Title
Discuss and consider action to approve a professional services supplemental agreement with Garver, the City's owner representative associated with the Surface Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project, in the amount of $311,132 for professional engineering services related to an evaluation of future water supply alternatives and authorizing the City Manager to execute the same.
Summary
In conjunction with the City’s planned Water Treatment Plant Expansion project that is currently under design, the City is also evaluating water supply alternatives to support the future of Pflugerville. The City retained Garver to provide Owner’s Representative services as the Owner’s agent and liaison between the Design Consultants, Construction Contractors, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), and other stakeholders for the Pflugerville Water Treatment Plant Facility Expansion Project and water supply evaluation. The City is growing rapidly and needs to ensure adequate water supply for its customers within the next five to ten years as well as prepare for expansive future growth by full buildout. On July 28, 2020, Garver presented the findings of a preliminary evaluation to City Council that included short-term and long-term water supply options, with an emphasis on building multi-source redundancy into Pflugerville’s water supply portfolio. In December 2020 Garver completed the attached Water Supply Alternatives Evaluation report outlining a number of potential future water sources for the City, as previously presented to the City Council.
One of the recommended long-term permanent water supply alternatives is to expand the City’s existing pump station and raw water pipeline that conveys water from the Colorado River to Lake Pflugerville. This PER will focus on an analysis of the feasibility of constructing this project in the near-term. Other water supply options defined in the Water Supply Evaluation, such as the HB 1437 Interbasin Transfer and Round Rock Emergency Interconnect projects, are still under evaluation with the relevant stakeholders, and will be further evaluated under a separate Supplemental Agreement at a later date, once details are better-defined.
From October 2020 to April 2021, the City has met with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) several times to discuss the details of an option related to HB 1437 Interbasin Transfer. Discussions are ongoing and will continue to be coordinated. City staff has also held preliminary conversation with Round Rock regarding a potential option for an emergency interconnect to assist in emergency situations that may arise.
This Supplemental Agreement No. 4 is for completing the evaluation of the Colorado River Intake System Expansion as identified in the Water Supply Alternatives Evaluation including water quality analyses, evaluation and recommendation of required capital projects, funding identification, and ongoing coordination and negotiation with all relevant stakeholders. Ultimately, findings and recommendations will be documented in a Water Supply Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) for the City. The scope includes project management and coordination with multiple agencies, engineering evaluation of secondary route to obtain additional water supply from LCRA, water balance of Lake Pflugerville, showing impact of water supplies on reservoir capacity, and development of cost projections for a future project. The City will also work with LCRA on contracting additional water rights in tandem with the PER development. The proposed 5-year CIP for FY22-FY26 provides for the final design of this project, which is slated to begin final design in FY22.
Funding for this project was allocated as part of the FY21 Utility Administration Department Other Professional Fees in the amount of $175,000 and the remainder is proposed to come from the Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project budget in the amount of $136,132.
Prior City Council Action
City Council approved a professional services agreement with Garver in the amount of $199,820 for owner's representative services associated with the Surface Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project at the March 10, 2020 meeting. The services included an initial planning phase, in which Garver engaged with City Engineering and Operations staff to assess the suitability of the current treatment process technology, and performed a comparative analysis to determine the best path forward for the future expansion.
City Council approved a professional services supplemental agreement with Garver in the amount of $1,220,657.00 for owner's representative services associated with the Surface Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project at the August 25, 2020 meeting. The Supplemental Agreement is for the design phase of the WTP Expansions project including consultant procurement and acting as the City’s OR for preliminary engineering through 100% design and bid phase services.
On January 26, 2021, City Council approved the engagement of McCarthy & McCarthy LLP as Special Counsel for the City for the purpose of assisting staff with permits, contracts and negotiations related to obtaining additional water rights to support the future growth of Pflugerville.
Deadline for City Council Action
Action is requested on April 27, 2021.
Funding Expected: Revenue __ Expenditure _X_ N/A __
Budgeted Item: Yes _X_ No __ N/A __
*A portion of this is being funded out of the utility administration operating budget and the remainder is funded with utility bond funds.
Amount: $311,132
1295 Form Required? Yes _X_ No __
Legal Review Required: N/A __ Required _X_ Date Completed: April 19, 2021
Supporting documents attached:
Professional Services Supplemental Agreement
Water Supply Alternatives Evaluation report
Presentation Slides
Recommended Action
Approve a professional services supplemental agreement with Garver, the City's owner representative associated with the Surface Water Treatment Plant Expansion Project, in the amount of $311,132 for professional engineering services related to an evaluation of future water supply alternatives and authorizing the City Manager to execute the same.