STAFF REPORT
Operations Committee, January 3, 2008
Recognition of Funds for Damage Incurred at SCWRF
(EN08-065)
Consideration of recognition of funds from a contractor as reimbursement for
damages incurred during construction at the South Cary Water Reclamation
Facility
Speaker: Mr. Tim Bailey
From: Tim
Bailey, PE, Engineering Director
Prepared by: Jamie Revels, PE, Senior Engineer
Approved by: William B. Coleman, Jr., Town Manager
Approved by: Benjamin T. Shivar, Assistant Town Manager
Background
Construction is currently underway at the South Cary Water Reclamation Facility (SCWRF) to build an aerobic digester with improved aeration and mixing. Upon completion, the new aerobic digester with smaller holding cells will provide improved blending and aeration of liquid sludge hauled from the North Cary Water Reclamation facility, which is temporarily stored at SCWRF until heat drying. Following heat drying, Class A biosolids, which are reduced to approximately 10% of the original liquid volume, are land applied to enrich nutrient-poor soils.
On November 6, 2007, an electrical subcontractor under the responsible charge of Thamer Construction, the general construction contractor for the aerobic digester construction project, damaged a buried power line during the installation of a duct bank to supply power to the new facilities. Utility power to the SCWRF was interrupted for approximately two hours while workers repaired the buried power line. During the power interruption, backup power was provided by onsite generators. Because the buried power line wasn’t totally cut, 3-phase power was interrupted but 2‑phase power remained until the generators engaged. As a result of losing 3-phase power, there wasn’t enough voltage remaining to power the submersible pumps in the reactor basins. Four of the submersible pumps overheated and were permanently damaged, thereby requiring replacement. The submersible pumps, which are integral to the jet aeration and mixing systems used in the reactor basins, were replaced immediately to sustain plant operations. As a result, the SCWRF Operations staff depleted the in-stock inventory of replacement pumps to maintain operation of the aeration system for the reactor basins.
Thamer Contracting and its electrical subcontractor have now settled the claim for $22,812.38 and provided payment to the Town. The sum total of the claim included overtime compensation by SCWRF maintenance staff, replacement of four submersible pumps and fuel costs to operate the generators during the power outage.
Now that payment has been provided by the Contractor to cover the damages, the purposes of this report are to recognize the funding and appropriate said funds to the corresponding operations accounts.
Fiscal Impact: The appropriation of funding to the operations accounts will allow SCWRF Operations staff to replace the in-stock inventory of replacement pumps without removing funding from other priorities. The in-stock inventory of these pumps is critical to plant operations and must be maintained to provide for future emergency replacements.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends recognizing the payment by the electrical subcontractor, Barnes and Powell, to the Town in the amount of $22,812.38 within the Utility Operations Fund to compensate for damages associated with the power line break of November 6, 2007 at SCWRF. Staff further recommends appropriating the same amount to the SCWRF operating accounts to cover the related expenses.