Farwest given Rainbow MWD contract for Rainbow Valley Cathodic Protection Project

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Farwest Corrosion Control Company was awarded the Rainbow Municipal Water District contract for the Rainbow Valley Boulevard Cathodic Protection Project.

A 4-0 Rainbow board vote Dec. 7, with Pam Moss absent, granted the bid protest Farwest filed against low bidder Corrpro Companies, Inc., and awarded Farwest the contract for the Downey company’s bid amount of $524,703.14. The board also made findings that the project is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review.

In January 2019, Rainbow’s board awarded HDR a professional services contract to develop the corrosion protection program. The need to develop the corrosion protection program was based on the findings of the condition assessment for Rainbow’s water facilities, specifically water pipelines. The condition assessment found a very strong correlation between leaks and the presence of both high water pressures and highly corrosive soils.

A corrosion protection program will allow Rainbow to slow down the deterioration of pipes and extend the useful life of existing infrastructure. The corrosion protection program report was completed in the summer of 2020 and provided Rainbow staff with guidance on how to implement and install cathodic protection for the district’s water pipelines.

In fall 2020, Rainbow staff identified a pipeline from Rainbow Heights Pump Station along Eighth Street and Rainbow Valley Boulevard to the Rainbow Hills Pump Station as a suitable pilot project for the cathodic protection program. The pilot project goal is to implement cathodic protection projects similar to the Rainbow Valley Boulevard project on a districtwide basis to protect pipelines.

Cathodic protection is the process of protecting a metal pipeline by connecting it to a sacrificial metal or anode and allowing the anode to corrode in place of the pipe. Larger pipelines can be better protected by adding an external power source to the system known as impressed current. The external power source or impressed current drives the electrochemical reaction needed to protect the larger pipelines.

Rainbow hired Corrpro Companies, Inc., which is based in Houston and has an office in Bakersfield, to prepare a project design. The design and bid package were completed in October and the bid package was released Oct. 25. Three bids were received by the Nov. 15 deadline. Corrpro had the low bid at $345,000.

Although the Corrpro bid was complete and had no irregularities, Farwest submitted a protest letter on Nov. 17. Because some of the Corrpro design work was incorporated as part of the project, Rainbow staff and legal counsel determined that the bid protest was valid.