FPUD to re-bid new coating for Sandia and Bucknell reservoirs

The Fallbrook Public Utility District received only one bid for the recoating of the district’s Sandia and Bucknell reservoirs, so FPUD will solicit bids once again.

A 5-0 FPUD board vote, Dec. 13, rejected the only bid which had been received by the Dec. 5 bid opening date and directed staff to re-bid the project.

“We rejected all the bids, and we’re re-bidding the project,” FPUD general manager Jack Bebee said. “Following the board meeting, we re-advertised it, and it will probably come back to the board in January.”

In 2012, FPUD developed a 10-year program to recoat all of the district’s steel reservoirs. Recoating the interior and exterior of the tanks protects the steel from corrosion, which ensures continued service life of the reservoirs and avoids the need for more costly replacements.

Both the interior and the exterior of the Sandia Reservoir will be recoated. The Bucknell Reservoir in De Luz will be removed from service due to its deteriorated condition and seismic risk, so only the exterior of the tank will be recoated, and the reservoir will continue to house wireless communications facilities. FPUD staff prepared a bid package for the recoating and repair of the reservoirs, and Paso Robles Tank Inc. provided the only bid by the Dec. 5 deadline.

The bid was approximately 25 percent higher than the engineer’s estimate which was based on unit costs from past FPUD tank coating projects. Although increased demand for construction and higher material prices may be a factor on the higher bid price, FPUD staff said that the project could be re-advertised more widely and re-bid, which would result in competitive bids from multiple contractors.