ADMINSTRATIVE COMMITTEE
2.	CONSIDER expenditure for aquifer storage and recovery well repair
Meeting Date:		June 12, 2014	Budgeted:	NA
From:		David J. Stoldt,	Program/	Water Supply
		General Manager	Line Item No.:	1-2-1 A 1
Prepared By:		Joe Oliver	Cost Estimate:	$112,430 (Reimbursable)
General Counsel Review: NA
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on June 12, 2014 and recommended __________.
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: The ASR-1 well at the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD or District) Phase 1 Santa Margarita Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) site is currently not operable due to an equipment failure in late 2013 while the well was in service to supply water to the California American Water (Cal-Am) delivery system. The well pump’s line shaft and bearings will be replaced at a cost of $107,077, plus 5% contingency. It is intended that this work will be completed so the well will be available for extraction operations later this summer and fall. The work is to be completed by the well contractor that installed the recent upgraded equipment in the well, Zim Industries, under change order contract.

RECOMMENDATION: District staff recommends that the General Manager be authorized to prepare a Change Order (contract amendment) with Zim Industries, Inc., the firm currently under contract with the District, to complete the ASR-1 well equipment repair work. This work will be completed for the not to exceed amount of $112,430, which includes the base cost ($107,077) plus a 5% contingency ($5,359) in the event of unforeseen cost variations. This work will commence as soon as possible if this item is approved along with the Consent Calendar.

BACKGROUND: The ASR-1 well was the first ASR well constructed in 2001 as part of the District’s ASR feasibility testing program. The original pumping equipment was test equipment that was not sized for full-scale operations for the permanent ASR project. However, the original equipment continued to be serviceable and was operated through the end of the Water Year (WY) 2012 season, when certain parts needed to be replaced. In 2013, the decision was made to upgrade to the permanent pumping equipment, which was installed in August 2013. In December 2013, MPWMD staff was informed by Cal-Am operators that the pump was experiencing irregular rotation stoppages (or “seizures”) of the line shaft. In late December, the equipment was removed from the well by Zim to further investigate the problem.

The new pumping equipment is a “water flush pump” design, which requires a continuous source of pressurized water to lubricate the pump’s line shaft bearings. Upon inspection of the equipment, it was determined that at some point during operations, the source of water to the shaft bearings was interrupted, causing excessive wear of the shaft and bearings, which require replacement. When the new equipment was being installed, an alarm system that could detect a bearing lubrication interruption condition and force automatic shutdown of the motor, was still in development. Due to the pressing need to get the well into service for delivery operations (Cal-Am’s Paralta well had gone offline due to a corrosion issue), it was agreed between MPWMD and Cal-Am staffs that the well operation would require close observation of the water lube system functioning, since the alarm system was not yet in place. Subsequently, upon review of all available records that were kept during the time the well was in operation before the problem was detected, it was not possible to definitively determine the cause for the loss of shaft bearing lubrication source water. Currently, the alarm system is now designed and has been tested at the Phase 2 ASR wells (Seaside Middle School site). It has been ordered for the ASR-1 well, and will be placed in service when the repaired equipment is installed. This alarm system should prevent a similar line shaft water lubrication loss from damaging the well equipment during future operations.

IMPACT TO STAFF/RESOURCES: A significant staff effort has been expended in planning, coordinating, analyzing and overseeing work on the District’s ASR testing program in the Seaside Basin. This current work is consistent with the District’s planning and budget for the ASR project. As the repair work is related to well operations and maintenance, it is reimbursable under the O&M agreement with Cal-Am for the ASR facility. Funding for this work is included under Line Item 1-2-1 A 1 of the FY 2014-2015 budget.

EXHIBITS

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