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, Jason Roberts 707-791-4461
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Geotechnical and Geophysical Investigations
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute an agreement with Kleinfelder, Inc., in substantially the form presented to this Board, for geotechnical and geophysical investigations of tank sites through August 31, 2028, in the not-to-exceed amount of $393,200.
end
Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) has identified the need for geotechnical and geophysical investigations of water storage tanks to support the planning, budgeting, and design of seismic retrofits, and requires geotechnical engineering services to assist with data review, investigations, and related services. Kleinfelder, Inc. (Consultant) will conduct these investigations and make recommendations to Sonoma Water to support future water storage tank seismic retrofits.
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 with a goal of maintaining and protecting 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. It also includes a Seismic Retrofit of Storage Tanks Program to implement seismic retrofits, where necessary and feasible, that reduce vulnerabilities to strong ground-shaking events. Seismic retrofit actions are paired with tank recoating projects to minimize design and construction costs and to avoid impacting recently-coated tanks. Together, the combined coating and seismic retrofit actions help ensure water storage and transmission reliability.
A recent system-wide seismic assessment of water storage tanks identified gaps in available geotechnical data that, if investigated, could clarify the scope and severity of existing seismic vulnerabilities and inform the most expeditious use of available funding. This contract will obtain the necessary geotechnical data to inform subsequent seismic assessments and establish design criteria for future seismic retrofit actions.
SELECTION PROCESS
Consultant was selected from a list of qualified consultants developed from a competitive selection process. Attached is a memo that explains the competitive selection process.
Consultant was selected for the subject work because of their expertise in the field of Geotechnical Engineering, knowledge of local geology, and familiarity with Sonoma Water’s distribution system.
Sonoma Water may seek to amend or enter into subsequent agreement(s) with Board approval if required, relying upon this competitive selection process, after the preliminary or initial work is completed.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
Under the agreement, Consultant will conduct geotechnical and geophysical investigations at each tank site and develop seismic design criteria for use in subsequent tank rehabilitation projects.
The cost of services will not exceed $393,200; the term end date is August 31, 2028.
Through the agreement, the General Manager will be delegated the authority to approve a written amendment 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 and by executing an agreement amendment.
California Environmental Quality Act
The General Manager has determined that the Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15306, Information Collection. The Project will consist of basic data collection and resource evaluation activities that will not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. The information gathered will be used as part of a study that will lead to an action or actions that have not yet been approved. Sonoma Water staff prepared a Notice of Exemption (NOE) for the project in accordance with CEQA, the State CEQA Guidelines and Sonoma Water’s Procedure for the Implementation of CEQA.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan Alignment:
N/A
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
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.
This item directly supports Sonoma Water’s Strategic Plan and is aligned with the above goal, strategy, and action item by supporting Sonoma Water’s tank rehabilitation program through strengthening existing water distribution services, minimizing operational costs, and extending the life of existing infrastructure. This item will also support implementation of the planned capital projects schedule by collecting much needed information for each tank before the design process begins.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
N/A
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY26-27 Projected |
FY27-28 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$393,200 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$393,200 |
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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 |
$393,200 |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$393,200 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The budgeted amount of $393,200 is available from FY 2025-2026 appropriations for the Storage 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: Draft Agreement with Kleinfelder, Inc.
Attachment 2: Competitive Selection Process Memo
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None