Posting Language
Title
Authorize negotiation and execution of a professional services contract for engineering services for the Handcox Water Treatment Plant Resiliency Improvements project with Carollo Engineers, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $8,912,000.
[Note: This contract will be awarded in compliance with City Code Chapter 2-9A (Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program) by meeting the goals with 9.50% MBE and 15.00% WBE participation].
Body
Lead Department
Financial Services Department.
Managing Department
Capital Delivery Services.
Fiscal Note
Funding is available in the Capital Budget of the Austin Water Department.
Purchasing Language:
The Financial Services Department issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQS) 6100 CLMP359 for these services. The solicitation was issued on September 19, 2023, and closed on November 9, 2023. The recommended contractor submitted the only responsive offer. A complete solicitation package, including a log of offer received, is available for viewing on the City’s Financial Services website, Austin Finance Online. This information can currently be found at: https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitation_details.cfm?sid=139525.
For More Information:
Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to the Financial Services Department - Central Procurement at: FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2500. Respondents to the solicitation and their Agents should direct all questions to the Authorized Contact Person identified in the solicitation.
Additional Backup Information:
Austin Water operates three existing Water Treatment Plants (WTPs), which are the Ullrich WTP, the Davis WTP and the Handcox WTP. The Ullrich WTP and Davis WTP draw water from Lake Austin and Handcox WTP draws water from Lake Travis. The Handcox WTP was completed in 2014 and has a rated treatment capacity of 50 million gallons per day (MGD), in accordance with the operating permit issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Since Winter Storm Uri, Austin Water maintains a minimum available treatment capacity from all three water treatment plants at all times, which limits the ability to take equipment offline for regular maintenance. During the original construction of Handcox WTP, process redundancy was removed to reduce construction cost. This project will bring Handcox to the same level of process redundancy as the Ullrich and Davis WTPs.
The contract will provide qualified professional engineering services for the planning, design, construction, and warranty phase services for this project. The objective of this project is to increase the plant's resiliency by allowing treatment process equipment, such as a clarifier or basin, to be offline while conducting baseline maintenance activities and sustaining the plant's 50 MGD treatment capacity. Anticipated improvements include, but are not limited to up-flow clarifiers, filtration, sludge handling, and a potable water pipeline between the treatment plant and the low-service pump station, as well as replacing network and controls equipment throughout the plant. The details of the scope will be finalized following the engineering evaluation and preliminary engineering report. The ability to maintain water treatment functions throughout construction will need to be planned for and integrated into the construction sequencing.
Delay in approval of this contract could impact Austin Water’s ability to maintain the plants ability to treat water at its required minimum capacity impacting the City’ potable water supply.
Engineering services work will occur entirely within the plant property and as such there will be no impact to the public.
This authorization provides for funding of the above-listed services. This request allows for the negotiation and execution of an agreement with the most qualified firm. If staff is unsuccessful in negotiating an agreement with the most qualified firm, negotiations will cease, and staff will return to Council to award another qualified firm and authorize contract negotiations with that firm.
This project is located within District 10.