REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AND
CORONA UTILITY AUTHORITY ACTION
DATE: 03/04/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Honorable President and Board Members
FROM: Utilities Department
SUBJECT:
Title
MAINTENANCE/GENERAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH CALGON CARBON CORPORATION FOR THE GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON TREATMENT PLANT MEDIA REPLACEMENT PROJECT
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider the approval of a Maintenance/General Services Agreement with Calgon Carbon Corporation for the purchase of granular activated carbon for the Granular Activated Carbon Treatment Plant. The existing granular activated carbon media has reached the end of its service life and requires replacement and regeneration to ensure continued compliance with State and Federal drinking water standards.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Approve the Maintenance/General Services Agreement with Calgon Carbon Corporation for the granular activated carbon media purchase and regeneration, for a term of two years with two optional two-year extensions in the amount of $350,000 per year with an end date of June 30, 2029.
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Maintenance/General Services Agreement with Calgon Carbon Corporation in the amount of $350,000 per fiscal year, including any non-substantive extensions, change orders, purchase orders, and amendments up to the amount authorized by Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.060(J), which is equivalent to 10% or $35,000.
c. Authorize an appropriation in the amount of $350,000 from the Water Utility Fund 570 to the Granular Activated Carbon Treatment Plant Media Replacement Capital Improvement Project No. UT-2023-16.
d. Make a determination under Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.140(B) that competitive bidding is not required for this purchase based upon the reasons provided in this report.
That the Corona Utility Authority review, ratify, and to the extent necessary, direct that the City Council take the above actions.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Granular Activated Carbon Treatment Plant
The Utilities Department (UD) operates a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Treatment Plant (GACTP) to treat water produced by groundwater wells. GACTP utilizes media to remove contaminants of concern from water such as 1,2,3,-Trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS and 1,2,3-TCP
The 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) amendments require that once every five years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issues a new list of no more than 30 unregulated contaminants to be monitored by public water systems (PWSs). The third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 3) required monitoring for 30 contaminants (28 chemicals and two viruses) between 2013 and 2015 using analytical methods developed by EPA, consensus organizations or both. This monitoring provides a basis for future regulatory actions to protect public health.
During the monitoring of UCMR 3, PFAS was detected in several of the City’s operating wells. PFAS are a group of persistent anthropogenic organic compounds that may cause adverse health effects at trace level concentrations. The State of California has established stringent drinking water notification levels (NL) and response levels (RL) for two of the PFAS compounds, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
On June 15, 2022, the EPA set interim health advisory levels for PFOA at 0.004 parts per trillion (PPT) and PFOS at 0.02 PPT. Current analytical methods can detect 4 PPT. The EPA is moving forward with an enforceable maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOA and PFOS as soon as feasibly possible. As EPA develops this proposed rule, the agency is also evaluating additional PFAS beyond PFOA and PFOS and considering actions to address groups of PFAS. The interim health advisories guidance to states, Tribes, and water systems for the period prior to the regulation going into effect.
In addition to PFAS, 1,2,3-TCP is another organic trace contaminant that was detected in the City’s drinking water sources. Most of the City’s wells have moderate to low levels of 1,2,3-TCP. With a combination of treatment by the GACTP, Temescal Desalter, lowering well production, and blending, the City was able to control the 1,2,3-TCP at below the MCL.
|
Contaminant |
Notification Level (NL) |
Response Level (RL) |
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) |
|
PFOS |
6.5 ppt |
40 ppt |
4.0 ppt proposed |
|
PFOA |
5.1 ppt |
10 ppt |
4.0 ppt proposed |
|
1,2,3-TCP |
|
|
5.0 ppt |
ANALYSIS:
With the emergence of PFAS, UD searched for the most effective, efficient, and versatile methods of treatment. In November 2019, UD acquired the services of Montrose Environmental, one of the City’s approved on-call environmental firms, to conduct a pilot study. The goal of the pilot study was to evaluate the performance and efficacy of resin media and granular activated carbon (GAC) for the removal of 1,2,3-TCP, and PFAS compounds, specifically PFOA and PFOS, in groundwater.
