REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
October 24, 2019
FROM: MICHAEL CARBAJAL, Director
Department of Public Utilities
THROUGH: BROCK D. BUCHE, PE, PLS, Assistant Director
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
BY: ANITA LUERA, Senior Engineering Technician
Department of Public Utilities - Utilities Planning & Engineering
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the First Amendment to the Professional Consultant Services Agreement with Carollo Engineers, Inc., in the amount not to exceed $49,287, for preparation of workplans for evaluation of the existing groundwater monitoring well network and arsenic and manganese assessment at the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility (Council District 3 and Citywide)
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that City Council approve the First Amendment to the Professional Consultant Services Agreement (Agreement) in the amount not to exceed $49,287 with Carollo Engineers, Inc., (Consultant), for modifications to the scope of work related to the Preparation of Workplans for the Evaluation of the Existing Groundwater Monitoring Well Network and an Arsenic and Manganese Assessment at the Fresno-Clovis Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility (RWRF) (Project); and authorize the Director of Public Utilities, or designee, to sign the First Amendment on behalf of the City of Fresno (City).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On May 21, 2019, the City entered into an Agreement with the Consultant to prepare Workplans for the Evaluation of the Existing Groundwater Monitoring Well Network and an Arsenic and Manganese Assessment at the RWRF. As part of the Scope of Work included in the Agreement, the Consultant met with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (Board) to discuss the content of the workplans. As a result of the meeting, the Board required expansion of the original scope of work to include sampling of domestic and agricultural wells in the vicinity of the RWRF for Arsenic and Manganese, and the addition of sampling for nitrates to the project. Failure to submit the workplans and to meet the deadlines established by the Board will result in a non-compliance status of the RWRF.
BACKGROUND
The Wastewater Management Division operates the RWRF in accordance with Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) Order R5-2018-0080 adopted by the Board on December 13, 2018. The WDR is the regulatory document that establishes numeric or narrative limits on the final effluent of the RWRF, as well as on the receiving groundwater, and also contains time-sensitive provisions that are required to be completed in order for the City to remain in compliance with the WDR.
Provision J of the WDR requires submittal of an arsenic and manganese compliance assessment workplan to evaluate impacts of those constituents to the groundwater as they relate to the RWRF operations. The evaluation will include potential impacts of elevated concentrations on beneficial uses of groundwater downgradient of the RWRF and shall propose modifications to the current groundwater monitoring well network, if needed, in a separate workplan. During a meeting with the Board on June 30, 2019, the City was directed to implement the domestic well evaluation outlined in the workplan and include the results of the sampling in the workplan. The City was also informed that the groundwater analysis should include testing of the nitrogen-based components to determine groundwater conditions that affect the solubility of arsenic and manganese. Evaluation of the nitrogen-based components from domestic wells will also be used in the City’s Nitrate Initial Assessment which will be a requirement to all wastewater dischargers once the Tulare Lake Basin Plan Amendment is approved in the near future.
On May 21, 2019, the City entered into a $250,000 agreement with the Consultant to prepare workplans for the evaluation of the existing groundwater monitoring well network and an arsenic and manganese assessment at the RWRF. The First Amendment to the Agreement addresses the Board’s requirement to include water quality data, with additional nitrogen-based components, from domestic wells in the vicinity of the RWRF as part of the evaluation. Both of the workplans are required to be submitted to the Board by December 10, 2019. Failure to submit the workplans and to meet the deadlines established by the Board will result in a non-compliance status of the RWRF.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, an amendment to a consultant agreement for design services does not qualify as a “project” for the purposes of CEQA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference does not apply to this action because this is an amendment to an existing agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no impact to the General Fund. This Project is located in Council District 3 and provides Citywide benefits. Funding for the First Amendment of the Agreement is funded in the FY2020 Wastewater Management Division’s Operations and Maintenance budget within the Wastewater Enterprise Fund 40501.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - First Amendment to Agreement
Attachment 2 - Original Agreement
Attachment 3 - Waste Discharge Requirements Order R5-2018-0080