SCADA-Sewer Equipment Replacement
Project Status
To help keep area residents informed of our construction progress, we will post project updates to this site on a regular basis. Click here to see status updates.
Project Details/Neighborhood
- Various sewer facility locations on Mercer Island
Background
In 2023 and 2024, the City will be upgrading the equipment and communications system at 17 sewer pump stations and select emergency generators around the island. These pump stations move sewage through the sewer lakeline, which rings the island, to discharge points at the north and south ends of the island. From those points, flow moves into the King County system for off-island treatment and disposal. Efficient and reliable operation of the pump stations is vital to maintaining a high level of sanitary sewer service for existing customers. SCADA, or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, is the system that the City uses to remotely monitor flows throughout Mercer Island's sewer network. The City's current system is outdated, and repair components for the system are often no longer available, decreasing staff's ability to respond and address issues that arise. Upgrading the controls, alarms, and communication equipment will allow the City's services to run smoothly.
Description
The Sewer SCADA Equipment Replacement Project consists of programmable logic controller (PLC) panel replacement, instrument demolition and replacement, go/no-go panel installation, generator monitoring improvements, field testing and commissioning services for the new control system equipment, and all associated electrical work and training at seventeen of the City's sewer pump station sites..
Construction Project Timeline
Q3 of 2024 to Q4 of 2025
Contact
Christopher Marks, City of Mercer Island Utilities Engineer: chris.marks@mercerisland.gov
www.mercerisland.gov/SU0113
Status Updates
March 29, 2024
At the beginning of the month, Valley Electric along with their systems integrator, QCC, visited all 17 sewer pump stations to verify site conditions and make additional preparations for construction. While some control and electrical panel equipment has arrived, other critical components are not expected until late August. The project team continues to meet regularly to finalize the construction work plans, and also arrange for the controls, monitoring, and contingencies necessary to take station components temporarily offline. Construction is still forecasted for September of 2024.
January 29, 2024
PW staff are currently reviewing Brown & Caldwell’s submittal of the Operator Interface Terminal (OIT) screens. These screens turn the raw data from each sewer pump station into usable information. The OIT screens will not only provide the City’s operators, technicians, and engineers full site monitoring and alarm status, but will also allow local control of station equipment. The City has also been working closely alongside Brown & Caldwell and Valley Electric to track the shipment of vital project equipment. Construction start is still forecasted for September of 2024.
December 2023
The project team met last month to discuss the component, functional, and operational testing requirements for the new equipment being installed at each of the pump stations. This project poses unique challenges given that each station will need to remain fully operational throughout the SCADA system upgrades. Valley Electric continues the submittal approval process. The expected delivery schedule for long-lead items remains unchanged. Construction start is still forecasted for September of 2024.
October 2023
City staff continues to work with the project’s engineering design consultant (Brown & Caldwell) to review submittals from the City’s contractor (Valley Electric). The project team recently finished reviewing and providing comments for the proposed control system equipment panels and racks at pump station 15, which is the first station where work will be performed. Due to material supply shortages, mobilization on the project is still not expected until September of 2024.
August 2023 Update
While actual construction is not set to begin until the Fall of 2024, Valley Electric is busy ordering critical items with long lead times, performing internal quality control and testing, discussing cutover work plans, gathering submittals, and conducting supplementary site visits. With each of the City’s 17 sewer pump stations being of varying ages and configurations, none of the work is “one size fits all”, but instead, is engineered to fit each station.
July 2023 Update
Image 1: PS 16 Generator
Image 2: PS 17 Generator
The project has been issued Shoreline Exemption Permits for 14 of the 17 stations. City staff continues to work to receive permit clearance for the remaining 3 sites. On February 23rd of this year, a project kickoff meeting was held with the successful contract bidder, Valley Electric. On May 9th, a site familiarization meeting was held to familiarize Valley Electric with the logistical and spatial challenges specific to the different work sites. Currently, and in the following months, Brown & Caldwell, in coordination with City Staff, will review and approve Valley Electric’s various product and work submittals.
May 2022 Update
Brown and Caldwell provided an example Shoreline Exemption Permit package for one pump station. Staff have been reviewing these documents and coordinating with Community Planning and Development to ensure all the required elements are met before continuing work for the remaining sites.
April 2022 Update
In February, the City received the 90-percent plans and specifications from Brown and Caldwell, the engineering consultant. Staff reviewed these preliminary documents and provided comments back to the consultant in April. The consultant will work on finalizing these documents in the next couple of months. The consultant will also be providing permitting assistance on this project associated with a Shoreline Exemption Permit.
February 2022 Update
Staff have been investigating permits for this upgrade. Due to the location of these sites, additional permits are required, some which have complex application processes. Some schedule setbacks are anticipated to delay bidding.
November 2021 Update
Brown and Caldwell have been working on the pilot design at one of the sewer pump stations. This model will pave the way for the remaining 16 sites. Additional work is also underway to add monitoring capabilities for the emergency back-up generators.
September 2021 Update
The City’s consultant Brown and Caldwell started design work for the 17 sewer sites in August, starting with the sewer pump station in the Brook Bay neighborhood. They will continue with design of the other stations this fall and early winter and plan to put the project out for construction bids in February 2022.
project location (743 KB) Mercer Island Sewer System Map (455 KB) What to expect (796 KB) Project Details (32 MB)