1-INTERA_BPM006379_Attachment_10_-_Experience_and_Capacity_Response.pdf

Request for Proposal

Solicitation No. BPM006379 Capacity Development/Technical Assistance to Small Public

Drinking Water Systems

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)

1110 W. Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85007

Solicitation Attachment – Experience and Capacity Response | Revision No. 1 | Revised 11-22

Attachment 10 – Experience and Capacity Response

THE STATE MAY DETERMINE YOUR PROPOSAL NON-RESPONSIVE IF YOU DO NOT FULLY RESPOND.

The Offeror shall provide a narrative response to each section that demonstrates their understanding of the Scope of Work requirements and describes the company’s overall experience and capacity in providing the Services stated in this Solicitation. If there is a section that is not applicable to the Services required by the Scope of Work, you may mark it “N/A”.

Offeror shall provide a response either after each section or in a separate document entitled: “Attachment 10 - Experience and Capacity Response.” If a separate document is used, please clearly designate each section and double-check to ensure that each question has been answered. If any information provided is considered CONFIDENTIAL by Offeror, the information must be specifically included in the Confidential Information Designation Attachment and related documentation to be assessed for confidential treatment under A.A.C. R2-7-103.

1.0 Company Profile. The Offeror must include a narrative description of its organization. The narrative must include the following:

1.1 Date Established and ownership (public, partnership, subsidiary, etc.);

1.2 Is the Offeror a national or local company;

1.3 Address of “Main Office” (e.g. Corporate Headquarters and any satellite offices responsible for performance of proposed tasks;

1.4 Brief overview of business operations, with an emphasis on experience in regards to the Scope of Work (limit the response to this question to one page, font size 10 pt or greater);

1.5 Offeror's organizational chart relevant to the Contract, specifically identifying the key point of contact for all questions related to the submitted Offer. In addition, identify key point of contact for Task Order Offer Requests.

1.6 Full disclosure of any potential conflict of interest between the Offeror and any State employee who functions or has responsibilities in the review or approval of the undertaking or carrying out of the Contract;

1.7 A Statement of whether, in the last five (5) years, the Offeror has filed (or had filed against it) any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, whether voluntary or involuntary, or undergone the appointment of a receiver, trustee, or assignee for the benefit of creditors, and if so, an explanation providing relevant details and current status;

1.8 A Statement of whether there are any pending Securities Exchange Commission investigations involving the Offeror, and if such are pending or in progress, an explanation providing relevant details and an attached opinion of counsel as to whether the pending investigation(s) may impair the Offeror’s performance in a Contract under this Solicitation;

1.9 A Statement documenting all open or pending litigation initiated by Offeror or where Offeror is a defendant or party in any litigation that may have a material impact on Offeror’s ability to deliver the contracted Services;

1.10 A Statement documenting all open or pending litigation initiated by Offeror or where Offeror is a defendant or party in any litigation with a public sector client;

1.11 Full disclosure of any public sector contracts terminated for cause or convenience in the past five (5) years;

1.12 Full disclosure of any criminal or civil offense.

Offeror Response:

Items 1.0 – 1.4 –

Originally established in 1974, INTERA is a geosciences and engineering consulting firm that provides solutions to a variety of water resources management challenges. INTERA’s primary water resources services include water resource planning, groundwater availability assessments, hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling, water quality assessments, hydrographic data collection and analyses, surface water availability and water rights assessments, 3-D geologic and hydrogeologic visualization, geographic information system (GIS) and database applications, and remote sensing. Since our inception, we have earned a reputation for developing best-in-class solutions to challenging problems facing industry and governmental agencies. In support of water resource planning and management, INTERA’s core competencies include:

• Predicting future hydrologic-system states including groundwater availability, optimal water-resource management, and water-demand forecasting by leveraging numerical models, statistics, and remote sensing technology.

• Developing and applying hydrologic, hydraulic, hydrodynamic, and water quality models as decision support tools for water resource planning and management.

• Modeling surface/groundwater interaction and developing integrated surface water and groundwater modeling tools.

• Evaluating potential impacts of climate change on future water-supply availability and developing strategies to mitigate these impacts.

• Acquisition and interpretation of hydrologic data in difficult well-testing environments (deep and/or fractured aquifer systems).

• Analyzing agricultural water use and land-use change using GIS and remote-sensing techniques.

