Preliminary Engineering Report (PER)

Presented by: Brian Daily P.E., C.E.M. brian.daily@hi.usda.gov

808 933 8310

RUS Bulletin 1780-2 (April 2013) Preliminary Engineering Reports for the Water and Waste Disposal

Program

• Submitted with the application• Tells a story: Who, What, Where, Why, When, How• Bulletin assists applicants and consultants with

instructions on how to prepare

Preliminary Engineering Report Sections Outline

1. Project Planning 2. Existing Facilities 3. Need for Project4. Alternatives Considered5. Selection of an Alternative6. Proposed Project (Recommended Alternative)7. Conclusions and Recommendations

Section 1: Project Planning

• Location: Scale maps, photographs, legal and natural boundaries. Topographical map of the service area,

• Environmental Resources Present: Maps, photographs and/or narrative description of environmental resources present that affect design of the project. (In congruence with the Environmental Report-ER),

• Population Trends: Provide data for the service area for the last two decades, with future projections,

• Community Engagement: Approach used to engage the community in the project planning process.

Section 2: Existing Facilities

• Location Map: Schematic process layout of all existing facilities, abandoned/not in use,

• History: Indicate when major system components were constructed, renovated, expanded, or removed from service. Cause for failure, history of violations of regulatory requirements,

• Condition of Existing Facilities: Describe present condition and capacity of each component. Assess management plan,

• Financial Status of an Existing Facility: Current rate schedules, annual O&M cost, tabulation of users by usage category,

• Water/Energy/Waste Audits: Applicable audits and outcomes.

Section 3: Need for the Project

• Health, Sanitation, and Security: Describe concerns, and include relevant regulations and correspondences from regulatory agencies,

• Aging Infrastructure: Describe concerns and indicate the greatest impact. Include factors of inefficiency, water loss, treatment, storage needs,

• Reasonable Growth: Describe the reasonable growth capacity that is necessary to meet the needs during the planning period.

Section 4: Alternatives Considered

• What are alternatives to consider?– Alternative approach to ownership,– New centralized facilities,– Optimizing the current facilities,– Developing centrally managed decentralized systems

(small cluster or individual), • What about technically infeasible alternatives?

– Include with a brief explanation of why it is not feasible.

• Technically Feasible Alternatives• For each alternative include the following information;

– Description: Describe the facilities associated with the alternative including source, conveyance, treatment, storage, and distribution,

– Design Criteria: Parameters used for evaluation purposes, – Environmental Impacts: Describe the environmental impact as it relates

to the each specific alternative, (floodplains, wetlands, important land resources, endangered species, historic property)

– Land Requirements: Identify sites and easements required,– Potential Construction Problems: Discuss concerns, (subsurface rock,

high water table, limited access, etc.)– Sustainability Considerations: Environmental, Social and Economic

benefits……water/energy efficiency…….green infrastructure,– Cost Estimates: Provide for each alternative with breakdown of

construction, soft costs, annual O&M costs breakdown. (Rough Estimates)

• Technically Feasible Alternatives (cont.)• O&M Cost Estimate;

– Personnel– Administration Costs– Water Purchase or Waste Treatment Costs– Insurance– Energy Cost– Process Chemical– Monitoring and Testing– Short Lived Asset Management/Replacement– Professional Services– Disposal– Miscellaneous / Other

Section 5: Selection of an Alternative– How do we evaluate and identify the recommended alternative?

• Life Cycle Cost Analysis– Conducted for each technically feasible alternative,– Several analyses may be required per each system component, – Planning period recommended is 20 years, but may be a period

reasonable for the project,– Discount rate used should be the “real” discount rate taken from

Appendix C of OBM circular A-94– Total capital costs should be included, and annual O&M costs using

uniform series present worth, salvage values using straight line depreciation of life expectancy, short lived assets,

Net Present Value = Cap. Cost + Uniform (O&M) – PW Salvage

• Life Cycle Cost Analysis (cont.)– Present results in a table format – Non-Monetary Factors including social and environmental could be

considered in determining which alternative is recommended, appropriately factored into the analysis.

• Sustainability• Operator Training Requirements• Permit Issues• Community Objections• Reduction of Greenhouse Gases• Relocation of Wetlands

Section 6: Recommendation of Alternative

• Preliminary Project Design – Rural Development’s 4 potential project types:– Include schematics and location maps

TYPE 1 and 2: Drinking Water and/or Wastewater/Reuse– Include water supply quantity/capacity, quality, source, site and

allocation allowed, – Describe the treatment type process in detail and if the process will be

modified or enhanced,– Pumping stations size, type, location and special power requirements,– Distribution layout and general layout of new pipe, replacement or

rehabilitation; lengths, sizes and major components.

