Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05.a.2) General Manager Written AnnouncementsBoard Meeting of November 7, 2013 Written Announcements: PROJECT STATUS UPDATE a) Public Bidding for Non - Destructive Potholing Contract, DP 041008ENG The Capital Projects Division employs potholing to expose underground utilities along proposed sewer alignments at points of potential conflict. The results'are used to evaluate alternatives during design and to minimize change orders during construction The last Potholing Contract was awarded to Arrow Construction on August 2, 2012. This Contract was awarded for one year, with an option to extend it up to two one -year periods. During the first year of this Contract, the District encountered various performance issues related to work productivity, quality, and reporting. As a result, the District, with concurrence of the Contractor, exercised an option not to extend the Contract work with Arrow Construction. This project will be advertised on November 8 and November 13, 2013. Bids will be opened on December 4, 2013. The cost is currently estimated at $130,000 per year, with an optional extension for two additional one -year periods, for a total of up to $390,000. More information will be presented when the Board is asked to approve the contract on December 19, 2013. OUT -OF -STATE CONFERENCES b) Attendance at the Underground Construction Technology (UCT) Conference in Houston, Texas — January 27 -31, 2014 From January 27 -31, 2014, Senior Engineer Sasha Mestetsky will attend the Underground Construction Technology (UCT) Conference in Houston, Texas. This conference covers various topics related to underground piping infrastructure. Educational sessions and exhibits will cover current and emerging pipe installation technologies, such as trenchless and open cut, as well as new construction and rehabilitation. The cost of this conference is included in the fiscal Year 2013 -14 Engineering Department training budget. c) Attendance at the Water & Wastewater Leadership Center Class in Chapel Hill, North Carolina — March 9 -21, 2014 Environmental Services Division Manager Danea Gemmell will attend the Water & Wastewater Leadership Center Class from March 9 -21, 2014 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The curriculum is comprised of an intensive 11 -day residential Written Announcements November 7, 2013 Page 2 of 2 training program including a 360- degree assessment of the leadership style, unlimited peer networking, and enhanced leadership curriculum tailored specifically to the water and wastewater industry. Sufficient funds are available in the Fiscal Year 2013 -14 Engineering Department training and professional expense budgets. The cost of the conference takes into account a $1,000 credit from former General Manager James Kelly's participation in the program in 2009. TREATMENT PLANT d) Opacity Excursions on October 10, 2013 On Thursday, October 10, 2013, in an attempt to increase the heat of a cooling Multiple Hearth Furnace No. 1, Operations decreased the furnace feed from two centrifuges to one. During this transition, an opacity excursion occurred. The excursion was greater than 20 percent for 4 minutes and 20 seconds. This exceeded the District's Bay Area Air Quality Management District ( BAAQMD) Permit -to- Operate limit of 3 minutes of opacity greater than 20 percent in any clock -hour period. The excess opacity was properly reported to BAAQMD on the same day. BAAQMD's Enforcement Division will review the Excursion Report to determine if there is any enforcement action necessary. e) Auxiliary Fuel Flow Exceedance on October 11, 2013 On Friday, October 11, 2013, the natural gas auxiliary fuel flow to Multiple Hearth Furnace (MHF) No. 1 stack averaged 29 million BTUs per hour for the 01:00:00 to 02:00:00 clock - hour. This exceeded the District's BAAQMD Permit -to- Operate limit of 27 million BTUs per clock -hour. The excess auxiliary fuel flow was properly reported to BAAQMD on the same day. BAAQMD's Enforcement Division will review the Excursion Report to determine if there is any enforcement action necessary. REGULATORY MATTERS f) State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Water Permit Fee Increase On October 8, 2013, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted a NOTICE OF PROPOSED EMERGENCY RULEMAKING, Water Rights Fees for Fiscal Year 2013- 2014 Amendments to Division 3 of Title 23 of the California Code of Regulations. The SWRCB proposed an overall fee increase of 19.94 percent across all programs. While the proposed increase for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program is 6.1 percent, the actual total increase in fees to the District is only 5.8 percent, from $196,822 to $208,201, due to the fact that Pretreatment fees remained flat. These revisions have been submitted to the Office of Administrative Law for final review before implementation in November 2013.