• Supporting effective water management through supply/demand analysis and forecasting, reliability analysis (including impacts of climate change), development of water supply strategies, and economic analysis.

In addition to our quantitative services, INTERA has over 40 years of experience in designing, drilling, installing, logging, and assessing monitor and water wells. We routinely video-log wells to assess their condition and the possibility of improving the wells for extended use. We understand that not every client has the funds to spend on expensive models, and we specialize in innovative solutions for clients at every funding and sophistication level.

Established as a Texas Corporation, INTERA’s primary and home office is located in Austin, Texas. We have additional offices located in Houston, Texas; Albuquerque and Carlsbad, New Mexico; Boulder, Colorado; Torrance and Sacramento, California;

Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida; Bloomington, Indiana; Richland, Washington; and Kailua, Hawaii, and international offices in Switzerland, France, United Kingdom, and Australia. Our key personnel for this project are located in New Mexico, California, and Colorado, and technical support may be provided from our home office.

INTERA’s staff consist of 240 technical and support personnel specializing in hydrology; water resources, environmental, and coastal engineering; hydrogeology; geochemistry; environmental science; and remote sensing and GIS technology. This includes 32 registered Professional Engineers and 41 Registered Professional Geoscientists. In addition, many of our geoscientists are nationally licensed as Certified Ground Water Professionals (CGWP) by the National Ground Water Association.

Item 1.5 –

Dan Haddock will be our Project Manager and should be the primary point of contact for AZ DEQ.

Our Technical Leads may also receive Task Order Requests from AZ DEQ, per the agency’s preference. These specifics can be determined at the kick-off meeting for the project/contract.

Our Project Manager and Technical Leads will ensure that the technical resources required to successfully complete the project tasks are available and have the capacity to work on and finish tasks on budget and to the satisfaction of AZ DEQ.

Item 1.6 –

INTERA does not have any potential conflicts of interest with any State employee who functions or has responsibilities in the review or approval of the undertaking or carrying out of the Contract.

Item 1.7 –

In the last five years, INTERA has not filed or had filed against us any bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, voluntary or involuntary, nor have we undergone the appointment of a receiver, trustee, or assignee for the benefit of creditors.

Item 1.8 –

There are no pending Securities Exchange Commission investigations involving INTERA pending or in progress, nor has INTERA been involved in any SEC investigations.

Item 1.9 –

INTERA does not have any open or pending litigation initiated by us or for which we are a defendant or party that may have a material impact on Offeror’s ability to deliver the contracted Services.

Item 1.10 –

INTERA is not involved in any open or pending litigation initiated by us or for which we are a defendant or party with a public sector client.

Item 1.11 –

INTERA has not had any public sector contracts terminated for cause or convenience in the past five (5) years.

Item 1.12 –

INTERA has not been accused of nor are we party to any criminal or civil offenses.

2.0 Company Experience

2.1 If Offeror is proposing to provide services for Item #3 - Capacity Development Training (technical, managerial, financial), from Table 1, on page 3, Offeror shall respond to the following question #1:

Question 1:

ADEQ offers technical, managerial and financial training through its Capacity Development program. Does your company have experience providing training, in person and/or virtual, on topics of water system operations and management? What subject matter are you offering to train on and what is the level of expertise of the proposed trainer(s)?

Offeror Response:

N/A - INTERA Incorporated is only proposing to provide services in Service Categories 18 and 20.

2.2 Project Descriptions:

For each deliverable from Table 1, on page 3, that the Offeror is proposing to provide:

Submit up to three (3) examples of your previous work as well as years of experience providing this deliverable.

An example might cover more than one deliverable depending on the project. At the top of each page, include the deliverable “Item #(s)” and “Deliverable Description(s)” title from the table below. Limit each example to one (1) page. Use font size 10 pt or greater.

Each example shall include the following information:

a. Project Name;

b. Project Location (City and State);

c. Estimated Project Cost;

d. Project Begin and End Date;

e. Brief Description of the Project; and

f. Names of the project manager and key personnel that worked on the project if they are currently employed with your firm.

