Title
Consider recommendation from EAA staff to approve Joint Funding Agreement No. 22-020-AMS between the EAA and the United States Geological Survey for NAQWA Well Pump Installation, in an amount not to exceed $67,090.
Body
STAFF RECOMMENDED MOTION:
Move the board approve Joint Funding Agreement No. 22-020-AMS between the EAA and the United States Geological Survey for NAQWA Well Pump Installation for an amount not to exceed $67,090, for the period September 14, 2022, through August 10, 2023, and authorize the General Manager to execute the agreement.
SUMMARY:
The purpose of this agenda item is for the board to consider an EAA staff recommendation to approve a Joint Funding Agreement (JFA) between the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the EAA.
Since the proposed Joint Funding Agreement (JFA) formalizes a cooperative working arrangement between two public agencies, the EAA and the USGS, the project was not required to go through a competitive procurement process. Attached to this summary is the proposed JFA, which has been reviewed by legal counsel. A description of the JFA is presented below.
Background:
In 1991, the United States Congress developed the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project to assess the current and future status of the Nation’s water-quality. Through NAWQA, numerous monitoring wells and stations were established to collect data regarding the current condition of the Nation’s streams, rivers, and groundwater. Several of these NAWQA monitoring wells are located on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone to serve as sentinel wells for monitoring water quality within urbanized areas.
In 2022, EAA staff initiated an effort to install dedicated submersible style pumps at (3) NAWQA wells on the Recharge Zone of the Edwards Aquifer in Bexar County, Texas to accommodate more frequent historical water quality sampling and enhance monitoring of water quality in response to human activities and natural factors over the Recharge Zone of the Edwards Aquifer. The selected wells are identified by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) numbering system as AY 68-21-806, AY 68-29-215, AY 68-29-217 and are referred to colloquially as Encino Rio, SARA at Mud Creek, and Corporate Woods, respectively.
The objective of this JFA is to utilize the staff and well construction services of the USGS to upgrade the selected NAQWA monitoring wells with dedicated submersible style pumps, stainless steel drop-pipes, valves, collars, risers, control cables, variable frequency drives, and shelters, consistent with their proven design and cross-contaminant free materials.
Attached to this summary is JFA No. 22-020-AMS, which has been reviewed by legal counsel.
M/WBE PARTICIPATION:
The United States Geological Survey is a federal agency, and as such, is not an M/WBE business.
STRATEGIC REFERENCE:
This agenda item helps build and/or great Greater Understanding and Management Through Science - a key objective in achieving the EAA’s goals identified in the 2021-30 Strategic Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Payment associated with this project will span fiscal years 2022 and 2023. Sufficient funding is available in the 2022 operating budget and will be included in the 2023 operating budget.