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Item 1.E.
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| City Council Regular | |
| Date: | 08/11/2025 |
| Title: | W.O. 26-08, WRF Digester Gas Piping, Contract for Professional Engineering Services |
| Presented by: | Debi Meling |
| Department: | Public Works |
| Presentation: | No |
| Legal Review: | Template Contract |
| Project Number: | N/A |
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council award a Contract for Professional Engineering Services to HDR Engineering, Inc., in the amount of $291,200.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
Council is asked to consider authorizing and executing a Contract for Professional Engineering Services with HDR Engineering, Inc. for design services for the replacement of the Digester Gas Piping at the City of Billings Water Reclamation Facility (WRF). The contract will provide services for initial alternative mixing and piping materials evaluation, preliminary and final design, bidding services, and construction contract administration services under the W.O. 26-08, WRF Digester Gas Piping contract.
The WRF utilizes anaerobic digestion in the waste water treatment process, in large tanks known as “digesters”. During this part of the treatment process, gas comprising largely of methane and hydrogen sulfide is created, and is collected using the digester gas piping. From there, the gas is injected into the bottom of the tanks for mixing of the digester sludge. The digester gas piping is over 40 years old and has been experiencing failures in recent years due to internal pipe corrosion. An emergency repair was completed in the last year due to a gas leak in the digester piping. Due to the age of the piping and the associated piping corrosion, all of the digester gas piping requires replacement.
HDR Engineering, Inc. was selected for the project using the proposal process. Five other proposals were received from AE2S, Burns & McDonnell, Dowl, Jacobs Engineering, and RESPEC. The selection was based on Project Team and Availability; Project Approach; and Firm Qualifications and Experience as related to project needs.
The WRF utilizes anaerobic digestion in the waste water treatment process, in large tanks known as “digesters”. During this part of the treatment process, gas comprising largely of methane and hydrogen sulfide is created, and is collected using the digester gas piping. From there, the gas is injected into the bottom of the tanks for mixing of the digester sludge. The digester gas piping is over 40 years old and has been experiencing failures in recent years due to internal pipe corrosion. An emergency repair was completed in the last year due to a gas leak in the digester piping. Due to the age of the piping and the associated piping corrosion, all of the digester gas piping requires replacement.
HDR Engineering, Inc. was selected for the project using the proposal process. Five other proposals were received from AE2S, Burns & McDonnell, Dowl, Jacobs Engineering, and RESPEC. The selection was based on Project Team and Availability; Project Approach; and Firm Qualifications and Experience as related to project needs.
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may:
- Award 26-08, WRF Digester Gas Piping, to HDR Engineering, Inc. in the amount of $291,200; or
- Not award a contract. If the project is not awarded, the WRF Digester Gas piping will continue to deteriorate and gas leaks in the piping will continue to occur. In the event of a gas leak, operations personnel will be exposed to hydrogen sulfide gas, and the system will have high risk of an explosion due to the presence of methane in the piping.
FISCAL EFFECTS
The project was budgeted in FY26 using Wastewater Funds in the amount of $1,290,000 for the interior digester gas piping and $536,000 for the buried digester gas piping. There are adequate funds to award this contract. Remaining funds will be used for construction.