Item 22 - Agreements for On-Call Programmable Logic Controller Programming and Consulting Services

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On -Call Programmable Logic Controller Programming and Consulting Services September 16, 2025 Page 2 optimize operations, such as maintaining consistent water pressure or flow rates throughout the distribution network. PLC programming and consulting services are critical to the successful operation of the City's water infrastructure. Through automation and continuous monitoring, PLCs enhance system reliability, improve operational efficiency, and reduce the risk of human error. They are instrumental in identifying equipment malfunctions or irregularities early, triggering alarms, and initiating corrective actions to minimize service disruptions and ensure uninterrupted delivery of safe, high -quality water. Furthermore, PLC programming plays a vital role in regulatory compliance by precisely controlling chemical dosing, treatment durations, and other process parameters that directly affect water quality. In short, these services are not only efficient, they are foundational to the safe, efficient, and compliant operation of the City's water systems. The City has historically maintained a professional services contract for PLC programming and automation consulting services to support the daily operation of its water and wastewater systems. In recent years, the City has invested approximately $500,000 to $700,000 annually into these services. These expenditures have consistently provided value by ensuring uninterrupted operations, timely troubleshooting, and successful integration of automation into new and existing infrastructure. Maintaining an on -call contract for automation consulting and PLC programming support is also critical to supporting maintenance and improvement projects. Nearly every water project, whether drilling a new well, constructing a booster pump station, or upgrading a water treatment facility, requires specialized programming and integration with the City's SCADA system. By having contract support readily available, the City can seamlessly incorporate automation into these projects without delaying construction schedules or incurring costly change orders. This on -call model ensures that automation specialists are engaged early in project design, remain available during construction, and provide rapid support during commissioning and startup. As a result, projects are delivered more efficiently, with fewer disruptions, and with programming that is fully aligned with the City's established standards, functional specifications, and operational practices. In short, the establishment and continuation of a PLC programming contract is not only about maintaining daily operations, it is also a cornerstone of delivering projects on time, within budget, and with the reliability needed to serve the community. On April 24, 2025, PWA released Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 25-046 (Exhibit 1), by which it sought the services of qualified consulting firms to provide PLC programming and consulting services. The RFP was advertised on PlanetBids and proposals were received electronically via PlanetBids on May 29, 2025.