This is a notification to City Council of an emergency purchase of a Smith and Loveless D30-AL-Bridge Mounted Drive Unit from B&D Industrial in an amount not to exceed $151,744.45. 

The Georgetown Water Reclamation Facility has two clarifiers, which are critical components of the treatment process. Clarifiers are used to separate suspended solids from the wastewater following biological treatment, allowing solids to settle and be removed while clarified effluent continues through the treatment process. The clarifier drive unit operates the mechanism that slowly rotates the clarifier components, supporting the continuous removal of settled solids and maintaining effective treatment performance. The Water Reclamation Department advised that the Smith & Loveless D30-AL Bridge Mounted Drive Unit is a gearbox with a ½ HP motor, 16,000 ft-lbs. of torque, and an output speed of 0.027–0.036 RPM. The gearbox mechanism on one of the Georgetown clarifiers failed in August. With only two clarifiers at the Georgetown facility, having one clarifier out of service significantly reduces the plant's redundancy and creates a substantial risk to the facility's ability to efficiently and reliably maintain treatment operations, particularly during periods of increased flow or process upset. A prolonged outage could also place additional operational demands on the remaining clarifier.

The department immediately contacted the manufacturer to determine the availability of replacement components. The manufacturer advised that the required components have an estimated (42) week lead time, which is not operationally acceptable given the importance of the equipment. Due to this (42) week lead time from the manufacturer, B&D Industrial were selected to provide the Drive Unit as they could provide a (16) week lead time. To minimize the duration of the outage, the Department selected B&D Industrial to proceed with the quickest available turnaround option, despite the significantly higher cost associated with expedited procurement. This approach was necessary to restore the clarifier to service as quickly as possible and reduce the operational risk associated with relying on a single clarifier. The existing gearbox was last replaced in the early 2000s and has provided approximately two decades of service. The requested replacement will restore the failed clarifier drive system and return the unit to reliable operation.

Delivery: As needed. Terms: Net 30 days. The vendor is: E.P. B&D Industrial (Savannah, GA) (B) $151,744.45

A pre-bid meeting was not conducted, as this is an emergency purchase. (B) Indicates a local, non-DBE business.

Approval