The Sparks City Council approved the Headworks Improvement Project contract with to K.G. Walters Construction Co., Inc. in the amount of $5,341,600.00 on January 12, 2015. 

The project includes replacement of the odor and hydrogen sulfide gas control system, mechanical screens, sluice gates, flume, and handrails.  Further there is repair of and/or improvements to concrete, pump motor access facilities, hydraulic system, electrical, surface coatings, and associated items.

This construction project has been a very complex project to design, coordinate, construct, and maintain safety for personnel and system reliability.  The project consists of rehabilitating a critical piece of infrastructure at TMWRF while maintaining raw sewage flows and controls through the structure and the construction area. As construction progressed, there were significant items that were encountered that needed to be addressed either to provide for a complete project such as:

Additional structural design required for walls that were to be rehabilitated, but had to be replaced due to poor condition discovered during construction;

• Revised structural design of channel walls and top deck due to field conditions ;
• Replacement of additional underground utilities that were in extremely poor condition when encountered during construction;
• Replacement of existing stairs after closer inspection during construction;
• Due to circumstances beyond the control of the plant there has been multiple flooding occurrences of work areas with raw sewage and associated cleaning (cost of cleaning and construction delays);
•  HVAC control system design modification during construction;
• Owner directed changes during construction to improve system operation, decrease lifecycle operational costs and improve facility safety.

A force account provision in the amount of $700,000 was included.  However, a portion of the force account has been utilized, and the remaining force account is not sufficient to cover costs associated with identified work cited above, plus extended temporary screen cleanings, weir testing and installation, flatwork and grading changes, odor control system clarifications, limited assistance with impacts of solids buildup in the collection system immediately upstream of the plant caused by the construction project, and other potential unknowns.

The City of Reno is administering the agreement and will be reimbursed for a portion of the costs by the City of Sparks pro rata based on plant ownership.  These costs are shown in Table 1, attached.  This project is included in the Capital Improvement Plan that was approved by the Joint Coordinating Committee.

1.  Council could direct the City Manager to have staff provide other alternatives.

I move to approve Change Order 1 to the Headworks Improvements Project construction contract at the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility with K.G. Walters Construction Co., Inc. for an amount not to exceed $300,000.00, with the City of Sparks’ portion being $94,110.