West Basin approves extra inspection funds after rejecting defective steel tanks for ECLWRF solids project

West Basin approves extra inspection funds after rejecting defective steel tanks for ECLWRF solids projectThe district authorized an additional $74,248 for construction manager AKM Consulting Engineers to oversee corrective sandblasting and coating work on two sludge conditioning tanks that were delivered with severe non-conformances.

Two 21,000-gallon welded steel tanks, pre-procured from Arnaz Engineering Contractors for $375,440, were rejected upon delivery in June 2026 due to incorrect welding and incomplete coating.

The board approved a $74,248 amendment for AKM Consulting Engineers to provide specialty NACE-certified inspection for the ongoing onsite repairs.

Despite the vendor delays, the overall $17.9 million Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility (ECLWRF) Solids Handling Improvements Project remains on schedule for completion in January 2027.

The West Basin Municipal Water District Board of Directors voted on August 24 to amend its construction management agreement with AKM Consulting Engineers, allocating an additional $74,248 to manage severe quality control issues with owner-furnished equipment on a major biosolids project. The amendment stems from the delayed and defective delivery of two 21,000-gallon welded steel sludge conditioning tanks for the $17.9 million Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility (ECLWRF) Solids Handling Improvements Project. To mitigate long lead times, West Basin pre-procured the tanks in August 2024, issuing a $375,440 purchase order to Arnaz Engineering Contractors. According to district documents, production experienced significant delays and a lack of quality control documentation. When the tanks were finally delivered to the ECLWRF site on June 24, 2026, district staff rejected them due to non-conformances involving incorrect and incomplete welding and coating work. West Basin issued a formal notice of non-conformance on July 2, requiring Arnaz to perform corrective actions onsite. However, the repair process has been fraught with execution challenges. District staff were forced to shut down Arnaz's onsite sandblasting operations multiple times due to insufficient containment of dust and debris, which posed risks to onsite personnel and district property. To prevent the tank remediation from delaying the critical path schedule of the project's general contractor, Kiewit, West Basin required extended oversight. The $74,248 contract amendment allows AKM Consulting Engineers to provide an estimated 288 hours of additional NACE-certified coating and welding inspection to verify compliance as Arnaz completes the repairs. The amendment brings AKM's total not-to-exceed contract amount to $866,233. The broader ECLWRF Solids Handling Improvements Project will refurbish the facility's dewatering system, which compresses 80 to 120 tons of biosolids per day to support the continuous operation of all recycled water treatment trains. Major construction activities completed to date include demolition, re-installation of re-coated filter press plates, and the installation of four new filter press feed pumps. Despite the equipment delivery setbacks, the overall project remains on schedule for a January 13, 2027 completion. The $17.9 million project budget remains unchanged, with the additional inspection costs covered by existing project contingency funds. The project is partially supported by $2.6 million in local refinery funding, including $1.9 million from a Chevron boiler feed agreement and $700,000 from a Torrance Refinery nitrified water agreement.