Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Utilities Department

 

TO:

David L. Corliss – City Manager

Cynthia Wagner - Assistant City Manager

Diane Stoddard - Assistant City Manager

FROM:

Philip Ciesielski – Assistant Director of Utilities

CC:

Dave Wagner – Director of Utilities

Mike Lawless – Assistant Director of Utilities

Beth Krishtalka – Assistant to Director

Mark Hegeman – Utilities Operations Superintendent

Dave King – Utilities Maintenance Superintendent

Date:

March 19, 2013

RE:

Agenda Item – Negotiate a Design Phase Engineering Services Agreement for Project UT1302CS Pump Station PS04 Redundant Forcemain

 

Please include the following item on the City Commission Agenda for consideration at the March 26, 2013 meeting:

Authorize Staff to negotiate an Engineering Services Agreement with Professional Engineering Consultants for Design Phase Engineering Services for Project UT1302CS Pump Station PS04 Redundant Forcemain.

Project Description

Sanitary sewer Pump Station PS04 is located at 810 Walnut Street and has a firm capacity of 2800 gpm. PS04 delivers all of North Lawrence’s sanitary sewer flows south across the Kansas River to the Wastewater Treatment Plant at 1400 E. 8th Street. PS04 has 2 existing forcemains; 1 each 1956 8” diameter steel which is currently out of service, and 1 each 1974 18” diameter cast iron and steel. See the attached map.

 

In January the Department of Utilities was alerted by a citizen to the presence of an exposed section of pipe in the north riverbank. Investigation by Staff determined the exposed pipe to be the 8” 1956 forcemain from PS04. Approximately 75 ft of the forcemain has become exposed due to riverbank erosion. See the attached photos.

 

After an evaluation of the forcemain’s existing condition, risk of failure and the operational parameters of PS04, it was determined that the forcemain should be isolated from the system to prevent any discharge of sewage to the Kansas River in the event the pipe failed. In preparation for taking the forcemain out of service it was “pigged” clean and flushed out. The 8” forcemain is now isolated from the system. The existing 18” forcemain is hydraulically adequate to convey the pump station’s firm pumping capacity.

 

Information from the original plans shows the construction of the 8” forcemain to have been to a depth of only five (5) feet below the river bed as it existed in 1956. Based on this, the condition of the exposed pipe and the risk associated with attempting to recover the exposed section the Department of Utilities recommends pursuing the installation of a new, redundant forcemain from PS04 to the Wastewater Treatment Plant to provide reliable sanitary sewer service to North Lawrence.

 

Project History

On February 5, 2013, the City Commission authorized staff to advertise a Request for Proposals for Engineering Services for the Pump Station PS04 Redundant Forcemain Replacement. 

 

On March 1, 2013, in response to the Request for Proposals, staff received proposals from five (5) firms interested in the project. Proposals were received from BG Consultants/Burns & McDonnell; Bartlett & West; HDR; Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC), and Wilson & Company.   

 

A review committee consisting of Department of Utilities’ staff evaluated the five proposals. Staff consistently ranked Professional Engineering Consultants as the highest qualified respondent for the project. As indicated in the RFP the following criteria were used to rate the responses:

 

·         Project knowledge & approach

o   PEC presented a comprehensive project approach including assessment of alternate alignments, pipe materials, construction methods, regulatory and permitting impacts and the potential for neighborhood involvement.

·         Project qualifications and firm experience with similar projects

o   Of the respondents PEC presented the broadest cross-section of experience working with pipeline river, stream and levee crossings, using various materials and including the required permitting activities.

o   PEC has as a broad range of experience on successful water and wastewater projects with the Department of Utilities.  

·         Key project staff experience

o   PEC presented a project team well qualified to perform the work as requested in the RFP. Key project staff, as identified in the RFP, showed significant related experience on similar projects involving river, stream and levee crossings. These projects used various pipe materials and construction methods.

·         Schedule

o   PEC presented a schedule that is reasonable and accounts for factors including easement acquisition and permitting approvals. PEC also recognized the urgent nature of the project and indicated options do exist for compressing the proposed schedule.

 

Each firm also provided a schedule of hourly rates with their proposal for reference. Hourly rates provided by PEC were found to be consistent with rates provided by other respondents.

 

Project Funding

Funds for project design are from the Department of Utilities non-bonded construction fund.

  

Action Request: Authorize Staff to negotiate an Engineering Services Agreement with Professional Engineering Consultants for Design Phase Engineering Services for Project UT1302CS Pump Station PS04 Redundant Forcemain.

Thank you for your assistance. Please advise if you have any questions.