Committee ratifies emergency purchase of powdered activated carbon to address algal blooms

The committee advanced an ordinance to ratify the director of public service’s emergency purchase of powdered activated carbon (PAC) from Jacobi Carbons Incorporated, declaring the transaction an emergency and placing the ordinance on the consent agenda.

Chris Luddl told the committee that Jacobi Carbons had provided a newer price of $1.40 per pound compared with prior pricing of $1.54 per pound, a savings of about $0.14 per pound. Luddl said the city experienced higher-than-expected harmful algal blooms last fall, which increased PAC usage. He said the additional purchase is a contingency to ensure supply through 2026 and estimated the requested quantity would provide about 52 loads under a worst-case usage scenario.

Luddl described how PAC is used: the city doses PAC into raw water to bind organics that appear when algal blooms die off and produce byproducts that elevate regulated test results. He said the city has issued public warnings in response to higher test results but has not issued a "do not use" or "do not drink" advisory. Luddl said the city will continue to use the primary supplier first and call Jacobi to supplement deliveries when volumes require it.

The committee moved the item to the consent agenda by voice vote. The ordinance, if approved on the consent calendar, would ratify the director’s emergency contracting with Jacobi Carbons Incorporated to supply powdered activated carbon as described.