Agenda Item Wording:
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Approve a sole source purchase of a turbo blower - Approve a purchase order to APGN Inc. dba APG-Neuros in the amount of $285,843.25 for the purchase of one high-speed turbo blower for the Visalia Water Reclamation Facility and appropriate $500,000 from the Wastewater Fund.
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Agenda Date: 09/21/2026
Prepared by:
Ben Litwack, Public Works Manager, ben.litwack@visalia.gov, 559-713-4671
Nick Bartsch, Public Works Director, nick.bartsch@visalia.gov, 559-713-4052
Department Recommendation: Staff recommends that Council approve a purchase order to APGN Inc. dba APG-Neuros in the amount of $285,843.25, including estimated sales tax, for the purchase of one high-speed turbo blower for the Visalia Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) and appropriate $500,000 from the Wastewater Fund.
Summary:
Staff is requesting approval to purchase one APG-Neuros high-speed turbo blower and to complete the related installation work as the first unit in a planned multi-year replacement of the WRF's existing Aerzen aeration blowers. The Aerzen units have experienced recurring reliability problems and have required significant maintenance, replacement parts, and temporary rental equipment to maintain adequate aeration capacity. The WRF currently operates APG-Neuros blowers for membrane bioreactor (MBR) air scour service, and those units have performed reliably with relatively few issues.
The proposed purchase will begin standardizing the WRF's aeration blower equipment around a manufacturer with which staff already has successful operating experience. APG-Neuros has proposed one NX450-C090A high-speed turbo blower, related accessories, louver inlet, discharge check valve, manual discharge butterfly valve with chainwheel operator, EPDM discharge duct expansion joint, blow-off silencer, internal harmonic filter, start-up, and training services for a subtotal of $263,450 before sales tax. With estimated sales tax of $22,393.25, the total APG-Neuros purchase order amount is $285,843.25. Staff estimates that the installation will cost approximately $180,000. Staff is requesting a total appropriation of $500,000 to cover the blower purchase, installation, and a $34,156.75 contingency for unanticipated change orders.
Background Discussion:
The WRF relies on turbo blowers to supply air to the biological treatment process. Adequate aeration is necessary to maintain treatment performance and meet the facility's nitrogen and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) discharge requirements. Loss of sufficient blower capacity can create an immediate operational and regulatory risk.
The WRF currently has five Aerzen turbo blowers that were originally manufactured by KTurbo. Over the past several years, these units have experienced repeated failures and have required substantial maintenance and replacement parts. Most recently, multiple blower variable frequency drives (VFDs), or inverters, failed, reducing available permanent aeration capacity and requiring the City to rent a temporary Aerzen blower. A repaired inverter installed on one of the permanent units failed again only five days after installation, further demonstrating the reliability concerns associated with the existing equipment.
Because of these recurring issues, staff has evaluated a long-term transition away from the Aerzen units. Staff intends to replace the existing Aerzen aeration blowers with APG-Neuros units over the next several years as funding becomes available and as existing units reach the point where continued repair is no longer cost-effective.
The WRF already uses APG-Neuros blowers to provide air scour for the MBR process. Those units have performed well and have had relatively few reliability issues. Standardizing future aeration blower replacements with APG-Neuros equipment will allow operations and maintenance staff to build on their existing familiarity with the manufacturer's controls, operating characteristics, maintenance requirements, and technical support. It will also reduce the long-term complexity associated with maintaining multiple blower manufacturers and equipment platforms.
The proposed NX450-C090A blower is a 450-horsepower high-speed turbo blower sized for the WRF's aeration system. At the City's design condition, the proposed unit is rated to deliver approximately 7,769 standard cubic feet per minute at 11.4 pounds per square inch gauge. The blower package includes a permanent magnet synchronous motor, air bearings, variable speed drive, Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PLC-based controls, remote monitoring capability, instrumentation, filtration, and a sound enclosure. The purchase also includes related accessories, an internal harmonic filter, start-up, and training services.