TYPE 3: Solid Waste– Collection: Describe the process in detail and identify quantities of material,

length of transport, location of type of transfer stations facilities,– Storage: In any, describe capacity, type an site location,– Processing: In any, describe capacity, type an site location,– Disposal: Describe process in detail and identify permit requirements,

quantities of material, recycling processes, location of plant, and site of any process discharges.

TYPE 4: Stormwater– Collection System Layout: Include general location of new pipe, replacement

or rehabilitation: lengths, sizes and major components, – Pumping stations size, type, location and special power requirements,– Describe Treatment Type process in detail and if the process will be modified

or enhanced– Disposal facilities and location– Green Infrastructure: Control measures, Layout, Sizing, Overflow

Recommendation of Alternative (cont.)

• Project Schedule:– Identify proposed dates for completion of the project; design, land and

easement acquisition, permit applications, advertisement for bids, loan closing, contract award, construction, substantial completion, and initiation of operation.

• Permit Requirements:– Construction, discharge or capacity permits.

• Sustainability Considerations (if applicable):– Water and Energy Efficiency – Describe – Green Infrastructure – Project that mimics natural processes for

stormwater– Other…..such as resiliency, operational simplicity, local materials

Recommendation of Alternative (cont.)• Total Project Cost Estimate:

– Include construction, land and right-of-ways, legal, engineering, construction, management, administration, interest, equipment, construction contingency, refinancing, and other associated project costs,

– Construction costs subtotal and non-construction costs subtotal,– Annual Operating Budget:

• Income: All source of income and a proposed rate schedule (new and existing users breakdown) If no data, use 100 gallons per capita per day to estimate consumption.

• Annual O&M: Include expense category of project costs, both existing and projected costs of an improved system. Personnel, administration, water purchase, treatment costs, accounting, auditing, fees, legal, utilities, insurance, repairs, monitoring, testing supplies and chemicals, office supplies, professional services.

Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDUs)Measure of a single family residential household’s water/wastewater usage

over a period of time…

• EDUs = houses + Σ {(commercial or industrial)/(typical residential flow or demand)}

Recommendation of Alternative (cont.)

• Debt Repayments:– Describe existing and proposed financing with the estimated amount of

annual debt repayments. Base funding on loans, not grants, • Reserves:

– Include the required debt service reserve,– Include the short-lived asset reserve including and prepare a recommended

annual reserve deposit to fund replacement of short-lived assets. Include those items not covered under O&M.

Conclusion and RecommendationsAdditional findings and recommendations

RD State Engineer Responsibilities in Review of a PER

Modest in Design, Scope and Cost

Site Visit • If possible…critical in some situations• Meet with engineer and owner• Site characteristics – topography, natural resources involved, etc.

• Work with engineers on preparing the report, drafts!!!• Incomplete application notice with in 15 days, 45 days for review of

complete application• Determine Completeness• All areas being served that should be?

Submittal of the PER

Design Parameters• Check basic design calculations for modesty, demand, storage, capacity• Industry Standards• State and Federal Requirements

• Drinking Water Standards (SDWA & CWA)• Fire Protection• Growth and Capacity• Water Conservation• Economical Service

Design Standards

Alternatives• Check the logic of including and excluding alternatives.• All reasonable alternatives considered? • Were eliminated alternatives really infeasible or by preference? • Is the Life Cycle Cost Analysis complete and reasonable? O&M the

same for each alternative.

• Alternatives should include more than one basic treatment approach,• We do not finance research and development,

– Demonstrated technologies only, other states can be referenced• Consideration and evaluation of technologies other than what

consultants and designers are familiar working with. Will the appropriate technology deliver the project objective?

 Cost Estimates

• Reasonableness and Modesty• Is a detailed cost estimate included for the recommended

alternative? • Are all project costs included? • Are costs over estimated? Under estimated? • Operation and Maintenance Costs• Missing treatment components?

Pavement Replacement

• Tendency to repave entire streets, USDA RD Community Facilities has program for streets, Water and Waste funds only for construction repair of water and waste facilities,

• Pavement as it pertains to the water/wastewater work,• Sidewalks eligible only if project destroys sidewalks.

• Is the proposal beyond the capabilities of the applicant– What are operator requirements– Access to maintenance sources

 Operator Requirements

Non-concurrence Letters• State that you are unable to concur at this time;• List questions and concerns.• Identify areas that need to be addressed.

Other Considerations

• Open and Free• Competitive Sealed Bidding• Useful life of a facility• Health and Sanitation• EJCDC Standard Agreements, Contracts