Offeror Response:

DELIVERABLE (SERVICE) ITEM # 18 – Water Master Planning

A – Water Supply Resiliency Master Planning, City of Decatur B – Decatur, Illinois C – $277,000 D – 2018 to Present E – One objective of water supply planning is securing a safe and resilient water-supply for the future. The City of Decatur, Illinois (City) has long been concerned about their lake’s ability to meet the City’s domestic and industrial demand during drought. In 2011, the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) classified the Lake Decatur supply as “At Risk”, meaning that the current system without supply augmentation has a “greater than ten percent probability of experiencing shortages if a record drought were to occur.” To address this, INTERA was hired to determine the quantity of additional water that Decatur needs to withstand a 10-month drought and identify the location of potential additional water sources and the necessary infrastructure to deliver the water. INTERA completed the following tasks: 1) designed a severe drought 2) forecast demand 3) determined how much more water the city needs 3) identified and evaluated alternatives able to fulfill the supply gap 4) and identified the optimal drought-resilient additional supply. The current and future projected water demand was combined with hydrologic conditions representing the design drought to evaluate the water-supply needs for the City of Decatur.

GoldSim software was used to develop a systems model of the City supplies from Lake Decatur; the model was then used to evaluate the supply needs as a total volume and duration of additional supply needs to satisfy demand. The GoldSim evaluation determined that the current combined City and industrial supply gap for a severe drought would be approximately 3,100 Million Gallons lasting over 100 days. INTERA provided engineering analysis, conceptual design and cost estimating for over 10 alternative water-supply options. The evaluated options included lowering the minimum operational level of the lake, deep aquifer groundwater production, use of existing gravel pits, regional collaboration, indirect potable reuse via riverbank filtration, and recycled water for industrial use. INTERA developed conceptual designs and cost estimates of each of the supply alternatives. INTERA evaluated the infrastructure alternatives based on economic, environmental, and social criteria, including operational costs and benefits, potential impacts, opportunities for cost sharing, and the resiliency of each. INTERA established triple bottom line (TBL) criteria for evaluation of alternatives and provided guidance on phasing of implementation and allocation of benefits and costs associated with improvements to municipal and industrial water supply resilience.

Since the completion of the initial master plan, INTERA has continued to support the City with the evaluation of potential water supplies and re-evaluation of alternatives as the timing of demands has changed. The City has been actively implementing the top ranked recommendations.

F – Dan Haddock, our proposed Project Manager, is the Lead Engineer and Technical Advisor for this project.

A – Reducing the Risk and Impact of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Contamination to Existing and New Wells, California American Water B – Duarte, California C – $475,000 D – 2022 - 2024 E – The California-American Water (Cal-Am) Duarte System relies exclusively on groundwater supplies from the Main San Gabriel Basin. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected in half of the system’s wells. Despite quickly evolving regulatory limits and significant uncertainty in the sources and potential risk of PFAS contamination, Cal- Am’s must continue to invest in timely renewal and expansion of groundwater supply infrastructure. Creative solutions are needed to effectively mitigate risks to existing operations and future investments using currently available data. INTERA developed an innovative approach to evaluate the risk of PFAS contamination to 11 existing wells and 17 potential sites for new wells using available hydrogeologic, water quality, and environmental site data. We collaborated with the Main San Gabriel Watermaster to use the Watermaster’s existing groundwater model to delineate recharge areas and capture zones for the wells. INTERA implemented a screening level 1-D vadose zone model (Guo, et al, 2022) reflecting solid phase and air-water interface adsorption to estimate spatially the potential for leaching and mass discharge to groundwater of potential PFAS sources. Stormwater routing was reviewed to determine areas where discharges to recharge areas may represent pathways for contaminated runoff to impact groundwater. Finally, we collected and reviewed historical water quality and environmental site data within the capture zone areas. The combined assessment of vulnerability to potential surface contamination and the severity of the potential sources of PFAS was used to develop relative risk scoring and assessments for each existing and proposed well site. The impacts of Pure Water Southern California, a very large indirect potable reuse groundwater recharge project, were evaluated to adapt planning to anticipated changes to groundwater flow patterns and potential regulatory impacts.

The results of the analysis were used to provide practical recommendations for de-risking planned capital investments in future water production facilities and for addressing contamination in existing wells. Potential new well sites were prioritized by relative risk, and specific recommendations for further investigation of high-priority sites were provided.

Recommendations were provided for mitigation of the impact of PFAS contamination to existing wells, including changes to pumping, treatment, and targeted monitoring. In addition to a traditional report, INTERA developed a Leapfrog Geo model to allow Cal-Am to visualize all the data and analysis developed for the study including MODFLOW and MODPATH model results, vulnerability to surface contamination, lithology, well construction, water quality, and potential sources of PFAS. The model is provided in a free web-based 3-D viewer allowing users to select layers, rotate, cut cross sections, and query data.

