CITY OF FORT WORTH - PURCHASING DIVISION

SCOPE OF SERVICES

RFP Ref. #: 26-0023 Doc. Ref#: RFP-02 Page 1 of 12 RFP Title: Acoustic Leak Survey

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

The City of Fort Worth (City) seeks proposals to finalize an agreement for leak survey services for the City of Fort Worth on an “as needed” basis.

Prospective responding proposers should ensure they download all attachments for complete responses and understanding of the agreement the City intends to award from this solicitation. The successful proposer(s) is known hereafter as “Contractor”/ “Vendor.”

2.0 BACKGROUND

The City of Fort Worth (City) is one of the nation’s fastest growing metroplexes and provides water service to approximately 1.5 million customers. The City regularly needs to conduct a leak survey on its approximately 4,000 linear miles of water distribution mains. In an effort to reduce the real losses experienced, the City is inviting firms (Vendor) to participate in this Request for Proposal (RFP) to establish an annual agreement to conduct a leak survey on at least 1,000 miles of small diameter (12” or less) water distribution mains and report located leaks back to the City. The mains for this survey will be located throughout the City of Fort Worth and can be made of various materials. Cast Iron (CI), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Asbestos Cement (AC), Ductile Iron (DI) are a few examples of materials that may be surveyed. The Vendor shall furnish all equipment, labor and materials necessary to perform the leak survey.

3.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES

3.1 Job Requirements

3.1.1 The successful Vendor shall follow the Job Requirements listed below while conducting the annual leak survey.

3.1.1.1 Microphone Listening Device – Vendor shall utilize

industry standard leak detection equipment to listen to every accessible water distribution asset

3.1.1.2 Correlating Device – Vendor shall utilize industry

standard correlating equipment to pinpoint (within 5’) any apparent main leaks or in any instance there is sound detected on 2 or more separate assets.

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3.1.1.3 Chlorine Testing – Vendor shall have the ability to test chlorine residuals on any flowing or surfacing water found in assigned survey area.

3.1.1.4 Reports – Vendor shall provide a weekly report to City staff for every confirmed leak that provides leak location (address and map visual), type of leak (Service, in the box/meter, main, valve and or hydrant), Assumed leak flow, Field/location notes, Technique utilized to find the leak and the technician responsible, and asset information

3.1.1.5 GIS Integration – Vendor shall have the ability to provide the City with live GIS updates on leak information and crews current locations. Ability to provide shape files to the City that are compatible with ArcMap, upon the City’s request.

3.1.1.6 QA/QC – Every month the City and Vendor shall review

leaks that were submitted to the City that had discrepancies determined by City staff.

3.2 Responsibility

3.2.1 Correlations – Vendor shall correlate every main leak and or potential leak heard between 2 or more assets within close vicinity.

3.2.1.1 When correlating Vendor shall have an accuracy of 5”

or less

3.2.2 Mapping Discrepancies – Vendor shall report to City staff any mapping discrepancies observed during the leak survey.

3.2.3 Leak Designation – The Vendor shall designate each leak based on the asset that it is found on (Hydrant, Main, Service, Meter/In the Box, Valve, etc).

3.2.3.1 When a leak is found on a meter or in the box the

Vendor shall notate whether the leak is on the

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Customer’s side or the City’s side.

3.2.4 Chlorine Testing – Vendor shall conduct chlorine testing on all visible flowing water within the assigned survey area.

3.2.4.1 If chlorine residual test is positive for chlorine, Vendor shall notify City staff and notate it within their report.

3.2.5 Data Collection – The Vendor shall collect data under 4 different conditions:

3.2.5.1 Suspicious noise heard during the survey

3.2.5.1.1 GPS coordinate at the location where the

suspicious noise was heard. This Data point shall be in a format that is compatible with the City’s GIS software ArcMap.

3.2.5.1.2 Nearest Street address of the location shall be

provided to the City

3.2.5.1.3 What type of asset the noise was heard on (Fire

Hydrant, Valve, Meter)

3.2.5.2 Pinpointed leaks

3.2.5.2.1 GPS coordinate at the location where the leak

was pinpointed/correlated. This Data point shall be in a format that is compatible with the City’s GIS software ArcMap.

3.2.5.2.2 Nearest Street address of the location shall be

provided to the City

3.2.5.2.3 What type of asset the leak was located on (Fire

Hydrant, Valve, Meter)

3.2.5.2.4 Notate if the leak is on private plumbing or on a

public asset

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3.2.5.3 Damaged or dirty assets

3.2.5.3.1 GPS coordinate at the location where damaged

or dirty assets were located. This Data point shall be in a format that is compatible with the City’s GIS software ArcMap.

