BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
Title
Update on the Condition of the Almaden Valley Pipeline Inspection and Rehabilitation Project (San Jose, Los Gatos, Unincorporated Santa Clara County) (Districts 4 and 7) and Determination that the Condition of the Almaden Valley Pipeline Continues to Constitute an Emergency.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
A. Receive an update on the Almaden Valley Pipeline Inspection and Rehabilitation Project; and
B. Determine by a four-fifths vote of the Board, that there is a need to continue the emergency action declared by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on December 5, 2017, pursuant to California Public Contract Code §22050, to repair the Almaden Valley Pipeline (San Jose, Los Gatos, Unincorporated Santa Clara County) (Districts 4 and 7).
Body
SUMMARY:
According to Public Contract Code §22050, in order for the emergency action to remain in place, the Board must determine, by four-fifths vote at every regularly scheduled Board meeting until the emergency action is terminated, that there is a need to continue the emergency action; this agenda item recommends the Board make such a finding.
On December 5, 2017, the CEO declared that the condition of the Almaden Valley Pipeline (AVP) constituted an emergency condition pursuant to California Public Contract Code §22050, and that District staff may repair such pipeline, take any directly related and immediate action required by that emergency, and procure the necessary equipment, services, and supplies for those purposes, without giving notice for bids to let contracts. The emergency condition continues to exist as the repairs to the Almaden Valley Pipeline are not yet underway.
The AVP consists of approximately 12 miles of 72-inch to 78-inch diameter Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) and welded steel pipe (WSP). The pipeline was constructed in two major segments: AVP Unit 1 was constructed in the 1960’s, and AVP Unit 2 was constructed in the 1980’s. The AVP is used to supply raw water to the District’s water treatment plants and groundwater recharge facilities. In 2007 and 2008, staff completed inspection and rehabilitation projects on the AVP. In 2011, staff repaired a damaged section of PCCP that was identified during an inspection of the AVP. The damage to the pipe section was caused by increased stress from a newly-constructed bridge abutment.
As part of the 10-Year Pipeline Inspection and Rehabilitation Program, AVP inspection and rehabilitation work was initiated on October 27, 2017. Because of the AVP shutdown, the Santa Teresa Water Treatment Plant (STWTP) was also taken offline. Following three weeks of dewatering, inspection activities were performed on November 21-22, 2017. Preliminary investigation results for Unit 2 indicate a large number of distressed PCCP sections between the Santa Teresa Force Main and Calero Reservoir. The District cannot return the AVP to safe and reliable service unless significantly distressed pipe sections are repaired, and an analysis is conducted to understand why such degradation of the pipe has occurred. Failure to return the pipeline to safe and reliable service would pose a significant risk to the District’s ability to provide sufficient water to meet minimum water supply demands as the District’s contractual obligations for water delivery increase from winter to spring.
District staff and contractor personnel will have to access the AVP to perform an emergency inspection, detailed forensic analysis, and repair of the facility. The Santa Teresa Water Treatment Plant will have to remain offline for a greater-than-anticipated duration to allow the necessary AVP repairs to be completed, and to ensure personnel safety. If the District should lose the ability to receive imported water from the State Water Project (via the South Bay Aqueduct), there would be an immediate and substantial curtailment of water services in the County.
Staff is recommending that the Board determine, by a four-fifths vote, that there is a need to continue the emergency action declared by the CEO, to enable timely procurement of necessary construction contract services, and other services, supplies and essential equipment, without competitively bidding the contract to construct the Project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Staff estimates repairing the distressed sections of the Almaden Valley Pipeline could cost in the range of $10M to $20M depending on the type and scale of the necessary repairs. As a result, there may potentially be insufficient funds available within the FY18 budget for the 10 Year Pipeline Inspection and Rehabilitation Program (95084002). If repair costs exceed the available funding, staff will recommend a budget adjustment for this Program at a future Board meeting.
CEQA:
Impacts associated with the repair and maintenance activities of the Almaden Valley Pipeline were evaluated by the Pipeline Maintenance Program and the Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), certified and approved by the Board on November 13, 2007. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Regional Water Quality Control Board will be properly notified to address the issued permits for the project. Once a repair strategy has been formulated, the permits will be modified to address emergency actions. All work will be performed deploying the Valley Habitat Plan conditions and avoidance and minimization measures to prevent impacts to sensitive habitat in the project vicinity.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Emergency Declaration Almaden Valley Pipeline Memo
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Christopher Hakes, 408-630-3796