Title
Proposed Amendment No. 1
Contract No. SCN-0000512
Biosolids Process Improvements (Study)
CIP #213009 / BCE Score: 79.60
Body
Agenda of: March 11, 2026
Item No.: 2026-094
Amount: Original Contract $2,836,265.00
Proposed Amendment No. 1 313,992.00
Total Contract Amount $3,150,257.00
TO: The Honorable
Board of Directors
Great Lakes Water Authority
FROM: Suzanne R. Coffey, P.E.
Chief Executive Officer
Great Lakes Water Authority
DATE: March 2, 2026
RE: Proposed Amendment No. 1
Contract No. SCN-0000512
Biosolids Process Improvements (Study)
Vendor: Brown and Caldwell, LLC
Status: Amendment/Change Order
MOTION
Upon recommendation of Navid Mehram, Chief Operating Officer - Wastewater Operating Services, the Board of Directors (Board) of the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), authorizes the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to enter into Contract No SCN-0000512, Proposed Amendment No. 1, “Biosolids Process Improvements (Study)”, with Brown and Caldwell, LLC, for an increased cost of $313,992.00 for a total cost not to exceed $3,150,257.00 and an increased duration of 241 days for a total duration of 971 days; and authorizes the CEO to take such other action as may be necessary to accomplish the intent of this vote.
BACKGROUND
Biosolids Process Improvements (Study) with Brown and Caldwell, (BC) was awarded in October 2024. This Study was a recommended project from the 2020 Wastewater Masterplan (WWMP). Biosolids are generated from the wastewater treatment process and represent a part of the solids stream of wastewater treatment. The solids stream includes screenings, grit and solids which may contain recoverable nutrients or energy, i.e. biosolids. Recoverable nutrients or energy include, but are not limited to, phosphorus, natural gas, heat/power, and electrical energy generation.
Presently, the Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) has three (3) forms of biosolids disposal available. These include lime stabilization and landfilling, incineration, and the use of our Biosolids Dryer Facility. Each one of these methods of disposal places a large burden on necessary Operations and Maintenance team members to be able to run/operate three (3) different treatment processes. The purpose of this Study is to build upon the WWMP assessment through examination of projected regulatory data, emerging contaminants (such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS)), and coordinate with external stakeholders such as GLWA Member Partners, academic institutions, other utilities and GLWA internal stakeholders to provide a recommended process for the next 30 years.
This proposed Amendment expands the scope of the current agreement to include the following:
1) Expansion of public engagement to include interviews with public stakeholders, touch points to solicit public feedback, and a public-specific workshop.
2) Expansion of Member Partner engagement to include Member Partner workshops in support of key milestones.
3) Project management required to support additional scope.
JUSTIFICATION
The additional public engagement is necessary to ensure stakeholders buy-in prior to selecting a recommendation. This additional scope provides the public with an opportunity to comment on the top three (3) alternatives, become familiar with technical information, and provide information for the execution of the required Technology Symposium, which will bring many in the industry together to review technologies and lessons learned. This includes sharing an understanding of potential changes such as odor, noise, traffic, and environmental attributes. A public-specific workshop will be accompanied by interviews with local leaders and elected representatives. It is GLWA’s recommendation that structuring additional engagement for the public prior to the development of the final solution would be the best approach for project delivery.
The additional Member Partner engagement is also necessary to ensure stakeholder buy-in prior to selecting a recommendation. It was found that workshops attended by both GLWA internal stakeholders and Member Partners at the same time were too large to provide the desired level of engagement, virtual meetings were only effective at reporting out information, and additional time was needed beyond the Wastewater Analytics Task Force meetings. This scope adds Member Partner-specific workshops in support of key milestones to accommodate a level of involvement beyond what was originally anticipated. The workshops are open to all Wastewater Member Partners and provide opportunities to develop the project’s technology considerations, inform them of the decision-making process, and interface with subject matter experts.
The additional project management accommodates the coordination of additional meetings, workshops, information, analysis, document reviews and the schedule extension. GLWA negotiated the overall cost of this amendment and recommended the current change for expansion of stakeholder engagement.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT STATUS
Original Contract Time 730 days (11/1/2024 - 10/31/2026)
Proposed Amendment No. 1 241 days (11/1/2026 - 06/30/2027)
New Contract Time 971 days (11/1/2024 - 06/30/2027)
PROJECT ESTIMATE
Original Contract Price $2,836,265.00
Proposed Amendment No. 1 313,992.00
New Contract Total $3,150,257.00
FINANCIAL PLAN IMPACT
Summary: Sufficient funds are provided in the financial plan for this project.
Funding Source: 5421 - Sewage Disposal Construction Fund
Cost Center: 880000 - Capital Improvement Fund
Expense Type: 616900 - Construction
Project: PRJ-213009
Estimated Cost by Year and Related Estimating Variance: See table below.
Original Contract Price $2,836,265.00
Proposed Amendment No. 1 313,992.00
New Contract Total $3,150,257.00
Amended Financial Plan Estimate $42,836,000.00
Balance reserved for construction: $39,685,743.00
This positive estimating variance will be reserve for the Design contract. Any additional funding needed for the study will be processed with an amendment from capital reserve.
COMMITTEE REVIEW
This item was presented to the Operations and Resources Committee at its meeting on March 11, 2026.
SHARED SERVICES IMPACT
This item does not impact the shared services agreement between GLWA and DWSD.