To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Todd Schram / 524-1173
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Emergency Response Plan Update for Water System Resiliency
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute an agreement with Carollo Engineers, Inc., in a form approved by County Counsel, for consulting services to prepare a federally-mandated update to the Emergency Response Plan incorporating the findings of the water system risk and resilience assessment through January 1, 2021, in an amount not-to-exceed $130,000.
B) Adopt a Resolution authorizing adjustments to the Board Adopted Budget for FY 2019/2020 for the Water Transmission System Fund, in the amount of $50,000.
(4/5th Vote Requirement)
end
Executive Summary:
To comply with newly established federal law known as the America’s Water Infrastructure Act Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) conducted a risk and resilience assessment of its potable water system and certified completion to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) on March 31, 2020. Based on this assessment, the law requires an update to Sonoma Water’s Emergency Response Plan (version dated September 11, 2009) to incorporate mitigation measures for hazards found to present an unacceptable risk in the risk and resilience assessment. This update must be completed by September 30, 2020.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
America’s Water Infrastructure Act requires that public water systems conduct a risk and resilience assessment and subsequently update their emergency response plans. On March 4, 2020, Sonoma Water entered into an agreement with Carollo Engineers, Inc., (Consultant) to conduct the risk and resilience assessment.
This assessment of Sonoma Water’s water system was certified as complete with the U.S. EPA on March 31, 2020. The assessment identified possible natural hazards and malevolent acts, quantified the resilience of system assets (sources, production, transmission, communications, controls) and financial infrastructure, and reviewed monitoring practices and operations and maintenance activities. This included an evaluation of vulnerabilities, the likelihood of threats, and the consequences from potential hazards. An evaluation of the assessment results serves as the basis for the proposed updates to Sonoma Water’s Emergency Response Plan (version dated September 11, 2009).
Prior to the America’s Water Infrastructure Act assessment, Sonoma Water had completed water system evaluations that covered some of the hazard assessments required by America’s Water Infrastructure Act. In 2008, the Board of Directors adopted a local hazard mitigation plan (LHMP) that evaluated natural hazard risks to the water system and developed a mitigation plan to improve reliability. The LHMP report was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is currently reevaluated every five years with updates issued in 2013 and 2018.
In June 2019, the Sonoma County Grand Jury released their report ‘Will There Be Water After an Earthquake?’ (June 2019) that investigated Sonoma Water’s ability to continue water service following a large earthquake. Sonoma Water prepared responses related to specific emergency action plan improvements that the Grand Jury recommended by the due date of December 31, 2019. While these improvements are ostensibly meant to improve emergency planning for a large earthquake, the recommendations include emergency planning measures that span to other hazards as well, improving resiliency ratings under the risk and resilience assessment.
A copy of the U.S. EPA fact sheet ‘Risk and Resilience Assessments and Emergency Response Plans’, which explains the program scope and compliance deadlines for Sonoma Water, is on file for review.
SELECTION PROCESS
Consultant was selected from a list of qualified consultants developed from a competitive selection process in October 2019. Attached is a memorandum dated December 6, 2019, that explains the previous competitive selection process.
Sonoma Water may seek to amend or enter into subsequent agreement(s) with Board approval if required, relying upon this competitive selection process, after this work is completed.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
Under the proposed agreement, Consultant will review and update Sonoma Water’s Emergency Response Plan for compliance with America’s Water Infrastructure Act. Tasks will include: 1) coordinate with local emergency response stakeholders, 2) evaluate Sonoma Water’s current capabilities to respond to disasters, 3) conduct gap analysis on existing Emergency Response Plan to meet America’s Water Infrastructure Act requirements, 4) conduct risk management analysis to establish appropriate countermeasures, and 5) provide recommended updates to existing Emergency Response Plan that address the findings of the risk and resilience assessment. The proposed agreement also includes contingency tasks to support emergency response and resiliency planning.
The cost of services will not exceed $130,000; the term end date is January 1, 2021.
The agreement will include two options for Sonoma Water to extend this agreement for a period of one year each by providing written notice to Consultant thirty days in advance of the expiration date of the agreement and of the first extension option.
Prior Board Actions:
09/24/2019: Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement in an amount not-to-exceed $150,000 and up to one-year term, in a form approved by County Counsel, for consulting services to prepare federally-mandated risk and resilience assessment report of water system due March 31, 2020; and adopt associated budgetary resolution.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 19-20 Adopted |
FY20-21 Projected |
FY 21-22 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
$80,000 |
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$50,000 |
|
|
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Total Expenditures |
$50,000 |
$80,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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|
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State/Federal |
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|
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Fees/Other |
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$80,000 |
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
$50,000 |
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|
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Contingencies |
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|
|
|
Total Sources |
$50,000 |
$80,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Additional appropriations are required to process this expense. With Board approval of the attached budgetary resolution, FY 2019/2020 appropriations of $50,000 will be made in the Water Transmission Fund, and ending fund balance is expected to be at or above target at year end consistent with prior years and will not be negatively impacted by this board item.
FY 2020/2021 appropriations will be budgeted in that fiscal year.
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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: Resolution
Attachment 2: December 6, 2019, Memorandum
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
U.S. EPA Fact Sheet: Risk and Resilience Assessments and Emergency Response Plans