Adopt modified plans and specifications for the Wood Duck Well Phase 1 construction for the Wild Wings County Service Area; authorize the CSA Manager to sign the Notice to Bidders; authorize the CSA Manager and the Procurement Division to advertise for competitive bids; authorize the County Administrative Officer (CAO) or the CAO's designee to execute a construction contract with the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, provided the contract amount does not exceed the Engineer's estimate of $1,300,000, or to reject all bids; and authorize the CAO or the CAO's designee to approve change orders or amendments to the construction contract consistent with the applicable change order limits established in State law, but not to exceed a cumulative total of ten percent (10%) of the total original contract price. (No general fund impact) (Brazil/Pavlova)

The Wild Wings County Service Area (CSA) operates two groundwater well stations, the Canvasback and Pintail wells.  The Canvasback well is currently on standby status, meaning it cannot be used for potable water except in limited emergencies.  The Wild Wings CSA therefore only has one potable water well, the Pintail well.  In the past few years, the local groundwater levels in the Wild Wings CSA declined at an accelerated rate due to prolonged drought conditions, leading to concerns about the long-term viability of only one drinking water well. 

In August 2021, County staff applied for grant funding for the construction of a new potable water supply well (the Wood Duck well), and an arsenic treatment system program at the community's existing Pintail well.  The goal was to increase water supply reliability and create redundancy.  In November 2021, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) awarded Small Community Drought Relief program grant funding to support the projects, in the amount of approximately $3.8 million.  Design work for the projects began, and the Board of Supervisors adopted an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and approved the projects on January 24, 2023.  On July 11, 2023, the Board adopted the plans and specifications for the Wood Duck well construction and authorized the Community Services department to post bids for the project. 

Bids for both the Wood Duck well project and the Pintail arsenic treatment system project opened on September 14, 2023. Unfortunately, bids came in significantly higher than expected, and significantly higher than DWR grant funding allowed.  The lowest bid for the Wood Duck well construction was approximately $5.7 million, which exceeded both the remaining grant funding and the community water fund's ability to cover the expense.  As a result, the arsenic project and the Wood Duck well project had to be bifurcated.  Construction on the arsenic project began in late 2023 and is anticipated to conclude in Spring 2025.  Work on the Wood Duck well was stalled while the CSA Manager considered how to move forward in light of high cost pressures. 

In Summer 2024, the CSA Manager began exploring the option of phasing the Wood Duck well project with Luhdorff and Scalmanini Consulting Engineers (LSCE), the engineering firm behind the design of the well.  The parties worked on a two-phase solution, where Phase 1 would consist of installation of the well pump station and Phase 2 would include a raw water and/or drinking water transmission line.  The Wood Duck well is anticipated to be fully operational as an irrigation source after the completion of Phase 1, but would not be fully integrated into the drinking water supply until Phase 2 is completed.  The Phase 1 plans and technical specifications are included in Attachment A.  

The new phased approach alleviates cost pressures associated with the prior bid on the Wood Duck well project because LSCE's cost estimate for Phase 1 is approximately $1.3 million (Attachment B).  Staff recommends approval of the Phase 1 plans and technical specifications, as doing so will allow the County Procurement Department to solicit bids for construction.  The CSA Manager will continue to negotiate contingency funding with DWR, as well as continue to explore additional funding options to complete Phase 2 of the well project in the future.  Staff intends to return to the Board of Supervisors with more clarity on the Phase 2 design and funding plan when more information becomes available and before moving forward with any Phase 2 construction. 

Luhdorff and Scalmanini Consulting Engineers completed the updated plans and technical specifications to phase the Wood Duck well project. The Wild Wings County Service Area Advisory Committee has received updates about the status of the Wood Duck well project in their regularly scheduled meetings. The Department of Water Resources of the State of California is aware of the phasing of the project. The County Procurement Department is drafting the bidding documents and would solicit construction bids.

The competitive bid process will be completed in accordance with state law.  A contract may only be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.