MEMORANDUM

To:     Mike Wildgen

          City Manager

From: Jeanette Klamm

          Residuals Coordinator

Re:     Agenda item

Date:  October 28, 2005

Please place the following item on the City Commission agenda for consideration at the next available meeting (November 8):

Project Description.  Removal and land application of lime from the lime storage lagoon, located at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Material will be used as an agricultural soil amendment.

Project Description/History.  Since the rehabilitation of the lime storage lagoon, lime from the Kaw River Water Plant has been stored in one of the two available lagoon sides and allowed to settle, while the free water is skimmed off and treated through the wastewater treatment system. Periodically the lime will require removal to maintain space for additional incoming lime. At current usage, this removal process would be for one side approximately every 2 years. Currently the west storage area is approaching full and additional lime is being pumped to the east storage area.

Project Status.  An RFP was conducted for this project as per the City’s RFP procedures. Careful review of the submitted proposals concluded that Nutri-ject Systems Inc. was qualified, offered an acceptable method, and was the most economical in price, as well as offered development of a marketing plan for the material.  

Project Details. The lime removal includes pumping of the lime from the storage lagoon, transport of the material in tanker semi-trucks, transfer to a liquid application equipment, and application of the lime to crop fields with the use of a splash plate to assure even application over the field. The lime will neutralize the pH of the field and replace the use of quarry lime, which is typically used by farmers for this purpose. Nutri-ject, who currently holds the land application of biosolids contract also, has done a good job for the City and has been very responsive to our needs and requests over the last 5 years, as well as consistently offered us an excellent price when compared to other projects of similar scope and size. The project would begin late this fall (November/December) upon approval and completion of contract documents. Completion would be expected to be within 4-5 weeks depending on weather conditions.

The proposed price per dry ton is $49.34. We estimate the volume to be removed will be approximately 3 million gallons. Appropriate calculations will be used to verify the dry ton quantity removed. We estimate approximately 3000 dry tons to be removed, but this will be verified during the removal.

A copy of the contract is attached for reference.

Project Funding.  Lime removal was budgeted in the 2005 and 2006 operating budgets under other contractual services line item.

Action Request.   Staff is recommending that the City Commission authorize the City Manager to enter into this contract with Nutri-ject Systems, Inc. for $49.34 per dry ton for the removal of lime from the lime storage lagoon.