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WEST WARWICK SEWER COMMISSION
SEWER SUBCOMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
DATE: NOVEMBER 5, 2020 TIME: 3:00 P.M.
A. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 3:06 P.M. BY COUNCILMAN LICCIARDI
B. ROLL CALL
MEMBERS PRESENT
Councilman Licciardi
Councilwoman Williamson
Superintendent Harrison Songolo
Director of Administration Christine Suvajian
James Geremia, James Geremia and Associates
Jennifer Ludwig, Town of Coventry
OTHERS PRESENT
Charles Lombardi, CWL O&M Solutions, LLC
C. QUORUM ON RECORD DECLARED
D. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
A motion was made to approve the October 1, 2020 minutes by Councilman Licciardi and seconded by Councilwoman Williamson. All in favor none opposed.
E. REPORTS
Reports are available to view online at https://clerkshq.com/westwarwick-ri under the November 5, 2020 Sewer Subcommittee Agenda.
A motion was made to accept E-1: Plant Manager Report, E-2: Director of Administration Report and E-3: Industrial Pretreatment Program Report by Councilwoman Williamson and seconded by Councilman Licciardi. All in favor, none opposed.
F. CAPITAL PROJECTS SUMMARY
1. Centrifuge
· Mr. Geremia said the Centrifuge should be onsite by mid-January. It is going from Germany to Kentucky, where the motors will be installed. He said once it’s in Kentucky we can begin demolition on the old bell filter press.
2. BAF Inflow Pumps
· Mr. Songolo stated there is one other pump to be sent out for repair. We will wait until pump #2 is installed and tested. Once completed, we will start working on a bid to have the other pump repaired.
· Delta Electro Power, who is currently repairing pump # 2 said we should have the pump back by the 13th of this month.
· Mr. Geremia stated we should start putting the bid package together now. Councilwoman Williamson agreed and asked about the plan to have said pump assessed to see what is needed.
· Mr. Geremia suggested itemizing the bid package by tasks such as removal, transport, etc…
· Mr. Lombardi stated the staff feels one of the pumps are unreliable and inefficient. He said he did speak with Mr. Deluca and Mr. Deluca gave him a price of $5000 to ship and evaluate said pump. Mr. Lombardi said the cost of the evaluation will be wiped out if Mr. Deluca repairs the pump as well. This will also offset the charge for the rigger to come back.
· Mr. Geremia stated the Commission needs to tell us which way they want to proceed with this.
· Councilwoman Williamson asked how someone can bid on the repair if they don’t know what is wrong with it. Mr. Geremia said this is why he recommends itemizing, the removal, the assessment, the repair, etc…
· Mr. Lombardi said you can have one company do the evaluation and another company do the repair. Mr. Geremia replied then you have to pay to have the pump shipped elsewhere.
· Mr. Geremia stated he understands the bid process but his recommendation would be to give the whole project to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Mr. DeLuca.
· Mr. Geremia stated he has an issue with taking out the old pump at the same time the new one goes in which leaves only one pump to rely on. He said you may save money on the rigger but what if the new pump fails.
· Mr. Lombardi said he agrees with Mr. Geremia, the project should go to the OEM, Mr. DeLuca.
· Mr. Lombardi stated the staff thinks the pump is unreliable. He said the real question is moving the money for the project from next fiscal year to this fiscal year.
· Councilman Licciardi asked how much the rigging charge is. Mr. Songolo replied approximately $5000.
· Councilman Licciardi recommends just getting it done and giving it to the OEM.
· Mr. Geremia agreed. He said Mr. Songolo was trying to save money and stay within budget but he may be able to work with the OEM to cut costs.
· Mr. Songolo said he also agrees but the Finance Director required at least two estimates when they needed to do the original pump repair even though it was an emergency. Mr. Geremia and Ms. Suvajian said there is a clause which allows us to use a sole vendor or OEM.
· Councilwoman Williamson said we know the money is there for this project, what needs to be done. Ms. Suvajian stated the money would need to be transferred from Unrestricted Funds and go before the Sewer Commission for approval via Resolution.
· Everyone agrees the money should be transferred and the project should be done this fiscal year.
· Ms. Ludwig questioned the transparency of not going out to bid. Councilwoman Williamson replied they already have an idea of the cost of the repair and the money has already been budgeted for the project. As for transparency, the repair and transfer of funds will be discussed in a public forum at the Sewer Commission meeting and the parts for the pump have to come from the OEM no matter who does the repair.
· Mr. Geremia stated he has worked with this OEM on many jobs in other communities and he trusts that he will work with us and we will be given a fair price. Mr. Lombardi concurs.
· Mr. Songolo stated using the OEM will expedite the delivery of parts and the repair of the pump.
