REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Ratification of an Emergency Sole Source Purchase Order to Pump Repair Services Company for the Purchase and Installation of a Replacement Pump and Motor for the City's Groundwater Well 10 in an Amount Not to Exceed $362,675
Report
BACKGROUND
The City’s groundwater wells provide approximately 60 percent of the City’s potable water supply. One of those wells, Well 10, located at 3640 Forest Avenue, was constructed in 1957 and is one of the City’s active groundwater production wells.
Well 10 is part of the City’s local groundwater production system, which supports the reliability, resiliency, and cost-effectiveness of the City’s potable water supply by reducing reliance on imported water. Maintaining active groundwater wells is important to meeting customer demand, preserving operational flexibility, and supporting the City’s ability to respond to seasonal demand fluctuations, supply interruptions, or other system constraints.
Due to the age of Well 10 and its continued role as an active potable water supply asset, timely repair and replacement of critical well components is necessary to maintain production capacity, regulatory compliance, and water system reliability. When a groundwater production well is removed from service for an extended period, the City may face regulatory, operational, and cost impacts associated with returning the well to active service.
DISCUSSION
Overview of the Emergency Event
In June 2026, during routine operation of Well 10, staff observed significant vibration and removed the well from service pending inspection. The inspection identified substantial wear to multiple components of the pump assembly, including bowl bearings, impeller wear rings, and the drive coupling, as well as cavitation-related wear to the impeller. Based on the age and condition of the equipment, staff determined that the pump and associated components required replacement.
Pump Repair Services Company provided a cost estimate of $362,675 for all parts, freight, equipment, and labor required to deliver and install the replacement pump and motor. The replacement equipment has an estimated fabrication lead time of approximately four months. This lead time created an urgent need to authorize the purchase immediately because Well 10 would remain out of service during fabrication and installation.
The emergency arose from the combination of the failed condition of the existing equipment, the long fabrication lead time for the replacement pump and motor, the regulatory risk associated with an extended outage, and the potential impact on the City’s potable water supply reliability. Specifically:
• The State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, requires a well to be classified as inactive if it is not operated for three months. Once a well is classified as inactive, reactivation requires a State permit amendment. The permit amendment process may also require upgrades to meet current State standards before the well can be returned to service. The City notified the Division of Drinking Water that fabrication of the replacement pump and motor is expected to take approximately four months and that Well 10 will remain offline during that period. At this time, the Division of Drinking Water has not required Well 10 to be reclassified as inactive. However, any delay in authorizing the purchase would further extend the outage period and increase the likelihood that Well 10 could be moved to inactive status.
• Because Well 10 was constructed in 1957, any required upgrades resulting from an inactive classification could be extensive and may result in significant additional costs, permitting delays, and an extended period during which the well would remain offline.
• Well 10 is also required to undergo State Water Resources Control Board Title 22 water quality sampling by the end of the calendar year. Delays in ordering, fabricating, and installing the replacement pump and motor would reduce the time available to complete the required sampling and could affect the City’s ability to meet this regulatory requirement.
Given these circumstances, staff determined that immediate procurement was necessary to protect public health and the environment, preserve the reliability of the City’s potable water supply, reduce the risk of regulatory noncompliance, and avoid potentially significant additional costs and delays associated with inactive well classification. The situation met the emergency purchasing criteria under City Code Section 2.105.260(a), and a notice to proceed was issued to Pump Repair Services Company on July 6, 2026.
Sole Source Basis
The purchase was also appropriately processed as a sole source procurement. The City’s groundwater well system uses Byron Jackson pumps and motors, and replacing the failed equipment at Well 10 with compatible Byron Jackson equipment is necessary to maintain consistency with existing City infrastructure. Use of matching equipment supports compatibility with the existing well configuration, established maintenance practices, spare parts inventory, staff training, and vendor support.
Introducing a different pump or motor manufacturer at Well 10 could create additional design, installation, operational, and maintenance risks, including potential compatibility issues with existing system components and the need for revised procedures, different spare parts, and additional staff training. In the context of an active potable water supply well that needed to be returned to service as quickly as possible, these risks were not in the City’s best interest.
Pump Repair Services Company is the only authorized and factory-trained dealer for Byron Jackson products in Northern California. Therefore, the purchase meets the sole source criteria under City Code Sections 2.105.280(b)(2) and 2.105.280(b)(3), because the replacement equipment is needed to match existing City equipment currently in use and is available from only one authorized source in the region.
Mercury Seal Replacement
The replacement also provides an opportunity to eliminate the existing motor’s mercury mechanical seal, an older technology that presents increased environmental, maintenance, and worker safety risks. The new pump will include a modern non-mercury mechanical seal, improving system reliability, reducing maintenance complexity, and eliminating the potential for mercury releases during operation, repair, or future handling of the equipment.
Elemental mercury is regulated as a hazardous material and hazardous waste under California Code of Regulations, Title 22, and employee exposure is regulated by Cal/OSHA under 8 CCR Sections 5155 and 5194. Replacing the mercury seal reduces hazardous waste liabilities, simplifies future maintenance and disposal activities, minimizes worker exposure risks, and aligns the City’s drinking water infrastructure with current industry best practices and prudent asset management.
Council Ratification
City Code Section 2.105.260(c) requires the City Manager and/or their designee to provide a post-emergency report to the City Council on the use of any reserve amounts expended for emergency purposes. This report serves as the required post-emergency report and requests Council approval to expend the necessary funds and ratify the purchase order issued to Pump Repair Services Company in the amount of $362,675.
Ratification is requested because immediate authorization was necessary to begin the fabrication process without delay, reduce the duration of the Well 10 outage, preserve the well’s active status, support timely completion of required water quality sampling, and maintain the reliability of the City’s potable water supply system.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered is exempt from formal environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(b) (Class 1 - “Existing Facilities”) as the activity consists of the operation, repair, and maintenance of existing public structures, facilities, and mechanical equipment, including publicly owned utilities, involving negligible or no expansion of the existing use.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost of the Well 10 replacement pump and motor is $362,675. Funding is available in the New and Replacement Wells project in the Water Utility Capital Fund.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220 or via email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. Note and file this Post-Emergency Report pursuant to Santa Clara City Code Section 2.105.260(c); and
2. Ratify the emergency sole source purchase order with Pump Repair Services Company for the purchase and installation of replacement pump and motor for Groundwater Well 10 in an amount not to exceed $362,675.
Staff
Reviewed by: John Ramirez, Director, Water & Sewer Utilities
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Cost Estimate for Well 10 Replacement Pump and Motor