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Home My WebLink About12 Purchase of DCU MaterialsAgendaItem#12TRUCKEEDONNERPublicUtilityDistrictCONSENTTo:BoardofDirectorsFrom:NeilKaufmanDate:July17,2019Subject:ConsiderationtoApprovethePurchaseofMaterialsforWaterUtilityDCUUpgrades1.WHYTHISMATTERISBEFORETHEBOARDBoardauthorizationisrequiredforexpendituresinexcessof$15,000.2.HISTORYInSeptember2008,theDistrictawardedacontractfortheprovisionofanautomatedmeterreading(AMR)systemtocoverallwatercustomers.ThatsystemutilizeswatermetersmanufacturedbytheNeptuneTechnologyGroupinconjunctionwitharadiosystemandsoftwarebyAclara.Theradiosystemconsistsofthreemaincomponents:.MeterTransmitterUnits(MTUs);.DistributedCollectionUnits(DCUs);and.NetworkControlComputer(NCC).EachwatermeterisequippedwithanMTU.Atagiveninterval,theMTUreadsthemeterandtransmitsthemeterreading.ThefirstgenerationMTUscapturedmeterreadingseverysixhours.Aboutthreeyearsago,theDistrictstartedusinganupdatedMTUthatiscapableofcapturingmeterreadingsonanhourlybasis.ThisupdatedMTUisusedfornewconstructionandmaintenancereplacements.TheDistrictdidnotconductasystemwidereplacementofoldMTUsthatwerefunctioningproperly.TheMTUsarebatterypoweredandfactorysealed.Whenabatteryfails,theentireMTUmustbereplaced.Currently,thereareover13,000MTUsinthesystem.Thereisanetworkof27DCUslocatedthroughouttheDistrictatamixtureofwaterstoragetanks,pumpstationbuildingsanddedicatedutilitypoles.TheseDCUsreceivetheradiotransmissionsfromtheMTUs.ThedataisthenstoredandtransmittedbacktotheDistrictofficeonceaday.TheNCCislocatedattheDistrictoffice.Itreceivesthemeterdataandstoresitinadatabase.OtherDistrictfunctionssuchasbillingandcustomerserviceaccessthedatabaseasneeded.InOctober2017,theBoardapprovedthepurchaseofcomponentstoupgrade13DCUs.Theupgradesfellintothreecategories: .Communications;.Power;and.RadioReception.Duringtheoriginalconstructionofthesystem,theDCUscommunicatedtotheNCCusing3Gcellularphonemodems.SincetheinitialdeploymentoftheDCUs,theDistricthasinstalledfiberopticcabletoanumberofDistrictfacilities.ThecommunicationsupgradeinvolvedreplacingthecellularmodemswithnewcommunicationmodulesallowingtheDCUstotransmitdataontheDistrict’sinternalfibernetwork.TheDistricthasexperiencedproblemswiththesolarpanelsduringtheWinteratanumberofsites.Iceandsnowcandriftorbuildupontothesolarpanelspreventingthebatteriesfromrecharging.Whenthisoccurs,Districtpersonnelmustuseabuckettruckorclimbastoragetankinordertoclearthesolarpanel.Thiscreatessafetyissuesanddivertsstafffrommorevaluablefunctions.Furthermore,thesolarpoweredunitsdonothavesufficientpowercapacityduringtheWintertofunctionwiththeremoteleakdetectioncorrelators.ThepowerupgradeinvolvedconvertingtheDCUsto120VACpowerwherefeasible.TheDCUsareequippedwithafilterthatblocksextraneousradiotransmissionsandinterferenceonfrequenciesclosetothatbytheMTUs.TheradioreceptionupgradeinvolvedreplacingthefilterwithahigherqualityfiltertoprovidebetterreceptionbytheDCUs.InOctober2017,itwasnotedthattheremaining14siteswouldrequireupgradesinthenextfewyearsandthattheWaterDepartmentwouldreturntotheBoardfor3.NEWINFORMATIONAsnotedabove,thecellularmodemsintheDCUsusethe3Gcommunicationprotocol.ThisprotocolisbeingdiscontinuedonDecember31,2019.Therefore,itisnecessarytoupgradethecommunicationsmodulesinthe14DCUsthatwerenotincludedintheOctober2017purchase.TheDistricthasexpandedthefiberopticnetworktosomeadditionalsitesandsomeoftheDCUswillbeconnectedtothenetwork.Theremainderwillreceiveupgradedcellularmodems.Conversionsto120VACpowerwherefeasibleandinstallationofthehigherqualityradiofiltersisalsoplannedforthese14DCUs.Theinstallationofthenewpartsandmaterialswouldbeper[ormedbyDistrictstaff.DistrictstaffreceivedtrainingtoperlormthisworkaspartoftheOctober2017purchase.4.FISCALIMPACTTheunitpriceforthepartsassociatedwitheachupgradeis:.Solar/batteryto120VACconversions=$425.95.NewEthernetcommunicationboards=$3,000.00.NewLTEcommunicationboards=$4,187.59 Thetotalcostforpartsandmaterialsisestimatedat$60,000,afterallowingforsalestaxandsomeadditionalaccessoriessuchasmountingbracketsandnewantennacables.Atenpercentchangeorderallowanceisrecommendedforatotalamountnottoexceed$66,000.TheproposedfundingsourceforthisprojectistheWaterDepartmentGeneralFund.SufficientfundsexistintheWaterDepartmentGeneralFundtocoverthecostoftheproject.TheoriginalbudgetforFY2019includedarate-fundedpipelinereplacementproject.However,theWaterDepartmentidentifiedhigherpriorityprojects(suchasthisproject)andisnotproceedingwithapipelinereplacementprojectin2019.5.RECOMMENDATIONAuthorizetheGeneralManagertoexecuteandagreementwithAclaraforanexpenditurenottoexceed$66,000forthepartsandmaterialsandassociatedwiththeupgradeof14watersystemDCUs.frzMichaelD.HolleyGeneralManagerIWaterUtilityDirector