· Ms. Suvajian stated she will need an amount for the Resolution before putting it before the Sewer Commission on November 17th.
· There was some additional discussion about researching whether or not to take out the backup pump when installing the repaired pump or to leave it in and pay the additional rigging charge.
3. Dewatering Building Structure
· Mr. Songolo stated the Dewatering Building is in need of repair and they currently have caution tape around the building.
· Mr. Geremia stated the building was built in the 1970’s but the impairment is cosmetic, not structural and therefore not a priority.
4. Headworks Grit Screw Project
· Mr. Songolo stated we were in the process of purchasing a new shell but Mr. Lombardi suggested putting a liner both inside and outside of the shell.
· Mr. Songolo stated he and Ms. Suvajian are having an issue submitting the requisition due to the purchasing requirements.
· Mr. Lombardi said the staff have major concerns about this as they are being subjected to raw sewerage and slipping hazards.
· Mr. Lombardi stated the staff has tried to fix it by welding it. He said to replace it would cost approximately $65,000. He said he knows of an epoxy coating that can be applied to the inside and outside that will prevent it from corroding and enhance the structural integrity.
· Mr. Lombardi stated he contacted a vendor and the price for the coating would be about $10,000. He said it would be an emergency purchase because it is a hazard to the workers.
· Councilwoman Williamson and Councilman Licciardi agree this needs to be addressed.
· Mr. Songolo stated they have only found one vendor that can do this work. All agree it would be a waste of time to go out to bid.
· Councilman Licciardi stated there is no money in the budget for this project. Councilwoman Williamson stated they can use the extra money from the pump repair. The budgeted amount for the pump repair was $50,000 and it only cost approximately $28,000.
· Councilman Licciardi stated he doesn’t see this project in the budget at all. Mr. Songolo stated it is on a list of Capital Projects that need to be done that are not yet in the budget.
· There was some additional discussion about sharing the list with the Subcommittee for review and budgeting for the items on the list.
· Mr. Geremia said this is more a plant maintenance project than a Capital project.
· Ms. Suvajian stated there is a budget line item for Plant Maintenance of $92,593 and there is currently $58,160 left.
· Councilwoman Williamson asked how the plant maintenance budget has been used so far. Mr. Songolo replied mostly on parts for things that breakdown daily.
· Mr. Songolo and Ms. Suvajian said this is a maintenance issue and doesn’t need to be brought before the Commission. Ms. Suvajian said per the purchasing policy they will need to get three quotes if available.
· There was some additional discussion regarding the necessary Headworks repairs and the logistics of the project.
5. BAF #2 Pump Repair
· Discussed previously in section F-2: BAF Inflow Pumps.
6. Drain in Sludge Collection Area
· Mr. Songolo stated he asked Rick Nunes for a price to put in a larger pipe, a new drain and some French drains. Mr. Nunes also spoke to Mr. Lombardi about this and quoted him a price of $10,000 to $15,000.
· Mr. Geremia stated you need to be careful around that building as there are cables underground at every column.
· There was discussion between Mr. Geremia and Mr. Lombardi regarding the process of replacing the drain and the location of the cables. Mr. Geremia said he will send everyone the plans for WWTF.
· Councilman Licciardi asked if this is considered a maintenance repair as well. Mr. Lombardi and Mr. Geremia replied yes.
· Councilwoman Williamson asked how they came up with the budgeted amount of $92,593 for plant maintenance. Ms. Suvajian replied, unless they know of a project ahead of time, they use a 3-year average.
· Councilman Licciardi asked how this will affect the existing budget for the rest of the year. Ms. Suvajian replied at the end of the fiscal year they are able to put in notations for the auditors explaining why it was necessary to go over budget to repair these maintenance items.
· Councilman Licciardi asked if they would be able to transfer money from the Assistant Superintendent’s salary line item since we don’t have anyone in that position right now. Ms. Suvajian replied yes but we will need to make a notation for the auditors as to why.
· There was further discussion regarding the priority of all of these items, the transferring of funds and what can wait until next fiscal year.
7. Phenix Avenue Sewer Repair
· Mr. Lombardi stated this pipe is structurally compromised. He said we can get field measurements to measure off what sections need to be replaced. This is something Rick Nunes can do too.
· Councilman Licciardi asked if this is something our staff can do. Everyone said no.
· Ms. Suvajian stated we do have money in line maintenance and inquired about the cost of this repair. Mr. Lombardi said he thinks it’s $300 a foot for 20 feet.
· Mr. Geremia stated the Town has Utility Standards Mr. Nunes will follow.
· Councilman Licciardi asked Mr. Songolo if he can talk to Mr. Nunes about giving us a lower price since he is getting two jobs instead of one. Mr. Songolo replied yes.
