Title
Resolution to Approve Best Source Professional Services Agreement with Jacobs Consultants, Inc. for Professional Engineering Services to Develop and Implement a Hybrid Optimizer at the Water Resource Recovery Facility ($130,000.00)
Memorandum
Your approval is requested to authorize a best source Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Jacobs Consultants, Inc. (JCI) in the amount of $130,000.00 for professional engineering services to develop and implement a Hybrid Optimizer, digital twin, at the City’s Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF).
The City issued Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 22-05 for professional engineering services to provide additional support as needed to maintain the aggressive schedules and heavy workload associated with capital, operation, and maintenance projects. In addition, these firms would provide on-site and on-call engineering assistance to WRRF staff. Making use of these firms on an ongoing basis will permit the WRRF to utilize the existing workforce more effectively, while continuing to deliver quality and cost-effective engineering services to maintain the City’s WRRF.
On January 25, 2022, the City received six proposals for this work. After evaluation of the proposals and fee schedules, it was determined that Fishbeck, Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (HRC), and Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (OHM) provided the best project teams at the most competitive price.
On April 4, 2022, Council approved a Professional Services Agreements with Fishbeck, HRC, and OHM. Each of the contracts was structured with not-to-exceed limits of $300,000.00 with no minimum required expenditures for a period ending June 30, 2025, and include an option for two one-year renewals in the amount of $100,000.00 each.
The Approved Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) contained the Centrifuge Centrate Treatment (UT-SN-22-03) project. On December 1, 2022, a Work Statement with OHM was executed and OHM began evaluating options for treatment of a high phosphorus centrate resulting from centrifuge dewatering of WRRF sludge prior to disposal at a landfill. When the centrifuges are used to dewater the sludge, the phosphorus stored in the waste activated sludge (WAS) from the enhanced biological phosphorus removal process releases into the centrifuge centrate and is recycled back through the plant, which eventually increasing the effluent total phosphorus concentrations.
OHM teamed with Jacobs Consultants, Inc. (JCI) to perform the Centrate Study to evaluate and recommend a cost-effective solution to reliably meet the City’s Total Phosphorus removal and compliance under the current NPDES permit. Based on OHM’s recommendation the City began adding lime upstream of the centrifuges to optimize the treatment method.
On September 18, 2023, a Work Statement with OHM was executed providing additional phosphorus removal assistance including the following: implementation and optimization of lime dosing to the sludge holding tanks; special sampling throughout the plant to resolve mass balance discrepancies; plantwide model refinement by JCI; training by JCI of Ann Arbor WRRF staff to use the model in their operations; and site visits by JCI personnel.
JCI developed and verified plant operating conditions with a computer process model developed using the Dynamita Sumo© platform. The computer process model simulated phosphorus removal and made recommendations for reducing phosphorus in the centrifuge centrate to allow the plant to meet upcoming, more stringent effluent permit for phosphorus removal.
During the model development and training, it became clear to WRRF staff that plant operations are largely reactive, with alerts issued when reviews reveal underperformance, dependencies are reliant on lagging performance indicators and a broader focus is on troubleshooting rather than real-time proactive analysis and operation. JCI’s Hybrid Optimizer, digital twin, would deliver operational support for the WRRF staff. The Hybrid Optimizer Digital Twin has been designed to provide additional insights into plant operation by offering soft sensors and process intelligence throughout the plant. Its primary focus is to augment existing staff by providing forecasting, process insight, and operational recommendations to improve process reliability and optimize laboratory/maintenance efforts. At the WRRF, the Hybrid Optimizer will provide significant benefit for any future design projects in providing much more reliable data and performance information as the new systems and processes designed, constructed and brought online, thus reducing capital costs and overall process risks during construction.
JCI has been working with the City on various design and modeling aspects of the WRRF over the past three years and thus has a solid basis for understanding of plant operations. JCI has been working with the City to develop a process model using Dynamita Sumo© Model Platform to evaluate centrate treatment alternatives and how they affect the plant process as a part of the Centrifuge Centrate Treatment project. The digital twin will add more data, keeping the model up to date and allowing it to increase the accuracy of its output. JCI has submitted a proposal and fee schedule to develop and implement a site-specific Hybrid Optimizer for the WRRF.
It is recommended that City Council approve a best source PSA for Jacobs Consultants, Inc. for the development and implementation of a Hybrid Optimizer at the WRRF.
JCI complies with the requirements of the City’s Non-Discrimination and Living Wage ordinances.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: The City of Ann Arbor Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) includes the Centrifuge Centrate Treatment (UT-SN-22-03) project. Funds to finance this contract are included in the approved Sewage Disposal System Capital Budget.
Staff
Prepared by: Anne M. Warrow, P.E., WRRF Senior Engineer
Reviewed by: Jordan Roberts, Public Services Area Administrator
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Professional engineering support is required to maintain the capital improvement project schedule for the Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF);
Whereas, The City issued Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 22-05 for as-needed professional engineering services for the WRRF to support capital, operation, and maintenance projects, as well as on-site engineering assistance for the WRRF and lift stations;
Whereas, Of the six proposals received, WRRF staff selected Fishbeck, HRC, and OHM based on their professional qualifications, past experience, work plan and fee proposals;
Whereas, The as-needed professional engineering services will be funded from the appropriate WRRF capital and operating budgets, if so approved; and
Whereas, Council approved an agreement with Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. (OHM), for said services on April 4, 2022;
Whereas, OHM teamed with Jacobs Consultants, Inc. to complete the Centrifuge Centrate Treatment (UT-SN-22-03) project;
Whereas, During the Centrifuge Centrate Treatment project JCI developed a computer process model using the Dynamita Sumo© platform;
Whereas, A Hybrid Optimizer will add more data, keeping the model up to date and allowing it to increase the accuracy of its output;
Whereas, JCI has been working with the City on various design and computer modeling aspects of the WRRF over the past three years, and thus has a solid basis for understanding of plant operations;
Whereas, All services associated with this work will be paid for within approved capital project budgets; and
Whereas, JCI is the best source for developing and implementing the Hybrid Optimizer and complies with the requirements of the City’s Non-Discrimination and Living Wage ordinance;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve Best Source Professional Services Agreement with Jacobs Consultants, Inc. in the amount of $130,000.00 for Professional Engineering Services to develop and implement a Hydrid Optimizer at the Water Resource Recovery Facility;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk are authorized to sign the agreement after approval as to substance by the City Administrator and approval as to form by the City Attorney; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator is authorized to take all appropriate actions to implement this resolution, including signing all necessary documents and sub-agreements.