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SR-10-27-2015-3J 502-002-03 / 502-009 City Council Report City Council Regular Meeting: October 27, 2015 Agenda Item: 3.J 1 of 4 To: Mayor and City Council From: Martin Pastucha, Director, Public Works, Water Resources Subject: Award Professional Services Agreement for Technical Oversight and Support Services for the Charnock Well Field Recommended Action: Staff recommends that the City Council: 1. Award RFP #38 to Advisian, a Worley Parsons Group and California-based company, to provide Technical Oversight and Support Services (TOSS) for the Charnock Well Field; 2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a professional serv ices agreement with Advisian, a Worley Parsons Group in an amount not to exceed $133,443 for three years (including a 15% contingency), with an option to extend for two additional years at no additional cost, with future year funding contingent on Council budget approval; 3. Authorize the Director of Public Works to issue any necessary changes to complete additional work within contract authority. Executive Summary The Charnock Well Field is the City’s largest drinking water aquifer. Since 2008, WorleyParsons has provided Technical Oversight and Support Services for the Charnock well field to the City. These services enabled the City to obtain the necessary State permits to operate the Charnock Treatment Plant which came online in December 2010 to treat water from this aquifer. Comprehensive field activities and regulatory reporting requirements must be performed to maintain full compliance with State agencies to ensure public health and safe drinking water. Staff recommends Advisian, a WorleyParsons Group, as the best bidder for these services in an amount not to exceed $133,443 for three years (including a 15% contingency), with an option to extend for two additional years at no additional cost. Advisian is the new name of the division within WorleyParsons which has performed this service in the past for the City. Background The Charnock Well Field, which is comprised of three aquifers, is the City’s largest source of groundwater. The Charnock Treatment Plant, located at 11375 Westminster Avenue, in the City of Los Angeles, was completed by the City in December 2010 to 2 of 4 produce and treat groundwater from the Charnock Well Field. The plant produces 5,000 gallons per minute (GPM) of drinking water and consists of pretreatment for the removal of iron and manganese prior to filtration through granular activated carbon (GAC) for the removal of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) from gasoline, and other trace Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The Charnock Well Field sends water approximately 3.4 miles via a pipeline to the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant for treatment and entry into the City’s distribution system. In 1996, when the Charnock Well Field was found to be contaminated with MTBE, it was shut down. Subsequent comprehensive subsurface investigations and source remediation analyses were undertaken. The Charnock Well Field currently consists of five water production wells (Wells 13, 15, 16, 18, and 19) and 35 groundwater monitoring wells for testing. Ramboll Environ currently conducts all Charnock groundwater monitoring services for the City. Two California State Regulatory Agencies oversee the City’s groundwater production, treatment, and monitoring of the Charnock Well Field. First, the Division of Drinking Water Programs under the auspices of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB; formerly the California State Department of Public Health) sets conditions and permits the Charnock Treatment Plant. The SWRCB has set forth strict permit requirements pursuant to 97-005 Policy Guidance for Direct Domestic Use of Extremely Impaired Sources (DHS, November 5, 1997). Second, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) reviews the semi-annual groundwater monitoring program for a network of over 35 regional groundwater monitoring wells located within the Charnock Well Field including sentry wells (close proximity) to protect the Charnock Treatment Plant. Comprehensive field activities and regulatory reporting requirements must be performed to maintain full compliance with both the SWRCB and the RWQ CB to ensure public health and maintain safe drinking water. Discussion Maintaining regulatory compliance with State agencies requires a rigorous Technical Oversight and Support Services program. This program has been designed with six 3 of 4 tasks as outlined below:  Task 1.0 Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) Oversight Support Services  Task 2.0 Groundwater Monitoring Support Services  Task 3.0 Groundwater Data Evaluation Support Services  Task 4.0 Division of Drinking Water (DDW) Permit Support Services  Task 5.0 Meetings and Communication  Task 6.0 Project Management The City requires assistance from an independent consultant to provide technical support including comprehensive groundwater modeling capabilities. Consultant Selection On July 9, 2015, the City issued Request for Proposals (RFP) #38 to provide Technical Oversight and Support Services for the Charnock Well Field. The RFP was posted on the City’s on-line bidding site and notices were advertised in the Santa Monica Daily Press in accordance with City Charter and Municipal Code provisions. A total of 73 vendors downloaded the bid, and four proposals were received: 1. Advisian $116,037 2. EEC Environmental $ 94,437 3. Ferguson Group $293,784 4. TetraTech $320,899 Proposals were evaluated based on specific criteria including technical competence, past performance record, financial stability, and previous projects of comparable complexity, staffing capability, and cost of services. Advisian, the second lowest bidder, a WorleyParsons Group, was identified as having the staff with the best technical competence, past performance record, financial stability and quality level of the firm’s previous projects. Advisian is the new name of the division within WorleyParsons which has performed this service in the past for the City. Project staff available at Advisian has gained an intimate knowledge of the basin characteristics over many years of work 4 of 4 supporting Santa Monica in the Charnock Basin. Specifically, Advisian-developed numerical modeling of the basin has proven invaluable in assessing the validity of requests for closure from the dozens of PRP (potentially responsible parties) within the basin. The cost of developing a similar model, in addition to the time and effort involved in gaining familiarity with basin issues and hydrogeology offset the cost differential between Advisian and the lowest bidder EEC Environmental. Staff recommends Advisian, A WorleyParsons Group, as the best bidder to provide Technical Oversight and Support Services for the Charnock Well Field. Financial Impacts and Budget Actions The professional services agreement to be awarded to Advisian, A WorleyParsons Group, is for an amount not to exceed $133,443 for three years (including a 15% contingency), with an option to extend for two additional years at no additional cost. Funds are available in the FY 2015-16 budget in the Public Works Department. The agreement will be charged to account 25671.555010. Future year funding is contingent on Council budget approval. Prepared By: Thomas Poon, Senior Administrative Analyst Approved Forwarded to Council Attachments:     Reference:    Agreement No. 10210   (CCS)