G. OLD BUSINESS
1. Portable Engine Generator (Contract No. 2021-04) Bid Award
· Mr. Geremia stated we had four bidders for the Portable Engine Generator ranging from $78,700 to $106,185.
· Mr. Geremia stated after consulting with Mr. Songolo he recommends going with Kraft Power Corporation and they have provided shop drawings.
· Councilwoman Williamson noted the significant price difference between quotes. Mr. Geremia stated the second bid was very close.
· Ms. Suvajian stated she will put this Resolution on the next Sewer Commission agenda for approval.
2. Consent Agreement RIA 432
· Mr. Geremia stated this Consent Agreement has been signed so he will now move forward on the sampling and other requirements.
3. 103 Providence Street
· Mr, Geremia stated in response to the Town Council’s request, dye testing was done from 91 Providence Street to 105 Providence Street (except for # 95 as no one was home). These tests were conducted to verify which homes were connected to the private line behind these homes and where they were connected.
· This private line connects at #107 and enters into the manhole on Providence Street.
· The line was camera’d and found the problem with the line is at 103 Providence Street. Their lateral is filled with roots and their pipe is cracked. Mr. Geremia stated it is the responsibility of the homeowner to correct this.
· The Town Council asked if #103 could connect to the sewer line on Providence Street. Mr. Geremia stated this property drops off dramatically in the rear of the house therefore they would need to install a pump in order to pump up into the sewer line on Providence Street.
· Mr. Geremia stated the recommendation is that 103 Providence Street clean and fix her lateral and install a backflow preventor. He said there was a backup at this location previously and the insurance company did pay out for that claim yet no action was taken by the homeowner to correct the problem.
· Mr. Geremia stated the Sewer Commission has done everything possible to address this issue and to help with this private line. He said all the homeowners connected to this line with the exception of #103 have worked together to maintain it.
· Mr. Geremia stated that a neighboring property has reported sewage backed up onto the lawn and in the basement at 103 Providence Street. They also report that the blockage and disrepair of the lateral and pipe at #103 is causing problems for the other homes connected to this line.
· Mr. Geremia said per the Town’s Ordinance, it is the obligation of the homeowner at 103 Providence Street to maintain their own lateral and until it is repaired this problem will continue and worsen.
· Councilman Licciardi asked if #103 does not fix their lateral and it backs up can it then back up into the neighboring house also. Mr.Geremia replied if it is just in their lateral no however, if the debris in the lateral collapses the pipe and ultimately blocks up the main line then yes it will cause backup upstream.
· Councilman Licciardi asked if it then becomes a civil matter. Mr. Geremia replied yes, but the insurance company may still pay out due to the backup of sewerage and litigation may ensue.
· Mr. Geremia stated the insurance company has paid a claim to this homeowner in the past due to a sewerage backup. The stipulation of that claim and subsequent payment was that a backflow preventer be installed. To date, the sewerage has not been cleaned out of the basement and the backflow preventer has not been installed.
· It was agreed to present this report to the Sewer Commission at the November 17th meeting.
H. NEW BUSINESS
1. 2021 Meeting Schedules
· Ms. Suvajian stated the 2021 meeting schedules are being presented for everyone’s review and they will go before the Sewer Commission at the November 17th meeting.
2. Plant VFD Audit
· Mr. Songolo stated he wanted to discuss the Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) that we have. Some of them are obsolete and others need to be upgraded. He said we have had to replace five drives in the past six months.
· Mr. Songolo said he has contacted Northeast Electrical to come and do an audit of all our Variable Frequency Drives. He said this will take a couple of days then they will be able to tell us which drives are obsolete and advise us what we need to do to upgrade and replace said drives.
· Mr. Songolo stated the cost for the audit will be $3,200. This will help us to budget for the replacements as well.
· Mr. Geremia stated National Grid also has a rebate program. Since the new drives will be more efficient we may be able to get a reimbursement or credit from National Grid.
· Mr. Songolo stated they will also be able to store all of the model numbers and parts information for each drive in their database so as parts and repairs are needed this information will be easily accessible. They will also program any drives we purchase from them prior to shipping so we will no longer have to wait for someone to come in and program the drives once we receive them.
· Councilwoman Williamson and Councilman Licciardi both agree that this is a good idea. Councilwoman Williamson asked if we need to get quotes for this. Mr. Songolo replied that we have a 5-year contract with this company.
I. PUBLIC COMMENT
· Councilman Licciardi offered congratulations and good luck to Ms. Ludwig on running in the election.
J. ADJOURN
A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Councilwoman Williamson and seconded by Mr. Licciardi. All in favor, none opposed.
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