3.2.5.3.2 Nearest Street address of the location shall be

provided to the City

3.2.5.3.3 What type of asset that is damaged or dirty (Fire

Hydrant, Valve, Meter)

3.2.5.3.4 Whether the asset is damaged, dirty, and/or

missing parts

3.2.5.3.5 Examples of damaged/dirty assets can be:

3.2.5.3.5.1 Damaged, missing or misaligned

valve boxes and lids;

3.2.5.3.5.2 Damaged or missing meter boxes and

lids;

3.2.5.3.5.3 Damaged or missing air release valve

box lid;

3.2.5.3.5.4 Damaged or missing Fire Hydrants.

3.2.5.3.5.5 Assets covered in mud or submerged

3.2.5.4 Mapping Discrepancies

3.2.5.4.1 GPS coordinate any discrepancy that the

Vendor observes in the field that differs from data provided by the City. This Data point shall be in a format that is compatible with the City’s GIS software ArcMap.

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3.2.5.4.2 Nearest Street address of the location shall be

provided to the City

3.2.5.4.3 Notate type of asset that has the discrepancy

(Valve, Hydrant, Meter, Main, etc)

3.2.5.4.4 Notate type of discrepancy (Visible but not

accessible, Missing, Not shown on City data.)

3.2.5.4.4.1 Paved over and buried will count

under the missing classification

3.2.5.5 Field Service Technicians

3.2.5.5.1 There are times when the City may request

work for field leak detections/correlation services that are not directly related to the leak survey. The Vendor shall provide a quote for these services and this Vendor shall receive written approval from a City employee prior to performing the work.

3.2.5.5.2 These services will be billed by the hour and

shall encompass all associated costs within that hourly rate (Overhead, Equipment, etc.).

4.0 METHOD OF AWARD - Proposals will be evaluated based on “best value” to the City. Proposals that receive less than 50% of the total available points, excluding price points, will be considered for award.

5.0 EVALUATION FACTORS

To be considered, the Proposer must submit a complete Proposal by the stated deadline and in accordance with all Proposal requirements. All required documentation must be included for evaluation.

Proposals that meet these requirements will be evaluated based on the criteria listed below.

5.1 Cost – up to 15 points available

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5.2 Qualifications & Company Experience – up to 30 points available

5.3 Ability to meet City’s needs – up to 25 points available

5.4 Method of Approach – up to 15 points available

5.5 Proposed schedule, equipment, and work plan- up to 15 points

6.0 PRICING STRUCTURE

6.1 Provide a written firm-fixed price quote, based on the labor rates listed on the Bid Solicitation. The firm fixed price quotation shall include:

6.1.1 Description of the work to be performed.

6.1.2 Itemized estimate of the parts and materials, including manufacturer’s list price discount.

6.1.3 Timeline including proposed start and finish dates.

6.2 Understand that the submission of a firm fixed price quotation is evidence that the Contractor has familiarized himself/herself with the nature and extent of the work and any local conditions that may, in any manner, affect the scope of the work to be done, and the equipment, materials, labor, etc. required. No variation in price or conditions shall be permitted based on the claim of ignorance, negligence, or false representation.

6.3 Contractor shall understand that if alternative products are available to meet the sustainability goals of the City, these shall be submitted with the Contractor’s quote as an additional or alternative firm fixed price quotation.

6.4 The Contractor shall immediately notify the Department Project Manager or designee in writing (by email) if additions, deletions, and/or revisions to a job assignment are needed.

6.5 Within one (1) business day of notification, the Contractor shall submit a written Project Quotation Change Request to the Department Project Manager or designee. The City reserves the right to reject any changes to the project firm fixed price quotation requested by the Contractor. Under no circumstances shall Contractor proceed with changes to the project firm fixed price quotation without approval

RFP Ref. #: 26-0023 Doc. Ref#: RFP-02 Page 7 of 12 from the Department Project Manager or designee. The Project Quotation Change Request shall include the following:

6.5.1 A description of the change or addition in the work and the reason for the change/addition, explaining the benefits of the change/addition.

6.5.2 The adjustment in the project time, if applicable.

6.6 If the City requests to change a fixed-price quote due to a change in the scope of work that would increase the number of labor hours required or the amount of materials required, the Contractor shall amend the original amount and, upon approval and acceptance by the Department Project Manager, of the amended fixed-price quote, shall be reimbursed for the changes

6.7 Unit prices will include all costs associated with the specified work, including, but not limited to: transportation and travel charges, loading charges, fuel charges, certification fees, shop fees, miscellaneous fees, environmental/hazardous disposal fees, and unspecified costs. NO

ADDITIONAL CHARGES WILL BE ACCEPTED OR PAID BY

THE CITY.

6.8 INVOICES

6.8.1 All invoices must match prior City-approved estimates or payment may be delayed. All charges must be identified on Vendor’s invoice billing statement, listed LINE by LINE by individual charges.

6.8.2 Hours must be rounded to the nearest ¼ hour. Hours invoiced must be for actual hours spent at the City facility working on the equipment, at the hourly labor rate listed in the RFP.

6.8.3 If the final invoice needs to be updated for any reason (i.e.

charges, etc.), the date on the final invoice must be updated to match the date the revised invoice was submitted for processing.

