The City of Sugar Land owns twenty-five (25) ground storage tanks (GSTs) located at the City’s groundwater treatment plants (GWPs) throughout the City. The GSTs require periodic rehabilitation due to aging infrastructure, regulatory changes, and capacity needs. The continued effort to build and develop our robust asset management plan continues with Ground Storage Tanks and will build on what has been completed and what is currently underway.
The intent of the project is to conduct a condition assessment of three representative GST material types (concrete, welded steel, bolted steel), understanding both the consequences and likelihood of mechanical failure for each GST material type, and develop long range investment strategies centered around acceptable levels of risk. This approach will create a framework to allow City staff to complete assessments of future GSTs when each can be taken out of service under normal operations. City staff believes this work effort will allow development of a sustainable and long term investment strategy that will balance system performance and costs. This approach emphasizes the main objective to strive for maintaining desired Level of Service (LOS) while maintaining the lowest possibly life-cycle costs.
The City is planning to perform the GST evaluation using a Risk Based Approach to Asset Management. The project will include preparation of a tool capable of delivering different financial scenarios and investment strategies based on the City's current level of service and any potential changes to level of service. The tool will be capable of running "what if?" scenarios by City staff for short and long range capital investment. This approach to asset management is in line with the City’s adopted Asset Management Policy.
The City will use the information from this evaluation to develop a 5-year CIP program for the GST's based on a pre-established level of service. The deliverables will include an asset management GIS-centric, risk-based, life-cycle costs software tool to allow City staff to continuously monitor and update the software as improvements are made to each GST.
In accordance with City Policy, PU-109, Procurement of Professional Services and Consulting, Freese and Nichols, Inc. was selected as the consultant for this project. The $100,000 fee was negotiated through a level of effort with Freese and Nichols and the City Engineering Department staff. The scope of work for this project includes the following:
- Asset Inventory and Level of Service Review
- Develop Condition Assessment Approach/Plan
- Onsite Condition Assessment
- Asset Deterioration/Remaining Useful Life Project Model
- Business Case Risk Exposure Plan
- Asset Management Report and Dash Board
Funding for this project is provided in CIP WA1802 with a budgeted amount of $100,000. Once a notice to proceed is issued, the project will take approximately six (6) months to substantial completion.
Staff recommends the City Council authorize the execution of a professional services contract with Freese and Nichols, Inc. for the Ground Water Storage Tank (GST) Assessment Project, CIP WA1802, in the amount of $100,000.