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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Brian Katamay, Long Term Control Plan Project Assistant
DATE: September 21st, 2026
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to execute an engineering services contract with Digital Water Solutions in the amount of $188,831 for the purchase and training of 17 pressure and acoustic hydrant-based water system sensors.
PURPOSE:
This project involves the purchase and associated training of 17 pressure and acoustic hydrant-based sensors from Digital Water Solutions. These sensors will be placed on two areas within the water distribution system; a portion of the southeast transmission main and a section of distribution system north of the Fox Valley East Pump Station in order to identify existing leaks and evaluate pressure transients within the system.
BACKGROUND:
The City maintains over 730 miles of distribution main and 9 miles of transmission main. Due to the size of the transmission main, i.e. greater than 20 inches in diameter, traditional leak detection methods cannot be used to identify leaks and therefore are excluded from the City’s annual program. In the winter of 2025 the southeast transmission main near Solfisburg Park experienced a main break that continued for at least three months due to the location, weather conditions, and specialized nature of the repair. Additionally, PVC-based pipe has similar issues with standard leak detection as a softer material.
DISCUSSION:
Proposals were requested through Qualification Based Selection #25-205 “Continuous Leak Detection and Condition Assessment of Water System Transmission Mains,” released October 20, 2025. Three vendors submitted proposals, two of which were selected for interviews with City staff: Digital Water Solutions and M.E. Simpson and Company. Staff found the different approaches from each company satisfied different program goals, therefore split the overall project between the firms. The M.E. Simpson project is still being scoped and will come to I&T at a later date.
Digital Water Solutions satisfied the request for continuous monitoring of the transmission and critical water mains by using acoustic and pressure sensing devices. These devices replace the internal valve shaft within a water hydrant thereby keeping the water hydrant in operation so that the sensors are placed directly within the water column. This allows the devices to acoustically detect leaks across larger diameter and/or non-metallic water main as well as increase the distance between sensors to much larger distances than traditional in-situ continuous monitoring devices.
Per Exhibit A’s diagrams, the project aims to install the sensors in two locations to determine detection viability across multiple scenarios. The first zone contains four sensors at the tail-end of the southeast transmission mains while the second zone will contain 13 sensors within the distribution system north of the Fox Valley East Pump Station. The second zone has experienced pressure fluctuations and contains a mix of pipe materials including PVC.
As the City maintains the same type of hydrant across the distribution system, the sensors are able to be moved across the transmission main and to other areas of the distribution system for pressure studies or continuous leak detection.
The project cost is $188,831 and is budgeted under account 510-4058-511-32.23 for Water Loss CIP I058. The CIP has a total budget of $703,500 for 2026, which is sufficient for the project. Subsequent years have a bundled software and cellular cost of $99/sensor/month for a total of $20,196 to be billed to the same account 510-4058-511-32.23.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The sensor software and cellular costs are $99/unit/month for an annual recurring cost of $20,196 beginning in the second year.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
I recommend the proposed Resolution be adopted.
cc: Infrastructure and Technology Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to execute an engineering services contract with Digital Water Solutions in the amount of $188,831 for the purchase and training of 17 pressure and acoustic water system hydrant-based sensors.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, the City's water system consists of critical water main, such as over 9 miles of transmission main, as well as pipe constructed with PVC, each unable to be leak detected by the standard leak-detection program, and
WHEREAS, the City aims to purchase a solution for continuous acoustic and pressure monitoring for leaks and abnormal pressure transients, and
WHEREAS, Digital Water Solutions was selected through a Qualified Based Selection process to supply 17 pressure and acoustic hydrant-based water system sensing devices and provide training to staff for the amount of $188,831 for CIP I058 under account 510-4058-511-32.23.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: the Director of Purchasing is authorized to execute a professional services contract with Digital Water Solutions in the amount of $188,831 for the purchase of 17 hydrant-based water system sensing devices.