Rapid small-scale column testing (RSSCT) was performed on water samples taken from the influent of the GACTP and were tested with a variety of GAC and Resin media. The RSSCTs are designed to systematically scale-down and accelerate the treatment and contaminant breakthrough process to evaluate in a shorter timeline with a lower amount of water samples. Testing was conducted for approximately two weeks and samples were taken and submitted for laboratory analysis.
Media Tested
|
Media Type |
Brand/Model |
|
GAC |
Calgon Filtrasorb 600 (F600) |
|
GAC |
Calgon Filtrasorb 400 (F400) |
|
Resin |
Purolite PFA694E |
The following conclusions were made by Montrose Environmental from the RSSCT tests:
• For all media used in the RSSCTs, PFOA breakthrough occurred earlier than PFOS.
• F400 GAC was more effective than F600 GAC in the removal of PFOS and PFOA.
• Both GACs were able to effectively remove 1,2,3-TCP, while ion exchange (IX) resins did not effectively remove 1,2,3-TCP.
• The selected ion exchange resins were able to achieve longer bed volume capacity compared with GACs in treating PFOS and PFOA from the drinking water sources.
• For the source waters requiring reduction of both 1,2,3-TCP and PFAS, GAC is a preferred alternative as IX resins only remove PFAS.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency is actively working on strict regulatory requirements and as such, UD is being proactive in the treatment of 1,2,3-TCP and PFAS compounds. The utilization of Calgon F400 GAC at select facilities will allow for full production from our local groundwater sources while complying with all current and future laws and regulations. Additionally, UD will be adding Calgon F400 GAC to the Public Contract Code 3400 Exclusive Standard Equipment Product List.
The F400 GAC is regenerable media meaning that as the media becomes “spent” at the GACTP, it is sent back to Calgon for regeneration. At the same time, Calgon delivers a fresh set of media to continue the treatment process. The media will then cycle through treatment - regeneration - treatment - regeneration - etc. until the media can no longer be regenerated and needs to be replaced with virgin media. This allows the City to get the most out of each set of resin.
Basis for Determination of Competitive Bidding
The F400 GAC is a proprietary product manufactured by Calgon Carbon Corporation, and staff believes that Competitive Bidding has been accomplished for these purchases pursuant to CMC Section 3.08.140(B), which states as follows:
“No competitive market." When the purchasing agent and the authorized contracting party, with the approval of the City Manager, determines, in accordance with applicable law, that competitive market does not exist and that no competitive advantage will be gained by the public bidding process.
Calgon Carbon Corporation is the sole source provider for F400 GAC and orders must be placed directly with Calgon Carbon Corporation, as a sole source vendor. As a result, there is no competitive market for this product. Operations staff were involved in a lengthy review process with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to have the F400 GAC approved for use at the GACTP. The use of F400 GAC is now incorporated into UD’s permit to operate the facility and any change to the media would require a new, extensive approval process by the SWRCB.
In November 2023, the weekly sampling at the GACTP indicated breakthrough of PFOA. To remain in compliance with UD’s SWRCB permit, specific groundwater wells were shut down and UD has begun importing more surface water to offset the water demand. Importing surface water costs approximately twice as much as treating well water. Therefore, it is in the City’s best interest to replace the spent media as soon as possible. This cost-effective option will ensure the uninterrupted treatment of groundwater while complying with state and federal drinking water standards.
Staff requests approval of a two-year agreement with two optional two-year extensions with Calgon Carbon Corporation in the amount of $350,000 per year for the purchase and installation of GAC F400, regeneration of GAC media, and disposal of spent GAC media based on this exception. This will allow the UD to continue the cycle of replacing and regenerating the GAC media at the GACTP.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation in the amount of $350,000 from the Water Utility Fund 570 to the Granular Activated Carbon Treatment Plant Media Replacement Capital Improvement Project No. UT-2023-16. There is sufficient working capital in the Water Utility Fund 570 for the recommended actions.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action involves the purchase of water treatment media, and there is no possibility that the recommended actions will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: KATIE HOCKETT, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES
REVIEWED BY: TOM MOODY, DIRECTOR OF UTILITIES
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Maintenance/General Services Agreement
2. Exhibit 2 - Sole Source Letter
3. Exhibit 3 - Quote
4. Exhibit 4 - Pilot Study by Montrose Environmental