Bid Notice-WBWRF Liquid Stream Grit Removal Engineering Services (WBP 0219).pdf

CITY OF BOISE

PUBLIC WORKS

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

RFQ2026-080

West Boise Water Renewal Facility Liquid Stream Grit Removal

Engineering Services

SCOPE OF WORK

The City of Boise is requesting submission of qualifications from engineering firms to review an existing preliminary design, investigate permitting requirements, and prepare final design documents for a capital improvement project for the West Boise Water Renewal Facility. The project scope will be the design of a vortex grit removal process at the facility’s headworks building. The city will contract with one firm selected from this RFQ.

The planning and preliminary design portions of this project are complete with a 30% design drawing package. A Construction Manager/General Contractor will also be selected during the design effort to work with the city and the selected consultant throughout the design and construction period. The city expects construction to commence in Winter 2027 and complete Summer of 2030 .

PROJECT INFORMATION

1.1 General Description

The City of Boise’s Water Renewal Utility Plan (Utility Plan) was approved by City Council in October 2020. The Utility Plan provides the strategic direction of the utility and provides system-level constraints and expected outcomes of facilities. The Utility Plan includes flow and loading projections for each Water Renewal Facility (WRF), based on growth and development in the service areas. Capacity goals were identified for each WRF based on water quality drivers in the Boise watershed. Collection system flow and loading projections are developed in the Utility Plan and outlined in the West Boise Water Renewal Facility Plan (Brown & Caldwell, 2020). The selected engineering (consultant) firm will be provided with the most recent flow and loading projection for each WRF.

The West Boise WRF (WBWRF) was commissioned in 1976. WBWRF provides advanced secondary treatment with ammonia removal and enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR). The WBWRF is divided into two separate secondary treatment trains, referred to as the North Plant and the South Plant. Modifications to the WBWRF have been made to combine effluents from the primary clarifiers prior to hydraulic flow splitting into the North and South secondary unit processes. The return activated sludge and internal mixed liqueur returns are not combined. The secondary effluent from the North Plant and South Plant is combined for UV disinfection prior to discharging to the Boise River.

This project is to address identified current operational and performance issues at WBWRF regarding grit. Grit is heavier than inorganic solids but often coated with grease reducing the net density of the particles and it tends to settle out in vessels, pipes, and channels flowing at low velocities and at low points in the conduits. A significant amount of grit was found in Digester #3 (approximately 1,000 cubic yards) indicating poor grit removal in the primary process during the most recent digester cleaning. The primary effluent line had significant grit accumulation witnessed during the phosphorus project construction. The grit, which settles in the digesters, reduces digester hydraulic retention time (HRT), reduces nominal pipe size, and increases head loss to and from the clarifier. The discovery of grit downstream of the primary clarifiers is likely due to overflow from turbulence in the clarifier or short-circuiting issues. This additional head loss could be affecting hydraulics and performance downstream of unit processes.

The PDR and Primary Clarifier TM (2022) described the current practice of co-settling and degritting the primary sludge. Grit-containing primary sludge from the North and South primary clarifiers is pumped at a thin solids concentration of less than 1 percent solids concentration at a constant rate of 180 gallons per minute (gpm) from each clarifier to three grit cyclone/classifier (Hydrogritter™) systems for grit separation. The Wemco Hydrogritter™ effluent is pumped to two gravity thickeners for thickening prior to fermentation and digestion. Grit is discharged into 20 cubic-yard dumpsters prior to truck hauling to the landfill.

This project aims to continue design services for the project identified in the 2022 PDR.

The project, as defined in the PDR, will be to install two vortex grit removal units. There are existing waterstops and wall extensions previously installed on the headworks building for connection to a new grit removal system. The Consultant shall confirm the assumptions and design criteria identified in the PDR, but additional evaluation may be required to determine the precise nature of upgrades required.

The selected consultant will provide full project life cycle services. This will include design services, construction permitting services, and providing technical support during construction. The selected consultant will be expected to coordinate and manage all professional services required for project execution which may include programmatic planning, process modeling, project development, equipment evaluations, geotechnical services, surveying, environmental assessments of existing infrastructure, biological assessments, pre- procurement of major equipment, coordination with other utilities, public outreach management, etc.

The city anticipates procuring a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) under a separate contract to provide pre-construction and construction services for the project. The selected CM/GC will collaborate with the city and the selected consultant during project development to support implementation planning and provide pre-construction services, including construction scheduling, cost estimating, constructability reviews, and other services necessary to facilitate project delivery. Upon completion of the design phase, the CM/GC is expected to oversee construction in accordance with the terms of its contract with the city.

The city will provide the selected firm with the 2025 West Boise Water Renewal Facility Capacity Expansion Progress Preliminary Engineering Report and accompanying 30% design drawings for assistance in continuing the design engineering services towards a successful project design for Liquid Stream Grit Removal.

1.2 Scope of Work

The following services are anticipated in the Engineering Services contract. All Engineering Services must be performed by licensed, qualified staff, with the engineer of record licensed in the State of Idaho. The descriptions are illustrative in nature and not exhaustive. The actual scope of services will be negotiated after selecting the best qualified Proposer.

Pre-Design Phase Pre-design phase will include examining the February 2025 Preliminary Engineering Report and its accompanying 30% drawing related to vortex chamber grit removal. It is anticipated that the Consultant’s team proposed for the evaluation phase will be the same team that will execute the pre-design, final design, and construction phases.

