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VICTOR VALLEY WASTEWATER RECLAMATION AUTHORITY Board Of Commissioners Staff Report |
| TO: | VVWRA Board of Commissioners |
| FROM: | Darron Poulsen, General Manager |
| SUBMITTED BY: | Ray Lopez, Maintenance Supervisor |
| DATE: | 07/16/2026 |
| SUBJECT: | Recommendation to authorize the General Manager to approve the sole-source purchase of three Hydro Gate motor-operated slide gates for the headworks facility from Southwest Valve & Equipment, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, including applicable taxes, freight, shipping, and related procurement costs.
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| Fiscal Impact | Yes |
| Account Code: | 01-02-000-9000-9999 R173 |
| Funds Budgeted/ Approved: | Yes |
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation to authorize the General Manager to approve the sole-source purchase of three Hydro Gate motor-operated slide gates for the headworks facility from Southwest Valve & Equipment, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, including applicable taxes, freight, shipping, and related procurement costs.
PREVIOUS ACTION(S)
On February 19, 2026, the Board of Commissioners authorized the General Manager to approve the purchase of new headworks equipment using the formal bidding process from JWC Environmental, in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000, which is part of the larger headworks project.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority’s Headworks facility relies on slide gates to isolate channels, control flow, and support safe maintenance of preliminary treatment equipment. These gates are critical to protecting downstream equipment, maintaining operational flexibility, and allowing staff to safely manage equipment outages, maintenance activities, and high-flow conditions.
The existing headworks gates are manually operated slide gates that have reached the end of their reliable service life. Staff have experienced corrosion, mechanical wear, binding, and incomplete opening or closing. These issues require repeated manual intervention, increase staff safety concerns, and limit the Authority’s ability to reliably isolate headworks channels.
VVWRA is currently advancing a larger headworks improvement and repair project. Although this gate purchase is separate from the previously approved headworks equipment procurement, replacing the gates now is the most efficient and operationally sound approach. Completing this purchase during the larger headworks effort allows the new gates to be coordinated with other improvements, reduces the likelihood of future shutdowns or rework, and supports the long-term reliability of the Headworks facility.
The vendor quote, attached as Exhibit 1, was provided by Southwest Valve & Equipment and includes one Hydro Gate 45” x 45” stainless steel slide gate and two Hydro Gate 36” x 45” stainless steel slide gates. The quoted equipment total is $127,909.73. The quote also notes that applicable sales or use tax is not included and that freight is prepaid and added. For this reason, staff recommends a not-to-exceed amount of $150,000 to account for applicable taxes, freight, shipping, and related procurement costs.
The sole-source letter, attached as Exhibit 2, states that Hydro Gate is the sole source for Hydro Gate equipment and replacement parts in the United States. The letter further states that Hydro Gate uses regional independent manufacturer’s sales representatives as local contacts and is represented in California by Southwest Valve & Equipment.
The manufacturer’s scope, attached as Exhibit 3, identifies the proposed equipment as fabricated Hydro Gate Model HG561 slide gates with Type 304 stainless steel frames, slides, and fasteners, channel-mounted with stainless steel anchor bolts and electric actuators. The scope also clarifies that installation, field service, lubricants, mastic, grout, gaskets, and epoxy capsules are not included in the equipment purchase and will need to be addressed separately through the broader Headworks improvement work or by others.
VVWRA has standardized similar gate applications around Hydro Gate equipment. Continuing with Hydro Gate supports consistency in operation, maintenance, spare parts, actuator compatibility, and staff training. Using a different gate manufacturer at this stage would create unnecessary operational, maintenance, spare-parts, actuator, and installation compatibility risks within an active Headworks improvement project.
Based on the condition of the existing gates, the need to coordinate this work with the larger Headworks effort, the Authority’s existing Hydro Gate standardization, and the sole-source documentation provided by Hydro Gate, staff recommends authorizing the General Manager to approve the sole-source purchase of three Hydro Gate motor-operated stainless steel slide gates from Southwest Valve & Equipment in an amount not to exceed $150,000.
The existing headworks gates are manually operated slide gates that have reached the end of their reliable service life. Staff have experienced corrosion, mechanical wear, binding, and incomplete opening or closing. These issues require repeated manual intervention, increase staff safety concerns, and limit the Authority’s ability to reliably isolate headworks channels.
VVWRA is currently advancing a larger headworks improvement and repair project. Although this gate purchase is separate from the previously approved headworks equipment procurement, replacing the gates now is the most efficient and operationally sound approach. Completing this purchase during the larger headworks effort allows the new gates to be coordinated with other improvements, reduces the likelihood of future shutdowns or rework, and supports the long-term reliability of the Headworks facility.
The vendor quote, attached as Exhibit 1, was provided by Southwest Valve & Equipment and includes one Hydro Gate 45” x 45” stainless steel slide gate and two Hydro Gate 36” x 45” stainless steel slide gates. The quoted equipment total is $127,909.73. The quote also notes that applicable sales or use tax is not included and that freight is prepaid and added. For this reason, staff recommends a not-to-exceed amount of $150,000 to account for applicable taxes, freight, shipping, and related procurement costs.
The sole-source letter, attached as Exhibit 2, states that Hydro Gate is the sole source for Hydro Gate equipment and replacement parts in the United States. The letter further states that Hydro Gate uses regional independent manufacturer’s sales representatives as local contacts and is represented in California by Southwest Valve & Equipment.
The manufacturer’s scope, attached as Exhibit 3, identifies the proposed equipment as fabricated Hydro Gate Model HG561 slide gates with Type 304 stainless steel frames, slides, and fasteners, channel-mounted with stainless steel anchor bolts and electric actuators. The scope also clarifies that installation, field service, lubricants, mastic, grout, gaskets, and epoxy capsules are not included in the equipment purchase and will need to be addressed separately through the broader Headworks improvement work or by others.
VVWRA has standardized similar gate applications around Hydro Gate equipment. Continuing with Hydro Gate supports consistency in operation, maintenance, spare parts, actuator compatibility, and staff training. Using a different gate manufacturer at this stage would create unnecessary operational, maintenance, spare-parts, actuator, and installation compatibility risks within an active Headworks improvement project.
Based on the condition of the existing gates, the need to coordinate this work with the larger Headworks effort, the Authority’s existing Hydro Gate standardization, and the sole-source documentation provided by Hydro Gate, staff recommends authorizing the General Manager to approve the sole-source purchase of three Hydro Gate motor-operated stainless steel slide gates from Southwest Valve & Equipment in an amount not to exceed $150,000.