The NX450-C090A blower is similar in design and operating concept to the blowers currently used by the WRF for membrane bioreactor (MBR) air scour service. Although the proposed aeration blower is larger and sized for a different process duty, it uses the same general high-speed turbo blower platform. The unit includes a permanent magnet synchronous motor, air bearing, forged impeller, high-performance variable speed drive/inverter, local control panel, remote-control capability, onboard pressure and temperature instrumentation, built-in flow calculation, filtration, vibration isolation, surge protection, and sound enclosure. These are the same general types of components and operating features that make APG-Neuros units distinct from conventional positive displacement or older turbo blower systems.
Because both applications use APG-Neuros high-speed turbo blower technology, staff expects meaningful overlap in operator familiarity, maintenance approach, controls philosophy, troubleshooting practices, and manufacturer support. The aeration basin blower will serve a different process function than the MBR air scour blowers-supplying biological process air to the aeration basins rather than scour air to the membranes-but the core equipment design is similar enough that standardizing on APG-Neuros reduces the number of blower platforms WRF staff must support. This allows operations and maintenance staff to build on their successful experience with the existing MBR air scour blowers while beginning the phased replacement of the less reliable Aerzen aeration blower units.
Staff is requesting a sole source purchase because the City has selected APG-Neuros as the equipment platform for the phased replacement of the existing Aerzen blowers. The requested equipment is proprietary APG-Neuros equipment supplied by the manufacturer. Purchasing a different manufacturer's blower through a competitive process would not accomplish the City's goal of standardizing future blower replacements around the APG-Neuros platform and would introduce another equipment type into the WRF. The City's existing successful experience with APG-Neuros equipment, combined with the operational and maintenance benefits of standardization, supports the sole source request.
The manufacturer anticipates providing submittals within two to four weeks after receipt of the purchase order and shipping the blower approximately 16 to 20 weeks after approval of the submittals. The new blower will require installation before it can be placed into service. The unit will be installed in the space currently occupied by Blower No. 3, which is out of commission. In order to install the new unit, a contractor will be procured to remove the existing blower and associated piping/silencer connections, receive and set the City-furnished APG-Neuros blower, demolish and replace the equipment housekeeping pad, fabricate and install new 16-inch and 6-inch carbon steel piping, perform pressure testing, insulate and coat new piping, complete required electrical modifications, coordinate programming and start-up support, and coordinate commissioning with the equipment manufacturer. Staff estimates that this scope of work will cost $180,000.
Fiscal Impact including annual maintenance and operating costs: The total project cost, before contingency, is $465,843.25. This consists of the APG-Neuros blower purchase in the amount of $285,843.25, including $263,450 for the blower equipment and related manufacturer services plus estimated sales tax of $22,393.25, and the installation estimate of $180,000. Staff is requesting an appropriation of $500,000 from the Wastewater Fund (431) to cover the total project cost and an additional contingency of $34,156.75 to account for any unanticipated change orders during installation. The blower will replace existing aeration equipment, and there are no additional staffing costs associated with this action. Routine maintenance and electrical costs will be paid from existing WRF operating accounts.
Prior Council Action: N/A
Alternatives: Council may direct staff to continue repairing the existing Aerzen blowers or direct staff to pursue a different procurement approach. These alternatives are not recommended because of the recurring reliability issues with the existing equipment and the operational benefits of standardizing future replacements with APG-Neuros units.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to approve a purchase order to APGN Inc. dba APG-Neuros in the amount of $285,843.25 for the purchase of one high-speed turbo blower for the Visalia Water Reclamation Facility and appropriate $500,000 from the Wastewater Fund.
Environmental Assessment Status: N/A
CEQA Review: N/A
Deadline for Action: 09/21/2026
Attachments:
Neuros Quote
Levine Act
Sole Source Statement
Strategic Goal: Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports. Check all that apply.
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