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Council approves sole‑source purchase of seven Hydra Stop valve bodies for water mains
Summary
The council unanimously approved a sole‑source purchase of seven Hydra Stop valve bodies (six 6‑inch, one 8‑inch) to allow in‑line valve insertion without shutting down service; staff said the city owns the installation equipment and prices were disclosed in the discussion.
The Long Beach City Council on Nov. 18 approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to purchase water transmission equipment from a sole‑source provider, Hydra Stop LLC, after staff described test results showing a need to replace non‑functioning valves across the system.
Department of Public Works staff explained Hydra Stop valves allow crews to install shut‑off valves in pressurized mains without interrupting service, a capability useful for replacing fire hydrants or repairing sections of older mains. Staff said the purchase is for seven valve bodies — six 6‑inch and one 8‑inch — and that the city already owns the insertion machine required to install them.
During council Q&A, DPW staff provided per‑unit price ranges discussed in the meeting record: the 6‑inch valve body was cited at $2,900 with a cartridge piece at $1,800; the 8‑inch body at $3,400 and a cartridge at $2,100. Staff also said Hydra is the only manufacturer of this specific valve system and that other vendors, when contacted, returned higher prices.
A council member moved an amendment correcting the vendor name in the drafted resolution from “hydro stop holding LLC” to “Hydra Stop LLC”; that amendment was adopted and the resolution passed on unanimous roll call.
Staff said funds for the purchase are available and emphasized the operational benefit of not interrupting service during replacement. The resolution authorizes the city manager to proceed; specific delivery dates and installation scheduling were not provided in the meeting transcript and remain to be published by DPW.
