Broken Arrow City Council
Meeting of: 12-03-2024
Title:
title
Consideration, discussion and possible approval of Resolution No. 1617, a Resolution of the Broken Arrow City Council declaring an emergency for the environmental cleaning and restoration of the headworks wetwell pumping structure located at the Lynn Lane Wastewater Treatment Plant; activation of the City’s Emergency Operation Protocols, including waiving state and local provisions pertaining to competitive bidding as allowed by law; authorizing an informal bidding process; authorizing the City Manager to execute emergency contracts as necessary for repairs and any subsequent critical events; providing for the termination and extension of the provisions of this resolution; and directing the City Manager to carry out all applicable provisions
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Background:
On Saturday, November 9, 2024, City plant staff observed difficulties in pumping operations with the wet well submersible pumps during a significant high in-flow event resulting from the excess rain upstream of the Lynn Lane Wastewater Treatment Plant. On Monday November 11, 2024, plant staff reported three of the five main submersible pumps that regulate flows into the plant were offline and inoperable. Since this event, plant operations have been operating off retrofitted backup pumps, and emergency rental hydraulic submersible pumps tied in tandem with an in house super 8 diesel pump to provide up to 18 MGD capacity. The rental pumps and accessories have been procured through United Rentals pumping division with current rentals have been procured under the sourcewell contracting and total costs will not be known until the headworks wetwell impacts are corrected and the existing pumps are back online.
It was discovered that due to upstream sewer line sink holes and excess inflow and infiltration, the wet well has become impacted by a large volume of soil and debris. This soil and debris are the direct cause of the pumps becoming inoperable through completely jamming the internal impellers and overloading the pumps.
As such, plant staff had developed a plan to vacuum clean and evacuate the soils from the wetwell structure by utilizing a specialty environmental cleaning company. Plant staff solicited quotes from four Oklahoma based environmental cleaning companies which resulted in two provided quotes and two provided “No Availability of Resources” notifications. Within these quotes, Crystal Clean, LLC and Rufnex Oilfield Services were able to submit quotes and had the ability to provide staffing to the project. Under close review of the proposals, Crystal Clean, LLC. while more expensive, provided the best overall value to the citizens in regard to timing, capacity, and action plan for work. The ninety-thousand-dollar ($90,000) contract was executed under an emergency condition by the City Manager on Monday November 18, 2024, and is set to be ratified by the Broken Arrow Municipal Authority on December 3, 2024.
The Crystal Clean, LLC. environmental cleaning team arrived onsite the morning of Wednesday November 20th and commenced with cleaning of the eastern most wetwell. The original plan was to start with the east wetwell, clean all the debris and reinstate the pumps into operation then shift to the larger western wetwell. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen conditions within the vault and pumping operation, the excess sediment/debris and extreme hazardous conditions caused the cleaning to take 2 days in lieu of one in the east wetwell. Additionally, the 24-inch and 14-inch plant submersible pumps were found completely irreparable causing an inability to shift into the next phase of cleaning. As such, Crystal Clean, LLC. was demobilized after two days of work and the two pumps from the east well were sent for assessment and repairs in Pryor Ok. at a KSB manufacturer approved pump repair facility.
City Staff expect that repairs can be made on these two impacted pumps within the next few weeks, pending availability to parts, and as such can be placed back into service in the wetwell and the environmental cleaning services can recommence. City staff and Crystal Clean project management staff feel that once remobilized that the large west wetwell is expected to take two days of cleaning to complete, with the support of City staff. As such the contract shall be amended to extend the total services under the executed contract to include one additional day of cleaning, an addition of $30,000 to bring the contract total to $120,000. This amended contract shall be executed by the City manager under the authority granted within this resolution after determinations are made on the repairs of the pumps. Should additional time be needed due to unforeseen circumstances, the City manager shall execute additional amendments but shall be limited to the maximum amount of $150,000 per contract.
The impacts to the Lynn Lane Wastewater Treatment Plant constitutes a natural emergency as defined in Section 9-1 of the Broken Arrow Code justifying adoption of a Resolution to such effect. Immediate attention is required to protect the public safety, public welfare and ensure public safety.
In addition, these impacts constitutes a significant event as defined in the Oklahoma Emergency Management Act of 2003, and justifies declaration of an emergency and notification to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. During this period of declared emergency, it is necessary and prudent that the City Manager be able to take action and implement policies quickly and expeditiously in the best interest of the residents of the City of Broken Arrow. The procedures set forth in the Public Competitive Bidding Act codified in 61 O.S. § 101, et seq., and § 2-28 of the Broken Arrow Code will take in excess of sixty (60) days. It is estimated that the savings that would occur as a result of the competitive bidding process would not be sufficient to justify the potential danger to the safety of the public.
It is necessary that the City Manager be able to enter into contracts quickly and expeditiously during this time of declared emergency, in order to serve the residents of Broken Arrow. It is further necessary that during this period of declared emergency, it is necessary and prudent that the City Manager be able to take action quickly and expeditiously in the best interest of the residents of the City of Broken Arrow. The provisions of Resolution 1617 shall expire forty-five (45) days from the date.
Cost: Estimate of $150,000 per contract but could increase if additional cleaning time, repairs or bypass is required.
Funding Source: Utilities Department Operating Budget
Requested By: Timothy S. Robins, PE. - Director of Utilities
Approved By: City Manager’s Office
Attachments: Resolution No. 1617
Recommendation:
recommend
Approve Resolution No. 1617 and authorize its execution.
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