Brunswick County Board of Commissioners ACTION AGENDA ITEM January 16, 2018

Action Item # VII. - 3.

Request that the Board of Commissioners approve the selection of CDM Smith, for the evaluation of water treatment options at the Northwest Water Treatment Plant (WTP), and authorize the Chairman and Clerk to the Board to approve the associated engineering contract upon review and approval by the County Attorney in the amount of $599,600.

In order to meet future potable water demands, Brunswick County (county) is seeking to expand the Northwest Water Treatment Plant from 24 mgd to 36 mgd.  The raw water source for this facility is the Cape Fear River which has recently been shown to contain a number of contaminants that are difficult to remove by existing treatment technologies.  Brunswick County is seeking assistance in determining the appropriate level of treatment and associated treatment technologies to affect the removal and/or reduction of contaminants to safe levels.  A recent study authored by Mei Sun et al1, (including Dr. Detlef Knappe), identified multiple perfluoroalkyl (PFAs) substances, including the GENX compound, at elevated levels in the Cape Fear River.  Other studies and testing have identified 1-4 Dioxane, Hexavalent Chromium, N-Nitroso-dimethylamine (NDMA), and Pharmaceutical Personal Care Products (EDC/PPCPs) in the Cape Fear River watershed.  Based on these recent studies and ongoing concern of these contaminants, most unregulated, appearing within the raw and finished water of various drinking water systems in the Cape Fear region, the North Carolina Legislature enacted House Bill 56 “GENX Response Measures” to assist utilities in monitoring, treating, and studying these contaminants.  Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) has been designated to take the lead on this endeavor and is using a consulting engineer to perform the studies.  However, much of these studies focus on CFPUA’s Sweeney Water Treatment Plant and Brunswick County requires additional engineering analysis based on the existing treatment methods and layout of its Northwest Water Treatment Plant.  The analysis will include a review of the engineering assessments and pilot studies being performed by CFPUA and others, recommendations of appropriate treatment goals for contaminants of concern, a desktop evaluation of treatment additions and modifications, pilot studies for promising treatment options, and an opinion of cost for both capital and operation and maintenance (O&M).

A Request for Proposals was advertised and sent to five engineering firms specializing in water resource engineering in late November 2017.  Proposals were received on January 8 and a selection committee composed of various Brunswick County staff met shortly thereafter to select CDM Smith for recommendation to the Board for engineering services in the amount of $599,600. 

Budget Amendment and capital ordinance transfers $599,600 in the water capital project reserves designated for the expansion of the Northwest water treatment plant expansion for the engineering cost associated with the determination of the level of treatment needs.