HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/20/2014 Water Meters & Water Meter AccessoriesMount Prospect Public Works Department
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
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TO: VILLAGE MANAGER MICHAEL E. JANONIS
FROM: WATER & SEWER SUPERINTENDENT
DATE: MAY 14, 2014
SUBJ: BID RESULTS FOR WATER METERS AND WATER METER
ACCESSORIES ($214,653.05)
Background
On October 1, 2013 the Village Board awarded a contract for the installation of a new
automated meter reading (AMR) /Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) System. The
new AMR system will allow the Village to remotely read all Village owned water meters
(commercial and residential) on a daily basis. As part of our AMR project; staff identified
165 larger meters (1.5" and greater) that need to be exchanged in order to properly
work with the new AMR system. These meters are not normally replaced but are tested
and repaired as needed based on AWWA standards. This practice will continue after
the installation of the new meters. These proposed purchases will be long- lived. Some
of our existing large diameter meters, such as the 8" Metron - Farnier single -jet, have
been in service for more than 20 years.
The 1.5" and 2" meters will be replaced utilizing in -house staff. The larger meters (3 "-
8") will be replaced utilizing a water meter services contractor.
Staff prepared a bid specification for the quantity of meters that are planned for
replacement as well as associated meter accessories. The bid request asked vendors
to provide separate pricing on each item to allow the Village to use the lowest
responsible price per item. The bid also asked that the vendor hold their pricing for a
minimum of one hundred and eighty (180) days.
The specifications required all vendors to meet or exceed AWWA cold water meter
standards. In addition, staff included a requirement that the proposed meters be of a
design and construction that emphasizes low -flow accuracy. Due to the increasing cost
of Lake Michigan water, as well as the increased Illinois Department of Natural
Resources (IDNR) restrictions on unaccounted water flow, staff deemed that an
emphasis on low -flow accuracy was prudent. Additionally, these larger meters account
for approximately 45% of total water sales.
Page 2 of 4
Bid Results for Water Meters and Water Meter Accessories ($214,653.05)
May 14, 2014
Bid pesults
Bid documents were sent to six (6) firms and a bid notice was published in a local
newspaper. Bids were received on March 10, 2014, opened and read aloud as
required. Five (5) bidders submitted pricing.
Five (5) firms submitted the following pricing:
Discussion
All bids were checked to ensure that the supplier was providing the needed and
necessary equipment in accordance with the specifications. All bidders complied with
the bid specifications. All bidders submitted pricing for low lead/ no -lead brass meters
in compliance with recent EPA reduced lead requirements.
The bids included three styles of meters in varying sizes, a single -jet meter, ultrasonic
meter and a mag- meter. All three meter types meet or exceed AWWA standard and
achieve the level of accuracy required by the Village.
Both Badger Meter and MidAmerican supplied local references for their ultrasonic
meters. Staff contacted the supplied references and found that each vendor has only
about 100 meters installed in the Chicago area. These meters have been installed less
than four (4) years. There have been some initial product issues including corrosion.
Muniply
Badger
HBK Meter
MidAmerican
Item
Qty
(Metron)
Kamstrup
Meter
Services
(Master Meter)
single -jet
(ultrasonic)
ultrasonic
(Hersey)
ultrasonic
mag meter
1 -1/2"
$595.00@
$375.00@
$451.36@
$1262.98@
meters
85
$50,575 total
$31,875.
$38,365.60
No bid
$107,353.30
total
total
total
2" meters
50
$1288.36@
$1150.00@
$605.42@
No bid
$1150.00@
$64,418 total
$57,500 total
30,271 total
$57,500 total
3" meters
20
$1985.00@
No bid
No bid
$2990.20@
$1591.05@
$39,700 total
$59,804 total
$31,821 total
$3800.00@
$3140.54@
$1860.37@
4" meters
10
$38,000 total
No bid
No bid
$31,405.40
$18,603.70
total
total
8" meter
1
$6850.00
No bid
No bid
No bid
$2990.90
Encoded
44
$95.00@
No bid
No bid
No bid
No bid
Registers
$4180 total
Bolt
Packages
Sump
$23,295.00
No bid
$20,383.45
$20,750.00
$10,930.05
& Flan es
Discussion
All bids were checked to ensure that the supplier was providing the needed and
necessary equipment in accordance with the specifications. All bidders complied with
the bid specifications. All bidders submitted pricing for low lead/ no -lead brass meters
in compliance with recent EPA reduced lead requirements.
