Consideration and Approval of Contract:  With Consulting Engineering, Inc., for Water Distribution System Leak Detection Survey

The City of Flagstaff Utilities Division budgets to perform about 120 miles of leak detection on its potable water system each year, as authorized by City Council. This contract will provide pressurized water pipeline leak detection and valve box cleaning and assessment services, including non-destructive, internal and external leak detection on mains from size 2-inch up to size 36-inches in diameter.  In February 2017, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was advertised and the City of Flagstaff received three proposals that were responsive to the requirements set forth in the RFP.  The firm Consulting Engineering, Inc. was selected to perform the service for $61,250 that is budgeted in FY17 in the following accounts 202-08-303-1052-0-4290 and  202-08-303-1054-0-4237.

This leak detection work is currently in the FY17 budget and two years of work will be completed at one time. Utilities staff submits an on-going budget for leak detection each year. $23,000 will come from 202-08-303-1052-0-4290 for leak detection and the remaining $38,250 will come from 202-08-303-1054-0-4237, maintenance for valves and hydrants.

Leak detection supports council goals connected to water conservation and managing and protecting natural resources.

No. This is the first contract that has come in over $50,000. This is due to staff conducting two years of leak detection in one year, as well as adding valve box condition assessment to the contract.

1. Approve the contract with Consulting Engineering, Inc. for the Leak Detection Survey and valve box cleaning/assessment services or,
2. Not approve the contract with Consulting Engineering, Inc. for the Leak Detection Survey and valve box cleaning/assessment and have Staff continue to only perform leak detection where leaks are suspected.

The City of Flagstaff Utilities Division budgets to perform about 120 miles of leak detection on its potable water system each year, as authorized by City Council. This contract will provide pressurized water pipeline leak detection and valve box cleaning and assessment services, including non-destructive, internal and external leak detection on mains from size 2-inch up to size 36-inches in diameter. Phases 1 & 2 are complete and covered mostly metallic pipe, whereas, phases 3 & 4 will cover mostly non-metallic pipe (PVC and AC.) Phase 4 will be initiated with this contractor once Phase 3 is complete to the satisfaction of the RFP documents. The services shall provide Utilities with work orders for detected leaks, as well as valve box cleaning and notation of the valve box condition. The contractor will utilize information in the Utilities Geographic Information System (GIS) from a computer tablet in the field. These services shall be provided while the pipeline remains in-service under full pressure.

On February 5 and 12, 2017, a Request for Proposals (RFP) was advertised for professional services to conduct leak detection on approximately 120 miles of the city's water distribution system, and to complete a valve-box condition assessment of all city valves encountered while conducting the leak detecting service, in the Arizona Daily Sun, as well as posted on the Purchasing PlanetBids website on February 2, 2017.  On February 28, 2017, the City of Flagstaff received three proposals that were responsive to the requirements set forth in the RFP.  An evaluation committee, consisting of four city employees, independently reviewed, evaluated and scored each proposal in accordance with the evaluative criteria established in the RFP.  The total resulting scores of the three proposers are as follows:
Proposers                                      Total Score
Ace Pipeline                                    271
Consulting Engineering, Inc.           343
Matchpoint                                      328
Based on the numerical evaluation of the proposals received, Consulting Engineering, Inc. received the highest ranking and was selected to perform the service.

Utilities incur real losses from pipeline leakage and apparent losses when customer water consumption is not properly measured or billed. All water entering a distribution system can be defined as a component of either authorized consumption or water loss. The goal of a Water Utilities Water Loss Control Program is to account for 100% of water produced. Real system losses (such as system leaks on distribution mains, overflows at city tanks and leakage on service connections), metering inaccuracies, and unbilled metered or unmetered consumption collectively contribute to what's been referenced in the past as lost-and-unaccounted-for water, which is now termed in the industry as non-revenue water. Lost-and-unaccounted-for water is determined by dividing total water billed and authorized by the total water produced. The Arizona Department of Water Resources mandates cities within Active Management Areas maintain below 10% lost-and-unaccounted-for water. Flagstaff has been as high as about 12% in the last 10 years, with a low of 5% in 2016.

While Flagstaff was at a low of just 5% in 2016, the calculation each year is based on numbers that are reported at various levels of accuracy or validity, making it difficult to compare each year with much certainty as to the actual reasons behind the results. Therefore, Utilities will begin to utilize the American Water Works Association's Water Loss Control Water Audit Software in FY18. This free excel-based software will help clarify and provide accountability through reliably auditing our water supplies and implementing controls to minimize system losses and non-revenue water.

Water conservation is important on the utility side as well as on the customer side. It is important that the Utilities Division demonstrates its commitment to efficiency. The cost to produce and treat water is paid for through water revenues, therefore, it is in the best interest of the utility to reduce non-beneficial water losses in the system and to use our natural resources as efficiently as possible.

Inform. Staff will communicate with the City's Public Information Officer to notify the public that leak detection is being performed up to the customer meter, on the city's distribution system.