INTERA prioritized recommendations and developed a capital investment program with the recommended timing of all activities to ensure adequate capacity and regulatory compliance and to take advantage of potential funding opportunities for selected projects. Cal-Am has begun implementation of the recommended projects.

F – Dan Haddock, our proposed Project Manager, was the Project Manager and Lead Engineer on this project.

A – Water Supply Master Plan Update and Water Conservation Plan for the City of Steamboat and Mount Werner Water District B – Rout County, Colorado C – $80,000 D – 2019 – 2020 E – INTERA's Courtney Black served on a three-firm consulting team for the update of the City of Steamboat and Mount Werner Water District 2019 Water Supply Master Plan update. A user-friendly raw water collection and delivery system model, which included system stressors for population growth, water conservation savings, interruption due to fire in the watershed, a Colorado River Compact call, and climate change was developed. The model was developed for City and District staff to use for future planning efforts and to inform the Water Supply Master Plan update.

Ms. Black led the evaluation of historical water demand trends to identify how historical demands have been influenced by population growth, climate factors, drought restrictions, water rates, advances in new water saving technologies, and water conservation activities. She also evaluated the City and District’s performance in mee�ng established 2011 water conservation targets and updated their Water Conservation Plan. The update included forecasting demands; developing new water conservation goals and actions; developing an implementation and monitoring plan; and facilitating discussions and selecting new methods to integrate water and land use planning. There were no change orders associated with updating and developing these plans.

INTERA served on a three-firm consulting team (includes HCH) updating the City of Steamboat and Mount Werner Water District’s Water Supply Master Plan. A user-friendly raw water collection and delivery system model, which included system stressors for population growth, water conservation savings, interruption due to fire in the watershed, a Colorado River Compact call and climate change was developed. The model was developed for City and District staff to utilize for future planning efforts and to inform the Water Supply Master Plan update. In addition, an evaluation of historical water demand trends to identify how historical demands have been influenced by population growth, climate factors, drought restrictions, water rates, advances in new water saving technologies, and water conservation activities was conducted.

F – Courtney Black, our proposed Technical Lead, was a key Project Team member for this effort.

DELIVERABLE (SERVICE) ITEM #20 –

Well Evaluations including water level measurements, zonal sampling & video logging

A – Wellfield Safe Yield Study, Illinois American Water Company B – Jerseyville, Illinois C – $227,000 D – 2023 E – INTERA was contracted by Illinois American Water Company to conduct a study to assess the current hydraulic performance and safe yield, and to evaluate the existing pumping equipment of their shallow sand and gravel wellfield (consisting of three sand and gravel wells) near Jerseyville, Illinois. In addition, the study also involved assessing the feasibility of increasing the raw water supply from 1.7 to 10 million gallons per day (mgd) by either expanding the existing wellfield or developing a surface water supply on the nearby Illinois River.

A field-testing program (consisting of step-drawdown test and collecting water quality samples to perform a complete well profile) was conducted on the three high-capacity sand and gravel wells to determine current hydraulic performance and to assess if extensive well rehabilitation was needed. A groundwater flow model was also constructed to determine wellfield sustainable yield and to evaluate expanding wellfield capacity with additional vertical wells and/or horizontal collector well. Preliminary engineering assessment of obtaining surface water supply from nearby Illinois River was also conducted. The study indicated that the current hydraulic performance of the wellfield would meet their current water supply requirements, and the existing pumping equipment was performing properly. Recommendations were provided for expanding water supply (which also included cost estimates and a qualitative comparison of the various ground water options and surface water) with developing additional vertical sand and gravel wells the most cost-effective option for expanding raw water supply.

F – Dan Haddock, our Proposed Project Manager, served as a Senior Technical Advisor and Engineer on this project.

A – Assessment of Lower Carmel Valley Well Fields and Supply Well Design, Construction Oversight and Well Rehabilitation, California American Water

B – Monterey, California

C – $1,500,000

D – 2015 to present

E – INTERA has provided a full range of groundwater supply planning, development, and management services for California-American Water. We developed a well asset management plan based on analysis of historical well performance and maintenance, testing and video inspection, hydrogeological analysis, and life-cycle cost analysis to evaluate the optimal frequency of well rehabilitation. INTERA subsequently updated the analysis to develop a master plan for the well field, which included identifying potential contaminant sources, groundwater modeling, and water quality analysis to optimize the locations for proposed new wells to achieve the target reliable capacity of 10 MGD in the Lower Carmel Valley well field. INTERA is currently supporting the implementation of our recommendations with final well siting, design, permitting, and construction oversight for six production wells. We have also developed technical specifications and bidding documents for two well rehabilitation projects.