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6.8.4 INVOICE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

6.8.4.1 Supporting Documentation for Labor charges must

include, at a minimum: 1) the total number of labor hours performed; and 2) the labor rate. Vendor must provide the City with documentation which identifies the per hour labor rate.

6.8.4.2 Supporting Documentation for Parts charges must

include, at a minimum: 1) a short and plain description of the part; 2) the vendor part number;

and 3) the vendor’s cost for the part and any markups.

6.8.4.3 Supporting Documentation for Freight Charges

must include, at a minimum, the total cost of the freight charges. Vendor must provide the City, at a minimum, with a Bill of Lading or Purchase Order as documentation of the freight charges.

6.8.5 The Vendor must obtain a Purchase Order number before

scheduling and performing any services.

7.0 CONTRACT AWARD PROCESS

7.1 The Purchasing Division will facilitate and manage the evaluation process.

7.2 An Evaluation Panel consisting of representatives from various City departments and City consultants may be appointed to review and evaluate RFP responses in accordance with this RFP. City reserves the right at its sole discretion to include additional representatives at any point during the evaluation.

7.3 The Evaluation Committee will evaluate responses and may select Proposer for onsite interviews, presentations or demonstrations.

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7.4 At its sole discretion, the City may request Best and Final Offers (BAFO) from proposers whose proposals are deemed most advantageous. Contract negotiations will be based on the BAFO submissions.

7.5 The City reserves the right to negotiate all elements that comprise the successful Proposer’s response to ensure that the best possible consideration be afforded to all concerned.

7.6 The City reserves the right to shortlist firms based upon scores/ratings received during the evaluation process.

7.7 The City will notify all proposers in writing of the outcome once an award determination has been made.

8.0 PROPOSAL FORMAT AND ATTACHMENTS

To facilitate and expedite the evaluation process, Proposals should adequately address all evaluation factors and include the following list of required items that will be used as part of the evaluation. A Proposal may be deemed to be non-responsive and may be disqualified, at the City’s discretion, if the Proposal fails to comply with the following instructions.

8.1 Proposal Format Requirements

8.1.1 Proposal format shall be in font no smaller than 12 point, 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper size, with one inch margins and single-spaced for the entire submitted proposal.

8.1.2 All proposal sections shall be divided by submission titles. All pages within these sections shall be uniquely numbered for purposes of easy reference.

8.2 Response forms

8.2.1 Completed and signed RFP-03

8.2.2 Completed and signed RFP-04.

8.2.3 Completed and signed RFP-05.

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8.2.4 Completed and signed RFP-06.

8.2.5 Completed and signed RFP-07.

8.3 Technical Response

8.3.1 Submit proof of experience with the bid

8.3.2 List of Exceptions/Substitutions/Clarifications/Additions

8.3.2.1 Although the Scope of Services included Project

Requirements of the solicitation represents the City’s anticipated needs, there may be instances in which it is in the City’s best interest to permit exceptions to requirements and accept proposed alternatives.

8.3.2.2 If no exceptions are taken, please include a single

document stating “No Exceptions taken” in the Required section.

8.3.2.3 It is extremely important for the Proposer to make

clear where exceptions, clarifications substitutions and/or additions to the Scope of Services, Draft Vendor Service Agreement and General Terms and Conditions are taken and how substitutions shall be provided. The City does not recognize strikeouts, deletions, or changes to Solicitation documents. Therefore, exceptions, conditions, clarifications and/or substitutions to the provisions of the City’s requirements must be clearly identified along with the proposed addition or modification. If the Proposer does not make it clear that an addition, exception or clarification is taken, the City shall assume the Proposer is responding to and shall meet the City’s stated

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8.3.2.4 Identify each exception, clarification, substitution

and/or addition by specifically referencing the page number, section number, subsection number, item number or letter, and, if necessary, paragraph, or line number.

8.3.2.5 Identify each item clearly as an addition, exception, clarification or substitution. It is not necessary to include the entire text of a particular section or subsection. However, for ease of reference, Proposers may use portions of the solicitation’s text, if helpful in explanation.

8.3.2.6 For substitutions/clarifications, provide an

explanation of the difference between what the solicitation requests and what is proposed. The City is open to other means of accomplishing the requested Work. Proposers must explain why they believe their method of accomplishing the Work is equal to or better than that specified by the City.

8.3.2.7 For any addition(s) proposed or exception(s) taken, provide a rationale in as much detail as possible.

8.3.2.8 Begin responses to the major sections of the

solicitation on a new page.

8.3.2.9 The City shall consider the number and substance

of alterations to the City’s stated requirements as a factor in determining the most advantageous response.

8.3.3 Pricing

8.3.3.1 Proposal pricing shall be assembled and presented

in accordance with the format and instructions of

RFP Ref. #: 26-0023 Doc. Ref#: RFP-02 Page 12 of 12 this solicitation.