To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Brad Sherwood 707-547-1927, Jason Roberts 707-791-4461
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): First
Title:
Title
Sonoma Tank No. 1 Recoating and Inspection Contracts
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt and approve the Project Manual and Drawings (“plans and specifications”) entitled “Sonoma Tank No. 1 Recoating.”
B) Award the contract to SoCal Pacific dba National Coating and Lining for $1,894,140 for the Sonoma Tank No. 1 Recoating Project and authorize the Chair to execute the contract.
C) Authorize the General Manager of Sonoma County Water Agency to sign Section 00 65 23 (Agreement and Release of Any and All Claims), with County Counsel review, if any unresolved claims are listed by the contractor.
D) Authorize the General Manager of the Sonoma County Water Agency to execute an agreement with Gaya Coating Consulting Inc., in substantially the form as the draft presented to this Board, for coating inspection services through March 30, 2028, in the not-to-exceed amount of $303,535.
(2/3rd Vote Required) (First District)
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Executive Summary:
This item requests approval of a contract with SoCal Pacific dba National Coating and Lining for $1,894,140 for the Sonoma Tank No. 1 Recoating Project (Project) to remove and replace interior and exterior coatings and paint and to install health, safety, seismic, structural, and cathodic protection system improvements to maintain the functional lifespan of the tank. This item also requests approval of an agreement with Gaya Coating Consulting, Inc. for the not-to-exceed amount of $303,535 to perform highly specialized coating and painting inspections for the Project.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
Sonoma Water’s Capital Improvement Plan (Plan) identifies key infrastructure projects to meet the needs of wastewater, flood management, and water transmission facilities within its jurisdiction. The Plan includes a Tank Recoating Program (Program) with a goal to maintain and protect the original lifespan of Sonoma Water’s 18 above-grade welded steel water storage tanks through targeted proactive maintenance actions, structural repairs, and cathodic protection systems. The Plan also includes a Seismic Retrofit of Storage Tanks Program to mitigate seismic-related vulnerabilities at water storage tanks sites.
Water storage tanks are critical components of the water transmission system, providing operational storage to meet peak demands that exceed production capacity. Periodic recoating and protective maintenance are essential to maintaining the original design life of these facilities, minimizing long-term replacement costs, and ensuring continued reliability of water storage and transmission services.
SONOMA TANK NO. 1 RECOATING PROJECT
Sonoma Water completed an Enhanced Washout inspection for Sonoma Tank No. 1. Results of the inspection, staff observations, and condition assessment of the tank identified localized corrosion in the tank rafters and multiple areas of coating system failure. In addition, the existing coating system, now approximately 33 years old, has exceeded its anticipated 20-25-year service life and requires full removal and replacement to restore protective performance and prevent further structural deterioration. Structural analyses conducted as part of the design process further determined that the tank seismic anchors, as originally installed, do not meet current code and require modification to mitigate the potential for failure during a seismic event.
The Project is located at Third Street West in Sonoma, CA, and includes repairing corroded structural steel features within the tank, installing lateral bracing, applying protective coating to the tank interior, painting the tank exterior, installing new cathodic protection system for long term corrosion prevention, seismic anchor modifications, and other miscellaneous improvements. The Project will resolve coating failures and seismic vulnerabilities and improve the reliability and resiliency of water storage and transmission services.
CONSULTING AGREEMENT FOR INSPECTIONS
Specialized coating inspection services, beyond the capabilities of Sonoma Water staff, will be required for construction of the Project. Under the consulting agreement, Gaya Coating Consultants, Inc. (Consultant) will complete the following:
• Coordinate and schedule on-site inspections.
• Provide testing equipment and perform compliance tests.
• Prepare and submit daily inspection reports during construction.
• Take digital photographs of significant features and damaged or defective areas.
The cost of services will not exceed $303,535 and the term end date is March 30, 2028. Under the agreement (Attachment 1), Sonoma Water’s General Manager shall have the ability to extend the term of the agreement for up to two additional years by providing written notice to the other party thirty days in advance of the expiration date. The extension shall be formalized in an amended agreement or amendment signed by the parties.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
Sonoma Water’s General Manager has determined that the Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301(a)(b)(d), Existing Facilities, and 15304(f), Minor Alterations to Land. The maintenance project consists of repair and minor alterations of an existing water storage tank and minor alterations to land that will not result in expansion of existing uses or removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees. Sonoma Water staff has prepared a Notice of Exemption for the project in accordance with CEQA, the State CEQA Guidelines, and Sonoma Water’s Procedures for the Implementation of CEQA.
SELECTION PROCESS
Sonoma Tank No. 1 Recoating Project
The Project was advertised for bids : 6/25/2026
Bids were opened (Attachment 2): 7/28/2026
The Engineer’s Estimate was: $2,546,200
The lowest bid submitted is from Euro Style Management, Inc.; Euro Style Management, Inc. informed Sonoma Water that their Bid did not account for the requirements of the Community Workforce Agreement and requested to retract their Bid. Sonoma Water recommends that the Board accept Euro Style Management‘s bid retraction and award to the second low bidder, SoCal Pacific dba National Coating and Lining. SoCal Pacific dba National Coating and Lining’ s bid is $652,060 under the Engineer’s Estimate. SoCal Pacific dba National Coating and Lining is experienced with this type of work.
A contractor must execute a release of claims (Section 00 65 23) before final payment but may except any unresolved claims from the release. The requested action authorizes the General Manager to approve the release unless the contractor lists unresolved claims. In that case, County Counsel must review Section 00 65 23 prior to General Manager approval.
Construction of the Project is scheduled to begin approximately October 26, 2026, with an estimated completion date of July 12, 2027.
Coating Inspection Services
The Consultant was selected from a list of qualified consultants developed from a competitive selection process (Attachment 3). The Consultant was selected for the subject work because of Consultant’s outstanding level of qualifications and experience. The Consultant specializes in tank coating processes and materials, is registered with professional standards associations, and has over 25 years of experience working with many municipalities around the Bay Area.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan:
N/A
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
This item directly supports Sonoma Water’s Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following goal, strategy, and action item.
Goal: 2. Planning and Infrastructure - Implement comprehensive, integrated, and innovative infrastructure planning to strengthen existing services, minimize life cycle costs, and prepare for the future.
Strategy: 2.3 Fund and implement the planned capital and maintenance projects on schedule to ensure reliable services.
Action Item: 2.3.2 Fund Capital Improvement Program budgets to meet infrastructure needs.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
7/14/2026: Reject all bids for the Sonoma Tank No. 1 Recoating Project
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY26-27 Adopted |
FY27-28 Projected |
FY28-29 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$2,197,675 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$2,197,675 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
$2,197,675 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$2,197,675 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The total budgeted amount of $2,197,675 is available from FY 2026/2027 appropriations for the Water Transmission O&M Fund ($2,062,675) for the Tank Recoating Program, and for the Storage Fund ($135,000) for the Seismic Retrofit of Storage Tanks. No additional appropriations are required to process this expense.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
1. Draft Agreement with Gaya Coating Consultants, Inc.
2. Bid Summary
3. Consultant Selection Memo
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Project Manual and Drawings