CC MEETING: January 9, 2024
DATE: December 27, 2023
TO: Erin Rinehart, City Manager
FROM: Jonathan Wheat, P.E., Director of Engineering
Marc Guy, Assistant City Manager
Title
Consider A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Negotiate And Execute A Professional Services Contract With Halff Associates, Inc. For Engineering Services Related To The EPA Lead And Copper Rule Revision Compliance Study In An Amount Not To Exceed $342,500.00.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced final revisions to the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for lead and copper under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act on December 16, 2021.
EPA has announced an additional update to the lead and copper rules, referred to as the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, to strengthen key elements of Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR). The LCRR is in effect with a compliance date of October 16, 2024. The rule revisions will apply to all community water systems (CWS) and non-transient non-community water systems (NTNC).
CWSs and NTNCs must submit service line inventories to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) no later than October 16, 2024.
Full inventories require reviewing both public and private sides of water service lines, including analysis of individual connections. Given the scope and scale of the project, many cities are utilizing external firms to complete their service line inventories and help develop a work plan to address any issues that are discovered.
This contract will provide the assistance required for the City to meet the deadlines set forth by the EPA and will include a review of the City’s historical records, preparation of a water service line material inventory in a GIS format and submittal of the inventory data using the TCEQ format, preparation of a field verification plan and preparation of a public communication plan. Additional services may include mobile application development, predictive modeling, field verification, field excavation and future inventory updates following field verification as needed.
Consultant selection was performed using a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) method whereby engineering firms submitted a two-part Statement of Qualifications which was evaluated by a staff committee.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Halff Associates, Inc. has submitted a proposal to the City to perform the professional services for
the project in an amount not to exceed $342,500.00. Funding is available in the Utility Fund.
IMPACT ON COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY:
This project will support the City Council’s strategic objectives and vision of building a community that families and businesses want to call home by:
- Sustaining quality of life - This project will allow the City to complete and maintain an inventory of its water service lines by material type.
- Sustaining day-to-day operations - This project will allow the City to comply with federal requirements of the Lead and Copper Rule Revision.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION/ACTION DESIRED:
Staff recommends City Council approval of a resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into a professional services contract with Halff Associates, Inc. for engineering services related to the EPA Lead and Copper Rule Revision Compliance Study project in an amount not to exceed $342,500.00.