To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Joy Eldredge, Utilities Director
Prepared By: Mark Holderbein, Management Analyst II
TITLE:
Title
Lake Hennessey Water Quality Improvement Project
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Authorize the Utilities Director to execute an agreement with Stillwater Ecosystem, Watershed & Riverine Sciences, a California corporation dba Stillwater Sciences, in an amount not to exceed $248,447 for the Lake Hennessey Water Quality Improvement Project and determine that the actions authorized by this item are exempt from CEQA.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The City of Napa Utilities Department Water Division (Water Division) desires to improve the long-term water quality of Lake Hennessey by evaluating oxygenation technologies that reduce harmful algae blooms, taste and odor compounds, and reliance on chemical algaecide applications. The city has implemented a pilot program and found it provided benefits and wants to expand the program to the entire basin.
Stillwater Sciences (Stillwater) possesses specialized expertise to perform technical analyses, evaluate commercially available oxygenation alternatives, facilitate stakeholder workshops, and prepare recommendations for a long-term reservoir water quality improvement strategy. The study will take place over the next 16 months and perform detailed analysis of the water column and impacts from seasonal variations.
Water Division and Stillwater desire to enter into an Agreement for Phase I of the Lake Hennessey Water Quality Improvement Project, consisting of data analysis, oxygen demand evaluation, alternatives assessment, and preparation of a conceptual report to guide future design and implementation phases if found feasible and economically viable.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
The Agreement provides a not to exceed expenditure of $248,447 for scope of services. Funds in the amount of $250,000.00 are available in CIP Account 63WS26UT03 53160133-70510 to cover these costs.
The study includes analysis of the construction costs and the long-term operating costs to determine if the technologies are economically viable before proceeding to the next phase of the project.
CEQA:
City staff recommends that the City Council determine that the Recommended Action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(a) (Existing Facilities) which exempts operation, repair, maintenance or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment or topographic features involving no expansion of use beyond that previously existing.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Stillwater Sciences Agreement for Lake Hennessey Water Quality Improvement Project
ATCH 2 - Written Determination for Purchasing Exception Request
NOTIFICATION:
None