Water & Sewer Committee

Sammy Rich, City Manager Mike Hackett, Director John Boyd, Assistant Director WATER AND SEWER DIVISION Customer Service Department Bryan Parris, Director Operations Department Brandon M. Cook, Director Water Reclamation Facilities Johnny Massingill, Director Water Treatment Facilities Wayne Stanley, Director WATER AND SEWER COMMITTEE MEETING City Hall, 601 Broad Street, Sam King Room Thursday, October 7, 2021 9:00 AM PRESENT: Chairperson Jim Bojo Commissioner Wendy Davis Commissioner Sundai Stevenson Mr. Sammy Rich, City Manger Mrs. Meredith Ulmer, Assistant City Manager Mr. Mike Hackett, Water & Sewer Division Director Mr. John Boyd, Assistant Division Director Mr. Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Mrs. Toni Rhinehart, Finance Director Mr. Andy Davis, City Attorney VISITORS: Mr. Bryan Pate, Insite Engineering Mr. Jeff Friedman, Friedman and Associates CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Jim Bojo welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order. REVIEW OF THE MINUTES No changes to the August 5, 2021 minutes were suggested. The minutes were approved by common consent. Minutes prepared by: Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Water and Sewer Committee/ Commission Minutes, October 7, 2021 Page 1 of 3 FINANCIAL REPORT Mrs. Toni Rhinehart reported operating cost were up by about $586,000.00 in 2021and by about that same amount in year to date budget. Expenses are pretty much in line. There are a couple of areas that were up in Water Services and Waste Water Treatment which accounts for expense increase from 2020. Currently we have transferred about 3.9 million to R&E in comparison to 1.8 million in 2020 due to a couple of large projects that are underway this year- Horseleg Creek Rd, meter change outs and PFAS make up most of that differential from 2020. We currently have 18.2 million in cash compared to 18.9 million in 2020 and again we have had some large expenses this year. Our year to date bond coverage is currently 1.68. OLD BUSINESS Meter Change Out Program Mr. Hackett update the committee of the progress with the project and presented some changes to the project the Division would like to make which will reduce overall cost and timetable. He reminded the committee the plan was for four to five-year project at a cost of around $3,225,000.00 for meters ($215.00 each) and $543,750.00 for labor to change meters at a cost of $36.25 per meter. Mr. Hackett explained the new plan would allow the Division to purchase the meters at reduced rate of $205.00 per meter if purchase in lots of 5,000. The new plan would also include 3 additional repeaters for infrastructure (purchase price $3500.00 each). If we move forward with the new plan and purchase 15,000 meters at a cost of $3,075,000.00 a change order could be made to extend the current contracted price for labor of $36.25 (next lowest bid $45.00) to continue changing our remaining meters. A total savings of about $291,250.00. Mr. Hackett also stated Master Meter will provide storage for the meters and ship them to us as needed which is another savings as we were looking into having to purchase storage containers for the meters. This will also ensure we have the supplies we need, lead times for all our inventory and supplies have increase dramatically in recent months and show no signs of improving in the foreseeable future. Mr. Hackett asked that the committee move forward and present this proposal to the full commission. Motion was made. PFAS Pilot Study Update Mr. Bryan Pate with Insite Engineering presented the committee with the process, results and recommendation of an extensive pilot study for the removal of PFAS from the City’s water supply, the largest comprehensive pilot study ever conducted for the removal of PFAS. He explains 12 manufacturers submitted proposals using 16 processes, 7 were pretreatment and 9 were PFAS mitigation. Seven manufacturers were selected with 3 pre-treatment options and 6 PFAS mitigation options for a total of 9 processes. Mr. Pate showed the committee how each manufacturer built a scaled down replica of their water treatment system to conduct extensive testing under supervision of Water Treatment personnel. Each manufacturer’s testing included treating water from each water of the City’s two water sources individually and when combined, which is the current process used by the Division. Minutes prepared by: Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Water and Sewer Committee/ Commission Minutes, October 7, 2021 Page 2 of 3 Test results for each process were provided along with cost analysis for anticipated capital and annual operating along with a 20-year life cycle cost. Pate explained the goal of this pilot testing was to determine the most appropriate, cost-effective and sustainable treatment process to remove PFAS from the City’s water supply not to select a manufacture, there will be many options it the appropriate system is chosen. Mr. Pate stated based on all the information collected through this extensive pilot study the two RO’s do the best on our particular water. At the end of the presentation City Attorney Andy Davis suggested there be a motion to move to Executive Session to discuss litigation. At 9:55 AM Commissioner Stevenson made the motion to move to Executive Session and Commissioner Davis seconded. Commissioners Stevenson, Davis and Bojo approved. At 10:45 AM Commissioner Stevenson made the motion to exit Executive Session and Commissioner Davis seconded. All commission approved. Chairperson Bojo reported that no motions were made or votes taken. Commissioner Davis made a motion to recommend to the City Commission that based upon the PILOT Study and testing overseen by Insite Engineering and presented in its report, that the City of Rome replace the existing process treatment facility and trains at the Hamler WTF with disk filter pre-treatment followed by closed circuit reverse osmosis operating at a minimum of 90% recovery rate. The estimated cost of this new process is $161 million, and with the upgrade to the Etowah pump station and piping to the Hamler WTF being approximately $18 Million; the committee agreed that the City needed to move forward with the Etowah upgrade and the WTF upgrade. Commissioner Stevenson seconded the motion. Bojo, Stevenson and Davis voted in favor. OTHER None Adjourn There being no further business to discuss the meeting was adjourned Respectfully submitted Mike Hackett, Director Rome Water and Sewer Division Minutes prepared by: Bryan Parris, Customer Service Director Water and Sewer Committee/ Commission Minutes, October 7, 2021 Page 3 of 3