division; Wastewater Management Division; and Water Division evaluated the SOQs, and upon review of the qualifications and the proposed fees, the Committee selected Water Systems Consulting, Inc. Staff recommends awarding a consultant services agreement to Water Systems Consulting, Inc., for a total amount not to exceed $767,880, and a $70,000 contingency. Funding for this Project is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 capital improvement budget within the Wastewater Management Division’s Wastewater Operating Fund 4500-4501.
A standardized consultant services agreement approved as to form by the City Attorney’s Office has been used in accordance with Administrative Order 4-4. Upon approval by the City Council, the agreement will be executed by the Director of Public Utilities.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, the award of this consultant services agreement is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference was not implemented per Fresno Municipal Code Section 4-109(b)(3), as there were no SOQs received from local professional consulting firms.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact on the General Fund. Funding for this Project is included in the Fiscal Year 2024 capital improvement budget within the Wastewater Management Division’s Wastewater Operating Fund 4500-4501. This Project is Citywide.
Attachment - Consultant Services Agreement