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Arlington City staff ask council to waive bidding to replace sand-bound Haller South well pump
Summary
City staff told the Arlington City Council workshop that a pump at the Haller South wellfield became sand-bound and must be replaced; staff asked the council to declare an emergency and waive competitive bidding so a new pump (about $24,000) can be ordered, with a 17-week lead time. No formal vote on the emergency was recorded in the transcript.
Arlington City staff asked the City Council at a workshop to declare an emergency and waive competitive bidding to purchase a replacement pump for the Haller South Wellfield after the existing pump became sand-bound and failed, staff said.
The request came during the council workshop when Staff member Jim Kelly said the Haller South pump failed before the larger Haller South construction project begins later in 2025. "So it's an emergency. We have to replace the pump now because this takes 1 out of our main pumps out of service," Kelly said, adding the replacement pump itself is $24,000 and that the larger Haller South project has $1,100,000 allocated in the capital plan.
City staff told council members the failed unit is a multi-stage (five-bowl) pump that became "sand bound" after the well's concrete screen developed larger holes and allowed sand to enter the well, grinding bearings and damaging the unit. Kelly said crews pulled the pump for inspection, the manufacturer declined a simple rebuild, and staff are working on measures to limit further sand intrusion while the pump is out of service.
Kelly warned of service risk if another pump fails before a replacement is online. "We won't be able to meet the demand. If 1 of the other pumps go down, we will not be able to meet the water demand. We will fail to provide water to our community," he said. Staff also said the replacement pump is a "long lead item" with an estimated 17-week delivery time once ordered.
Council members asked about the scope of the problem, spare capacity and past maintenance. Staff said Pump 3B is the oldest unit in the wellfield, that crews removed accumulated sand and contracted to remove material from the bottom of the well, and that Pump 3A was running without issues at the time of the meeting. Councilmembers praised staff for preventative planning and pressed for ordering the replacement before summer demand increases.
The transcript records discussion and a staff request to declare an emergency and waive bidding requirements so the pump can be procured and installed as soon as possible, but no formal council vote on an emergency declaration appears in the recorded excerpt. Kelly told the council they would need to vote before the pump could be ordered; he said ordering after a council "yes" would start the 17-week lead time.
City staff also noted the larger Haller South project budgeted $1.1 million for the wellfield; staff said the $24,000 pump cost is separate and specific to the immediate replacement need.
Staff indicated ongoing steps to prevent future sand intrusion and to evaluate other pumps and replacement timing as part of longer-range project work on the Haller South Wellfield.
