Title
Kanapaha Water Reclamation Facility Screen Replacement Project (B)
Explanation
Water/Wastewater Systems operates two water reclamation facilities, the Kanapaha Water Reclamation Facility (KWRF) and the Main Street Water Reclamation Facility (MSWRF), which receive wastewater from customers throughout GRU's service area. The water reclamation process produces biosolids which are currently treated through a Class B aerobic digestion process and beneficially reused as a fertilizer and soil additive at a local agricultural site. While this method has been used successfully for over 30 years, due to regulatory changes, the process must be changed. As a result, the City Commission authorized a settlement agreement and consent order with the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners to cease application of Class B biosolids at the agricultural site by February 21, 2016. To comply with the settlement agreement and consent order dated February 22, 2011, GRU has considered all viable alternatives for future reuse of biosolids.
One of the segments of the project involves installation of enhanced screening equipment which will prevent the premature degradation of the centrifuge equipment. Due to the long lead time of the equipment, staff issued a bid for the new screening equipment which was awarded by the City Commission on March 5, 2015. As discussed in the presentation at that meeting, a contract is now required for construction services by a General Contractor to modify the headwork's channel and prepare for the installation of the new screening equipment.
GRU Purchasing issued an Invitation to Bid for general contractor services to nine known general contractors that perform this type of work. In addition, the bid was posted on GRU's web page. Three firms attended the mandatory pre-bid meeting and two bids were received with one as a no bid due to schedule conflicts. The third firm was contacted and they indicated they did not submit a bid or no bid because of schedule conflicts. The bid received from Ortega Industrial Contractors, Inc. is within the budgeted amount for the project. The bid tabulation is attached for your reference.
Fiscal Note
Funding for this project is included in the FY 2015 and FY 2016 Water/Wastewater Capital Improvements budget.
Recommendation:
The City Commission: 1) authorize the Interim General Manager, or her designee, to execute a contract for construction services with Ortega Industrial Contractors, Inc. subject to approval by the City Attorney; and 2) approve the issuance of a purchase order for the General Contractor for Kanapaha Water Reclamation Facility Screen Replacement to Ortega Industrial Contractors, Inc. in the amount of $741,484.