F – Dan Haddock, our proposed Project Manager, is the Project Manager and Lead Engineer for this project.

A – Well Profiling and Water Quality Sampling of Water Supply Wells

B – New Jersey

C – $600,000

D – 2019 to Present

E - New Jersey American Water Company (NJAW) operates hundreds of wells and the occurrence of PFAS in water supply wells in New Jersey is widespread. In response, the State has implemented new water-quality standards that may require the construction of new treatment facilities for existing wells or their removal from service and replacement with alternative sources. Recognizing the potentially significant costs for their customers, NJAW requested that INTERA help them to better understand PFAS contamination in their wells to inform consideration of measures to improve water quality.

INTERA and subcontractor BESST utilized USGS-developed dynamic flow and chemistry profiling technology to identify the discrete zones contributing flow to the well and their water quality under normal operating conditions. The detailed flow and chemistry profiles were evaluated along with aquifer characteristics and well construction details to determine the feasibility of re-engineering the existing well to improve water quality by blocking off discrete zones of poor water quality.

To the extent that raw-water quality is improved, investments in treatment infrastructure may be downsized, deferred, or avoided entirely. For existing treatment, on-going operating costs for chemical use and residuals management may be reduced. When well re-engineering is not feasible, the information is used to support decision making with respect to treatment or substitution of sources. INTERA performed water quality sampling for PFAS in accordance with state guidance and special protocols to minimize the potential for background contamination. Since 2019, INTERA and BESST have completed dynamic flow and chemistry profiles for eight NJAW wells.

F – Dan Haddock, our proposed Project Manager, is the Project Manager and Lead Engineer on this project.

Select each of the item(s) that your firm is proposing to provide from the Table 1 below:

Table 1:

Item # Check Box Deliverable Description 1 Asset Management Plans

2 Capacity Development Activities

3 Capacity Development Training (technical, managerial, financial)

4 Construction Administration & Construction Management

5 Design of water system improvements

6 Developing regulatory plans (e.g., O&M, EOP, ERP, cybersecurity)

7 Drinking water permit applications (e.g., ATC, AOC, APP, AZPDES)

8 Funding assistance (e.g., PPL, PFA, RD-Apply)

9 Legal assistance (e.g., forming corporate status, corporate documents)

10 Median Household Income Surveys

11 Preparing Corrosion Control Assessments & Treatment Recommendations

12 Preparing Environmental Documents/Archeological Surveys

13 Preparing Preliminary Engineering Reports (PER)

14 Rate studies, rate reviews, rate cases

15 Risk & Resiliency Assessments

16 System Evaluations

17 Water Loss Audits & Leak Detection

18 ☒ Water Master Planning

19 Water Quality Compliance Options Reports

20 ☒ Well Evaluations including water level measurements, zonal sampling & video logging

3.0 Financial/Accounting Information

After the proposal due date, Offeror must provide evidence of financial stability and capability to fund all costs associated with providing the relevant Services throughout the term of the Contract. See details as provided in RFP Solicitation Special Instructions to Offerors, Section 7.0 Financial Stability. DO NOT submit financial information with Offer at this time.

Financials will be provided upon request.

4.0 Certificates/Licenses

Submit copies of all applicable certificates and licenses that support Offeror’s ability to provide the proposed services, including any Arizona required business license(s) to provide these services. At a minimum, this shall include all certifications and licenses referenced in the Solicitation Attachment 8 - Organization Profile.

Proof of INTERA’s Arizona State Board of Technical Registration License below, and documentation of key personnel Professional Geoscientist Status in Arizona are documented in Attachment 6.

5.0 Proposed Project Members and Organization

Offeror to complete an Attachment 6 – Key Personnel form to identify each Key Personnel.

Key Personnel Forms are provided as Attachment 6.

6.0 Subcontractors

Offeror to complete Attachment 9 – Proposed Subcontractors to identify Proposed Subcontractors to be utilized to perform services within a resultant contract.

Subcontractors are not being proposed by INTERA for this contract, and this has been noted in Attachment 9.