To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Grant Davis (707) 547-1911; Jimmie Griggs 707-322-8953
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): First, Third, Fourth, Fifth
Title:
Title
Santa Rosa and Russian River-Cotati Intertie Aqueducts Cathodic Protection Upgrade Phase 1
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt and approve the Project Manual and Drawings (“plans and specifications”) entitled “Santa Rosa and Russian River-Cotati Intertie Aqueducts Cathodic Protection Upgrade Phase 1.”
B) Award the contract to Exaro Technologies Corporation for $2,178,582.92 for construction of Santa Rosa and Russian River-Cotati Intertie Aqueducts Cathodic Protection Upgrade Phase 1 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.
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Executive Summary:
This item requests approval of a contract with Exaro Technologies Corporation for $2,178,582.92 for construction of the Santa Rosa and Russian River-Cotati Intertie Aqueducts Cathodic Protection Upgrade Phase 1 project (Project). The purpose of a cathodic protection system is to prevent corrosion and maintain integrity of the water transmission system, which will reduce corrosion related repair and maintenance and increase pipeline longevity.
Discussion:
Portions of Sonoma County Water Agency’s (Sonoma Water) aqueduct system were constructed as early as the 1950s to provide a reliable supply of drinking water from the Russian River to residents in Sonoma and Marin counties. The Santa Rosa Aqueduct runs from the collector wells along the Russian River near Wohler Bridge through downtown Santa Rosa and terminates at the Ralphine Tanks near Spring Lake. The Russian River-Cotati Intertie Aqueduct runs southward from the collector wells along the Russian River near Mirabel and ultimately into the Petaluma aqueduct near East Cotati Avenue.
In 2009, a corrosion assessment was conducted on the aqueducts. Sonoma Water determined that the existing cathodic protection systems, consisting of buried magnesium sacrificial anodes that last approximately 30 years, no longer provided adequate corrosion protection. Testing and feasibility analyses were conducted to determine the most cost-effective solution to protect the steel and mortar lined aqueducts and determined that an impressed anode system composed of buried deep bed anode wells spaced along the aqueducts would be constructed to reduce construction, operation, and maintenance costs and provide a useful life of up to 50 years. Such improvements have been implemented along the Sonoma and Petaluma Aqueducts in 2007 and 2018, respectively.
The Project consists of constructing cathodic protection upgrades at multiple locations along the alignment of both the Santa Rosa and Russian River-Cotati Aqueducts. The Project includes, but is not limited to, the installation of 8 cathodic protection stations, each consisting of a direct current rectifier unit and a deep anode bed, and 12 cathodic protection test stations.
The engineer’s estimate was $1,932,000.00. The Project was advertised for bids on April 17, 2025.
On May 29, 2025, two bids were received per the attached Bid Summary. The lowest responsive and responsible bid is from Exaro Technologies Corporation and is $246,582.92 above the Engineer’s Estimate. Exaro Technologies Corporation is experienced in this type of construction and met 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 September 1, 2025, with an estimated completion date of May 19, 2026.
California Environmental Quality Act
The Board of Directors approved the Santa Rosa Aqueduct and Russian River to Cotati Aqueduct Cathodic Protection Project and the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration of the Environmental Impact (Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration), adopted mitigation measures and the Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program, and made certain related findings on December 14, 2021. Sonoma Water, as lead agency, prepared the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration in accordance with CEQA, the State CEQA Guidelines, and Sonoma Water’s Compliance Procedures for CEQA. A Notice of Determination was filed on with the Sonoma County Clerk and the State Clearinghouse on December 15, 2021.
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.
Award of contract and construction of impressed cathodic protection facilities will strengthen existing services and minimize life cycle costs by protecting the existing pipelines from corrosion and reducing the need for maintenance and repairs.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
08/09/2022: Approved First Amended and Restated Agreement for As-Needed Corrosion Protection Engineering Services with Corrpro Companies, Inc.
12/14/2021: Adopted a resolution determining that the Santa Rosa Aqueduct and Russian River to Cotati Aqueduct Cathodic Protection Project will not have a significant adverse effect on the environment, adopting the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact for the Project, adopting mitigation measures and the mitigation monitoring reporting program, making certain related findings, and approving the Project.
10/08/2019: Approved Agreement for As-Needed Corrosion Protection Engineering Services with Corrpro Companies, Inc.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$355,000 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
$1,823,582.92 |
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Total Expenditures |
$2,178,582.92 |
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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 |
$2,178,582.92 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$2,178,582.92 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Budgeted amount of $355,000 is available from FY 2025/26 appropriations for the Water Transmission fund. Additional appropriations of $1,823,582.92 are required from the Water Transmission fund to process this expense. With Board approval, unused appropriations in the amount of $1,823,582.92, budgeted in FY 2024/25, will be rolled forward to FY 2025/26 in Sonoma Water’s Q1 Consolidated Budget Adjustments for the additional appropriation request.
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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 Bid Summary
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Project Manual and Drawings