CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of Option Year One to Contract 20-213 Cross Connection Control Testing Records Administration to Aqua Backflow, Inc for an amount not to exceed $161,687.75 and for a seven-month term
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DEPARTMENT: Water Utilities
SUBMITTED BY: Darrell Blenniss, Director
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) requires the City to maintain cross-connection control testing records for all water customers who have testable devices. There are currently 16,415 devices on record. Customers with a backflow prevention device are required by federal law and state statutes to test the devices annually by a certified cross-connection control inspector. After testing, the owner, or the inspection contractor, must submit the test results to the City as evidence of compliance.
Administration of these records was performed by in-house staff until 2012. At that time, the administration was outsourced.
Under the outsourced program, customers continue to select their own testing contractors and pay their own testing fees. However, instead of submitting test results directly to the City, the testing contractor submits results to a third-party records administrator who charges a documentation fee. Typically, the fee is paid by the testing contractor and added to the customer’s bill. City staff is not involved in the testing or documentation process and does not assess or collect fees for the program.
In May 2020, the Water Utilities issued Bid 20-213 seeking a firm to provide a Cross- Connection Control Testing Records Administrator to assist with the administration of the mandated code compliance records.
The records administrator interacts directly with the City’s Water Utilities customers. In addition, the administrator will request, receive, record, and maintain testing and compliance data. The administrator receives compensation by collecting service fees directly from utility customers or from the cross-connection control inspectors who will pay fees on behalf of their individual customers. The administrator is responsible for all notifications sent to customers, acceptance and recording of test results, and reporting all test data to the City for submittal to the IEPA.
DISCUSSION:
Bid 20-213 was originally awarded to Aqua Backflow Inc. on July 21, 2020, for an initial three-year period, for an amount not to exceed $453,350. The original contract allowed for one two-year extension. Aqua Backflow Inc. has performed all assigned work in a timely and professional manner. Aqua Backflow Inc. has proposed contract extension pricing with zero increase in device testing.
The IEPA requires any business or residence that has a fire line or an irrigation system to have a backflow prevention device (RPZ). Also, any commercial locations that has a domestic service must have an RPZ to protect the Public Water Distribution System.
IEPA regulations require that all RPZ backflow preventers connected to any public water system be tested annually. The IEPA holds that the implementation, execution, and monitoring of these testing stipulations are the responsibility of the local authority managing the public water supply.
The City awards this contract to ensure the administrator provides the best price for residents while remaining in full compliance with IEPA mandates.
The term of this contract extension is July 1, 2023, through January 31, 2024, with no option years remaining.
FISCAL IMPACT:
CIP: N/A
Costs for cross-connection testing services are expensed to the account number listed below. A combined total of $255,750 is included in the budget for various testing services in the Water Utility. The city will experience no expenses directly related to the record-keeping process. Staff will monitor the impact to ensure testing does not exceed authorized spending levels.
|
Account Number |
Fund Description |
Total Budget Amount |
|
41251510-531308 |
Water Utility Fund |
$340,750 |