2014 2:00:00 PM

Monday, January 13, 2014 2:00 PM
City Council Ch;ambers, Legislative Building, 745 Fourth Street, Sparks, NV

General Business: 6.4

Title: Consideration and possible ratification of certain operational expenses for the Headworks Emergency at the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility from January 11, 2013 through February 25, 2013.

Petitioner/Presenter: Neil C. Krutz, P.E. – Deputy City Manager/Michael Drinkwater, P.E. – Treatment Plant Manager

Recommendation: Staff recommends City Council approves the reconciliation of expenses for the Headworks Emergency as outlined in the staff report.

Financial Impact: There is no General Fund impact. Operational costs associated with this emergency currently are expected to total $1,492,680.97. Incurred costs and have been charged to a variety of accounts and programs within the treatment plant operational budget, mostly during Fiscal Year 2012-2013. The attachment contains two tables. Table 1 shows expenses requiring council ratification. Table 2 shows secondary costs that individually were less than $50,000.00 and thus fell within the purchasing authority of the City Manager.

Total Costs: $483,479.37

Fund: Joint Treatment Plant Account: 603190
Program: TMWRF Operations (131505)
Amount: $483,479.37 Budget Status: Budget Exists

Business Impact (Per NRS 237):
A Business Impact Statement is not required because this is not a rule.

Agenda Item Brief: City staff is asking the City Council to approve the reconciliation of operational expenses incurred for the Headworks Emergency from January 11, 2013 through February 25, 2013 in the amount of $1,399,171.00. Staff is also reporting additional operational expenses not requiring Council ratification in the amount of $93,509.97 incurred during the same period for the emergency.

Background: The City of Sparks declared an emergency on the morning of January 11th, 2013 due to the failure of the discharge piping on two of the raw sewage pumps in the headworks portion of the treatment plant. The pipe failures called into question the ability of the plant to pump sewage which would have posed an immediate threat to public health. Over the next two weeks a bypass pumping operation was installed to convey the incoming sewage around headworks to the grit chamber. A subsequent investigation of headworks revealed a number of deficiencies in headworks that required immediate repair, including failed piping, valves, flow control gates and concrete surfaces. Once the deficiencies were identified and a preliminary plan of action established, the responsibility for the emergency was transferred to the City of Reno for management of the subsequent capital project per the interlocal. This transfer occurred on February 25, 2013. Reno entered into contracts with engineers and contractors to design and construct the necessary improvements to ensure proper functioning of the headworks.

Analysis: The costs incurred by the treatment plant during the assessment phase of the emergency that require council ratification are shown in Table 1 (attached). Table 2 (attached) lists those expenditures that fall within the purchasing authority of the City Manager but are presented here for completeness. All costs incurred prior to February 25, 2013 were charged to the TMWRF operational budget. These expenditures allowed for the construction of a bypass pump operation to divert the flow around headworks so that the facility could be thoroughly inspected and deficiencies identified.

Alternatives: City Council could recommend to the City Manager that staff prepare an alternative analysis.

Recommended Motion: I move that City Council approve the reconciliation of expenditures for the TMWRF Headworks Emergency.

Attached Files:

Table 1 and 2.pdf

MD- Headworks to Grit Bldg Pipe Rupture Emergency- TMWRF Ops POs for Staff Report.pdf

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