Prepare a technical memorandum to document the grit style evaluation and selection of the process that will be moved to final design. Meet with city staff to define needs, special issues, etc. Complete field investigations and collect any historical reports, evaluations and process data required. The technical memorandum will be used to document the city’s decision-making process leading to the final design effort. This will include identifying project risks, risk mitigation strategies, and selection of technologies and equipment that fit best with their existing process and future planning. Upon completion of preparation, review and approval of the technical memorandum, they shall be compiled and an Executive Summary prepared to complete a Preliminary Engineering Report that conforms to the requirements of the Idaho Wastewater Rules

(IDPA 58.01.16).

Meetings will be held with city staff and the CM/GC to review the evaluations and recommendations, and to consider suggestions from the CM/GC for constructability and cost efficiencies. City staff will select the final design parameters and work will proceed into final design and the generation of construction documents.

Final Design / Construction Documents Phase

Once the city has made decisions on the technical aspects and design criteria, the project will proceed into final design and the preparation of Construction Documents.

Construction Documents will consist of construction drawings, details, and specifications necessary for construction of the project. Incorporate all architectural and engineering details, ma te r ia l s , an d p r oduc t s pec i f ic a t ion s requ i red to complete the fac i l i t y construction. Advise the city of any adjustments to the design assumptions identified in the Preliminary Engineering Report. Assist the city in obtaining any required permits associated with this work including preparing necessary documents and applications.

General Information Consultant shall be fully responsible for the safety and well-being of its employees and agents. While at any project site or along or in any waterway or public roadway open to traffic, the Consultant will be required to observe all applicable safety requirements and procedures.

All reports, drawings, survey data, etc. developed or obtained by the Consultant as a result of this contract shall become the property of the city upon completion each assignment or termination of this contract. This includes soft copies of computations, field notes, survey notes; computer aided drafting files, geographic information system files, etc. Upon request by the city, these files shall be provided by the Consultant without charge. The consultant will develop documents per current city CAD standards and will acknowledge that any conformed drawings, specifications, maps, schedules, or other data provided in the form of electronic media including but not limited to CAD files and BIM files developed for this project are the property of the City of Boise (Owner).

The Consultant shall maintain, at his own expense, all permits and licenses necessary to perform this work in compliance with federal, state, and local laws. The city will be responsible for all project specific applications and permit fees.

1.3 Subcontractors / Subconsultants

Subcontractors/Sub-consultants (subconsultants) may be included as part the “Consultant team” and may be used to assure adequate coverage of the various areas of technical expertise required under this Contract.

The city also recognizes there may be occasions that an element of work is necessary to complete an assignment by job classifications other than those indicated herein.

Likewise, the city recognizes there may be a need to utilize specialized equipment that is not normally in the possession of engineering Consultants. Specialized services that cannot be reasonably categorized into the job classifications herein may be authorized by using a subconsultant or subconsultants. Examples of unique situations might be utility location companies, test pit excavators, geotechnical/geophysical studies, specialized equipment and operators such as man-lifts, cranes, etc. In cases where subconsultants(s) are used, the city reserves the right to approve the subconsultant prior to issuing an NTP for the respective assignment. The city will allow an overhead adjustment of the sub-contracted work not to exceed five (5%) percent of the value of the sub-contracted work. Overhead adjustments shall not apply to sub- consultants who have been identified as part of the original Consultant team assembled to meet the minimum scope of services defined in the RFQ.

1.4 Compensation

The Consultant may be compensated on an hourly basis with an established not-to-exceed cost for each individual assignment, a lump sum fee or the agreed upon fee arrangement. The proposed staff, estimated hours, and any additional costs shall be established through mutual agreement between the Consultant and the city prior to issuing a Notice to Proceed (NTP) for each assignment.

Once the NTP is issued, the Consultant shall proceed with the scope of services, invoicing the city on a monthly basis based on the actual man-hours charged to the project.

Submitted along with the invoice shall be a breakdown of all man-hours charged and a description of project progress. Failure to include this information with the invoice will result in rejection of the invoice. The city requires the consultant to issue a monthly report with the invoice using Earned Value Management Reporting to provide a time-phased integrated performance management baseline that incorporates project scope, schedule, and resource measurements to assess project performance and progress.

Employee classification and associated hourly rates for all work performed will be in accordance with the contract. All hourly rates shall be considered as straight time and no overtime rates will be permitted.

Hourly fees will include office space, hardware, software, support, field equipment, supervision, travel, printing and copying expenses necessary to complete required tasks. Exceptions include resident employees as noted below and specific direct reimbursable expenses to be established based upon mutual agreement at the time of assignment.

1.5 Insurance Requirement

The successful Consultant(s) must show, prior to the execution of the Agreement, evidence of appropriate insurance as outlined in the Agreement.

For this professional contract we require at least the following minimum insurance amounts.

· CGL: $2M Each Occurrence / $2M Aggregate

· Auto: $500,000 CSL

· Workers' Comp: Statutory

· Employer's Liability: $500k/$500k/$500k

· Professional Liability: $2M minimum. Coverage may be written on a claims-made basis provided the retroactive date precedes the effective date of this Agreement and coverage is maintained for not less than three (3) years following completion of the services.