TMWRF maintains two centrifuges for the dewatering of biosolids prior to disposal at the landfill.   Under current loading, both centrifuges are required to complete the processes necessary for waste disposal.  Each centrifuge has a gearbox to drive the machine to provide the energy to remove water from the biosolids.

On August 29, 2019, the gearbox on one of the centrifuges suffered a catastrophic failure of the oil seal, causing the gearbox to fail beyond repair. The biosolid dewatering process is critical to TMWRF’s continued compliance with the discharge permit.  Emergency process changes were implemented to reduce the volume of biosolids produced daily but these measures are only effective for approximately four days.  Additionally, the loss of redundancy put the facility in an untenable position should the second centrifuge suffer any problems. Becasue of these limitations, the immediate purchase of a replacement gearbox was necessary to minimize the potential for violation of the discharge permit.  Due to the proprietary nature of the equipment, all replacement parts must be purchased from the original manufacturer.  The manufacturer’s representative was contacted and a replacement gearbox was located in a warehouse in Indiana.  The cost of the gearbox was greater than $50,000, so City Manager approval of an emergency procurement was required.  Once received, a purchase order was issued and the replacement gear box was shipped overnight to TMWRF for installation.  The centrifuge was returned to service on August 30, 2019.

Per Section 2.25.130 (B) of the Sparks Municipal Code, the City Manager may authorize emergency procurements to mitigate risks that may lead to the impairment of the health, safety or welfare of the public if not immediately attended to. The failure of the centrifuge marked a loss of redundancy to a critical unit process at TMWRF and posed a clear and present risk of impairment to the health, safety or welfare of the public.  This risk was mitigated through the authorization of an emergency procurement for the parts necessary to repair the centrifuge (Purchase order attached).   Section 2.25.130 (B) also requires that “If such emergency action is taken by the authorized representative or chief administrative officer, he or she shall report it to the City Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting for ratification.”

1. City Council may ratify the City Manager's  approval of the purchase as outlined by staff
2. City Council may decline to ratify the action taken by the City Manager and provide direction to the City Manager.

I move to ratify the City Manager's authorization of the purchase of a gearbox from Alfa-Laval Inc. for the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility in the amount of $69,139.63.