The bids included three styles of meters in varying sizes, a single -jet meter, ultrasonic
meter and a mag- meter. All three meter types meet or exceed AWWA standard and
achieve the level of accuracy required by the Village.
Both Badger Meter and MidAmerican supplied local references for their ultrasonic
meters. Staff contacted the supplied references and found that each vendor has only
about 100 meters installed in the Chicago area. These meters have been installed less
than four (4) years. There have been some initial product issues including corrosion.
Page 3 of 4
Bid Results for Water Meters and Water Meter Accessories ($214,653.05)
May 14, 2014
Ultrasonic meters is a new metering technology that has only recently been employed in
potable water systems. Mag meters have been deployed for several more years but are
only deployed in low numbers. There are less than a dozen mag meters in the metro
area. Staff is not recommending the use of these new technologies for two reasons -
their low installed base and their battery life (replacement).
Based on the low numbers on installed meters for the ultrasonic and mag meter style
meter and the low number of installed meters on a local level for either type (about 100
meters of both styles); staff cannot at this time recommend that the Board consider
either of these two styles of water meters.
Also, the mag and ultrasonic meters use a battery to power the unit's water measuring
process and because of this, the entire meter needs to be replaced every 10 -14 years
for the smaller meters (1 -1/2" to 4 "). The larger mag and ultrasonic meters only need to
be removed and sent for battery replacement when their internal batteries expire.
But this is not the case with the single -jet meter. The Metron - Farnier meters do not use
a battery as part of their measuring process. Their expected life is 20 to 30 years and
installed meters within the Village are approaching 20 years of good service without
incident.
The cost savings from not purchasing additional whole meters to replace the installed
units when their internal batteries fail makes the Metron - Farnier the more economical
meter to acquire when compared to the others.
Staff is recommending that the Village Board accept staff's recommendation that the
single jet Metron meters supplied from Muniply of Chicago, Illinois is the most
responsible bid and to award the purchase of water meters to Muniply of Chicago,
Illinois for their Metron - Farnier single -jet meters in the sizes from 1 -1/2" to 8 ".
The bid document also included other components; encoded registers, flanges and nuts
& bolts for the meter installations. Muniply was the only bidder for the encoded
registers needed to make existing Metron meters installed within the Village compatible
with the new AMR system. Staff is recommending that the sole bid from Muniply
( Metron) bid for the 44 encoded registers necessary to retrofit existing installed Metron
meters to make them compatible with the new AMR system be accepted and awarded
in the amount of $4,180.00.
For the remaining flanges, nuts & bolts; staff is also recommending that the bolt
packages and flanges be awarded to Mid American Water in an amount of $10,930.05
The total award for water meters and water meter accessories to the two (2) firms would
be $214,653.05.
Page 4 of 4
Bid Results for Water Meters and Water Meter Accessories ($214,653.05)
May 14, 2014
Recommendations
I recommend that the Village Board:
1. Accept Muniply of Chicago, Illinois as the responsible bid for water meters and
authorize the purchase of single -jet water meters and encoded meter registers in
an amount of $203,723.00.
2. Accept Mid American Water of Wauconda, Illinois as the lowest, responsible bid
for water meter accessories and authorize the purchase in an amount not to
exceed $10,930.05 for water meter accessories.
Sufficient funds for these procurements exist in the current budget.
Matt Overeem, Superintendent
I concur.
Sean P. Dorsey
Director of Public Works
cc: Bid file
H: \Water \projects\2014\meters \BID RECOMMENDATION water meters rev3.docx