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Home My WebLink About8 Purchase Remotely Correlated Leak Detection SystemPage 1 of 3AgendaItem#8TRUCKEEDONNER.PublicUtilityDistrict)--------------~---CONSENTTo:From:Date:Subject:BoardofDirectorsNeilKaufmanMarch02,2016PurchaseofaRemotely-CorrelatedLeakDetectionSystem1.WHYTHISMATTERISBEFORETHEBOARDBoardapprovalisrequiredforexpendituresinexcessof$15,000.2.HISTORYTheCaliforniaStateWaterResourcesControlBoard(SWRCB)hasimposedarequirementfortheDistricttoreduceitspotablewaterproductionby28percentascomparedtotheyear2013.Tisrequirementremainsineffectandthestaffanticipatesthatitwillcontinuethroughouttheyear2016.TheWaterDepartmenthasidentifiedthreemainapproachestocomplywiththeSWRCBrequirement:1)Demand-sidereduction2)Expandedeffortstoidentifyandrepairwaterleaksandreducetheamountof"non-revenuewater"frommainsnotplannedforimmediatereplacement.3)Pipelinereplacementtoreduce"non-revenuewater"frommainsinpoorcondition.AttheMay20,2015meeting,theBoardmovedtheDistricttoStage4ofitsWaterShortageContingencyPlanunderOrdinance2014-05.Sincethattime,theDistrict'sConservationDepartmenthasundertakenanumberofpubliceducationanddemand-sidereductionprogramsinordertoreducewaterusage.DuringtheSummerof2015,theWaterDepartmentdedicatedoneemployeefull-timetoexpandedeffortsatleakdetection.TheWaterDepartmentalsoretainedUtilityServicesAssociatestoperformaleakdetectionsurveyofabout50milesofwatermain.TheWaterDepartmentplanstodedicateoneemployeefull-timetoexpandedeffortsatleakdetectionagainfortheSummerof2016.TheDistrictPipelineReplacement-2015beganconstructioninJune2015andwascompletedinOctober2015.TheSunValleyRoadPipelineReplacementProjectbeganconstructioninSeptember2015andwascompletedinOctober2015.ItisexpectedthattheDistrictPipelineReplacement-2016projectwillbeginconstructioninMay2016.CompletionisexpectedinOctober2016. Page 2 of 3TheWaterDepartmenthasalsoaccelerateditseffortstoinstallflowmetersatallpumpstationsinordertogainbetterregardingwaterflowsthroughoutthedistributionsystem.3.NEWINFORMATIONTheDistricthasaportableleakcorrelationsystemthatisutilizedbytheWaterDepartment'sdistributionmaintenancecrew.Thissystemconsistsoftworemoteunitsandacontrolunit.Thesethreeunitscommunicatewitheachotherviaradio.Thetworemoteunitsareplacedoneithersideofasuspectedleakandutilizeacousticstomorepreciselydeterminethelocationoftheleak.Theremoteunitsmustbedeployedinavalveboxormeterboxandmustbeindirectcontactwithwaterpiping.Thissystemreducesexcavationeffortsandallowsforgreaterefficienciesinperformingleakrepairs.Severalmanufacturershavetakenthisacoustictechnologyanddevelopedanexpandablesystemthatcanbefielddeployedwithautonomousoperation.Anetworkofremoteunitsisdeployed(eithertemporarilyorpermanently)inagivenareaofthedistributionsystem.Theseunitsaretime-synchronizedandactivateintheearlymorninghourswhenwaterusageisataminimum.Theyperformleakdetectionmeasurementsandthentransmitthedatatoacentralcomputerviaradio.Softwareatthecentralcomputeranalyzestheleakdetectionmeasurementsandprovidesthelocationofsuspectedleaksforfurtherinvestigationandrepair.TheWaterDepartmentisproposingthepurchaseof25remoteunitsalongwiththeassociatedsoftware.Itisintendedthattheunitswillbedeployedtoagivenareaforaperiodoftime(2-3weeks)andthenrelocatedtoanotherlocation.ItisrecommendedthattheBoardapproveasole-sourcepurchaseoftheseunitsfromAclara.TheDistrict'swatermetersutilizearadiosystemfromAclaraandtheremoteleakdetectionunitswouldutilizethissamesystem.PurchaseofasystemfromanothervendorwouldrequirethattheDistrictdevelopanotherradioorcellularnetworkfortransmissionofthedatafromtheremoteleakdetectionunits.Aclarahasprovidedapricequotationof$40,625.Thistotalincludes25remotecorrelators,theassociatedsoftware,systemset-upandconfigurationandstafftraining.ThesystemisexpandableandtheDistrictcouldpurchaseadditionalremotecorrelatorswithouttheotherassociatedcosts.4.FISCALIMPACTThepricequotationfromAclarais$40,625,notincludingsalestax.Items suchastheremotecorrelatorsandsoftwarewilllikelybesubjecttosalestax.Itisalsorecommendedthata10percentchangeorderallowancebeestablished.Theplannedfunding sourceforthisequipmentistheWaterDepartmentGeneralFund. Page 3 of 35.RECOMMENDATION1)Dispensewithbiddingofaremotely-correlatedleakdetectionsysteminordertoensurecompatibilitywiththeDistrict'sexistingradiocommunicationsnetwork.2)Approvethepurchaseofaremotely-correlatedleakdetectionsystemfromAclarainanamountnottoexceed$47,500.MichaelD.HolleyGeneralManager/WaterUtilityManager