To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Steve Koldis (707) 547-1914
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Santa Rosa Plain Water Supply Resiliency Project - Occidental Road Well Activation - Contract Award to TerraCon Constructors, Inc.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt and approve the Project Manual and Drawings (“plans and specifications”) entitled “Santa Rosa Plain Water Supply Resiliency Project - Occidental Road Well Activation.”
B) Award the contract to TerraCon Constructors, Inc. for $4,797,811 for construction of Santa Rosa Plain Water Supply Resiliency Project - Occidental Road Well Activation 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.
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Executive Summary:
This item requests approval of a contract with TerraCon Constructors, Inc. for $4,797,811 for construction of Santa Rosa Plain Water Supply Resiliency Project - Occidental Road Well Activation (Project). The Project will bring the Occidental Road well site into compliance with State regulations for water supply disinfection and will add aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) capabilities to the newly constructed Occidental Road Well #3. Adding ASR capabilities will allow Sonoma Water to store treated drinking water, sourced from Sonoma Water’s riverbank filtration system on the Russian River, in the aquifer when river flows are high for extraction during summer and fall months or during future drought periods.
The Project is a critical piece of the Santa Rosa Plain Water Supply Resiliency Project funded in part by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Program, which provided $6.9 million to rehabilitate and upgrade two of Sonoma Water’s three well sites in the Santa Rosa Plain and implement aquifer storage recovery at the two well sites.
Discussion:
Background:
Sonoma Water owns and operates three well-sites in the Santa Rosa Plain intended to augment water supplies during periods of drought. The Occidental Road Well site, constructed in February 1978, was a response to the severe drought of 1976-1977. Occidental Road Well #1, was a 16” diameter production well that was drilled to a depth of 830 feet, collapsed to a depth of 600 feet and was subsequently only minimally used for water supply due to sanding problems and the collapsed nature of the well. A second 16-inch diameter well (Well #2) was drilled at the well site in January 1999 to a depth of 770 feet to replace Well #1. This well has also proven to be problematic over the years as it produces sand and has poor water quality. Well #2 was utilized for production relatively continuously between 2000 and 2009 and again during the previous drought of 2013 to 2015 and has generally been offline since 2015.
In August 2023, Roadrunner Drilling was awarded the Occidental Road Well #3 Drilling contract. In Winter 23/24, Wells # 1 and # 2 were destroyed and a replacement well (Well #3) was drilled as part of the DWR-funded Santa Rosa Plain Drought Resiliency Project in response to the most recent drought that ended in 2023. Well #3 was constructed of stainless steel to avoid the production of sulfur reducing bacteria, the depth limited to 530 feet to reduce water quality impacts and take advantage of zones of high flow, and a smaller slot size and filter pack was utilized to limit sanding of the well. In addition to serving as a production well, Well #3 was designed with the capacity to accommodate planned ASR operations. Glass bead filter pack and stainless-steel louvers were installed to allow for better contact with the aquifer to aid the transmission of recharge water into the aquifer. The well was designed for a production flow of approximately 1500 gallon per minute (gpm) and a recharge flow of approximately 500 gpm. Actual production will be limited to 1000 gpm and development and testing of Well #3 and future ASR operations will be determined through ASR pilot testing following completed construction of the Project. Well testing revealed that sand production remains a problem and topside improvement goals were modified to remove sand at the well head.
Current Project:
In 2021, the most recent drought prompted Sonoma Water to reinvest in the Santa Rosa Plains wells. The State of Emergency proclaimed by Governor Newsom in April 2021 enabled Sonoma Water under emergency contracting procedures to enter a contract with GEI Consultants, Inc. (GEI) on 12/1/2021 to design improvements that facilitate renewed operation of the well sites and procure materials. In February 2023, the drought emergency subsided, and Sonoma Water ended its drought declaration thereby terminating emergency contracts. Plans and Specifications were prepared for renewal of the operation of the well site to advertise for bids in compliance with the Public Contract Code.
Work consists of construction of improvements to the Santa Rosa Plain Water Resiliency Project Occidental Road Well Activation located at 5610 Occidental Road, Santa Rosa, California. The Work includes Site demolition and providing concrete pads; fencing; 2 tanks; well station piping, fittings, and supports; an aquifer recharge valve; an above-ground sand separator and downhole sand separator; a submersible well pump including Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) and pump column piping; two fiberglass buildings; a chlorination system including chemical dosing system and chlorine contact piping; a pump to waste system; control valves; manual valves; meters; instrumentation; and related mechanical, electrical, and controls equipment, including system integration and commissioning modes of operation for long-term operation of the well. Work shall be completed within 220 Days from the date when Contract Time commences to run.
The engineer’s estimate was $4,128,000. The Project was advertised for bids on December 5th, 2024.
On January 14th, 2025, three responsive bids were received per the attached Bid Summary. The lowest responsive and responsible bid is from TerraCon Constructors, Inc. and is $669,811 above the Engineer’s Estimate. Examination of bid results identified that the chlorinator and analyzer system bid item is considerably higher than the Engineer’s Estimate. The cost of this bid item is also considerably higher than the same item at the Sebastopol Road Well Topside Improvements project site, which was awarded only one year prior to the same contractor. This difference may be that the contractor is realizing higher cost and complexity than anticipated for construction at the Sebastopol Road Well. TerraCon Constructors, Inc., is experienced in this type of construction and meets the experience requirements.
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 on the Project is scheduled to begin approximately April 21, 2025, with an estimated completion date of November 26, 2025.
California Environmental Quality Act
Sonoma Water’s General Manager has determined that the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The project is statutorily exempt under Statute 21080(b)(4) and State CEQA Guidelines Section 15269(b)(c), which provide that specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency are exempt from CEQA; categorically exempt from CEQA under State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301(b)(f) and 15304(f). The project is exempt under Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-7-22, issued on March 28, 2022, which suspends CEQA for certain drought-related projects, including drought mitigation projects such as the Santa Rosa Plain wells project. Notice of Exemption was posted for construction and the pilot study for Aquifer Storage and Recovery on January 30, 2023.
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: 2.1.2 Continue to engage in planning efforts and partnerships to protect and enhance our water supply.
The water supply will be enhanced through ASR where treated drinking water, sourced from Sonoma Water’s riverbank filtration system on the Russian River, will be stored in the aquifer when river flows are high for extraction during summer and fall months or during future drought or emergency periods.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
See attachment 1
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$4,797,811 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$4,797,811 |
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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 |
$4,797,811 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$4,797,811 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The budgeted amount of $4,797,811 is available from FY 2024/20205 appropriations for the Common Facilities Fund. No additional appropriation is required.
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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:
Attachment 1 - Prior Board Items
Attachment 2 - Bid Summary
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Project Manuals and Drawings