CITY OF FORT WORTH - PURCHASING DIVISION

SCOPE OF SERVICES

RFP Ref. #: 26-0245 Doc. Ref#: RFP-02 Page 1 of 12

RFP Title: Wastewater Siphon Cleaning

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

The City of Fort Worth (“City”) is seeking proposals from qualified firms to provide wastewater siphon cleaning services on an as-needed basis for the Water Department.

2.0 BACKGROUND

The Fort Worth wastewater collection system contains approximately 232 inverted siphon structures ranging in diameter from 6 inches to 84 inches. These structures convey wastewater beneath natural drainage channels, creek crossings, roadway underpasses, and other obstructions, and are critical components of the collection system infrastructure.

Inverted siphons are prone to solids deposition, grease accumulation, and debris buildup due to the reduction in flow velocity through the depressed barrel sections.

Regular cleaning is essential to maintain hydraulic capacity and prevent sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). The Department seeks a qualified Contractor capable of performing systematic cleaning of all siphon size classes, including structures requiring specialized equipment.

The anticipated annual spend of this project is up to $750,000.00.

2.1 INVENTORY

The awarded vendor will be provided with access to the current siphon inventory, including asset identifier, locations, pipe diameter, and pipe material. The Department maintains a Geographic Information Systems

(GIS) inventory of all known inverted siphon structures. Below are the approximate inventory broken down by diameter; please note that these are estimates and the City makes no guarantee as to the minimum or maximum number of structures that will be cleaned in any contract year.

2.1.1. 6 in. to 14 in. – approximately 10,000 LF

2.1.2. 15 in. to 24 in – approximately 6,500 LF

2.1.3. 25 in. to 36 in. – approximately 11,500 LF

2.1.4. 37 in. to 42 in. – approximately 4,500 LF

2.1.5. 43 in. to 48 in. – approximately 2,000 LF

2.1.6. 49 in. to 54 in. – approximately 1,500 LF

2.1.7. 55 in. to 60 in. – approximately 2,500 LF

2.1.8. 61 in. to 72 in. – approximately 500 LF

2.1.9. 73 in. to 84 in. – approximately 500 LF

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3.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES

3.1 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Failure to meet the minimum qualifications may result in a submission being deemed non-responsive.

3.1.1 Proposer must have a minimum of five (5) years providing various size classes of inverted siphon cleaning services as a business.

3.1.2 Proposer’s transporters must be registered with the Texas

Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

3.2 SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

3.2.1 The Vendor must maintain complete and accurate cleaning records, provide post-cleaning documentation, and coordinate post-cleaning inspection support (if applicable).

3.2.2 The Vendor must be capable of responding to emergency cleaning requests on a 24-hour, 7-day-per-week basis.

3.2.3 All solids or semi-solids resulting from the work shall be characterized by the awarded Proposer. The Vendor shall dispose of the waste at the Cold Springs Processing Facility, an approved disposal site for this waste classification.

3.2.3.1 The Contractor will utilize the City's contract with Cold

Springs Processing facility for disposal fees. The city will thus pay for this disposal, and the Contractor will supply copies of manifests to the Project Manager weekly. No additional fees will be charged to the City for transport or disposal.

3.2.3.2 All materials shall be removed from the site, at a minimum, at the end of each workday.

3.2.4 If an accidental discharge or spill occurs during the work, the

Contractor shall be responsible for taking appropriate actions to prevent harm to human health and the environment as required by applicable federal, state and local laws.

3.2.4.1 Should accidental discharge or spill occur, the Fort Worth

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Department of Environmental Management and the Water

Department Pretreatment Services should be contacted immediately.

3.2.4.2 The Proposer will prepare and submit a prevention and control plan as part of their technical response as outlined in section 8.3 of this document.

3.3 JET CLEANING – VARIOUS DIAMETERS, BY LINEAR FOOT (LF)

3.3.1 The Vendor shall include all labor, materials, and equipment necessary to clean sanitary sewer mains by means of hydraulically propelled, high velocity jet cleaning equipment.

3.3.2 The debris (dirt, grease, rocks, sand, etc.) removal from the downstream manhole shall utilize a catch system that may also include a weir or dam temporarily put in place and removed when cleaning is complete.

3.3.3 Cleaning steps shall follow industry standard practice with at least two complete passes. Jet cleaning of lines shall use pressures meeting the below minimums (based on pressure with a 1.5-inch hose at 170 gallons per minute):

3.3.3.1 For diameters of 6 in. to 23 in. – 1,500 PSI (pounds per square inch)

3.3.3.2 For diameters of 24 in. to 41 in. – 2,500 PSI

3.3.3.3 For diameters greater than 41 in. – 2,500 PSI

3.3.4 Manholes and vaults shall be washed using a high-pressure jet capable of at least 1,500 PSI. Debris shall be vacuumed and disposed of in the same manner as debris from line cleaning. The cleaning of these structures shall be at no additional cost and is considered incidental to cleaning the main line.

3.3.5 Restoration of a minimum of 95 percent of the internal pipe height throughout the pipe segment cleaned is required for acceptance of work. If sonar inspection shows the cleaning to be unsatisfactory, the contractor shall be required to re-clean and re-inspect the sewer line at no additional cost until the cleaning is shown to be satisfactory.

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3.4 MECHANICAL CLEANING – VARIOUS DIAMETERS, BY LINEAR

FOOT (LF)

3.4.1 The Vendor shall include all labor, materials, and equipment necessary to clean sanitary sewer mains by means of mechanical cleaning. The most common mechanical equipment expected to be used are bucket machines and scrapers on larger lines when debris is substantial.

3.4.2 Bucket and/or winch machines shall be used in pairs and with sufficient power to perform the work in an efficient manner.

3.4.3 Machines should be belt-operated or have an overload device.

Machines with direct drive that could cause damage to the pipe are not allowed.

3.4.4 Power rodding machines used shall be either sectional or continuous rod type capable of holding a minimum of 750 feet of rod.

3.4.4.1 The rod shall be specially heat-treated steel.

3.4.4.2 To ensure safe operation, the machine shall be fully

enclosed and have an automatic safety clutch or relief valve.

3.5 SONAR INSPECTION – VARIOUS DIAMETERS, BY LINEAR FOOT

(LF)

3.5.1 The Contractor shall include all labor, materials, and equipment necessary to perform a pre- and post-cleaning sonar inspection of siphons.

3.5.2 Contractor shall include within the unit price all costs for data storage, data transmission, data analysis and deliverables.

3.5.3 Sonar data shall be utilized by the City for detailed condition assessment of the pipe, determination of cleaning quantities, and/or as a verification of the effectiveness of the cleaning process. The City will maintain equal ownership of any sonar data of City equipment, spaces, or other subjects.

3.6 ADDITIONAL DETAILS

3.6.1 All vehicles and equipment used in the transportation, storage and

RFP Ref. #: 26-0245 Doc. Ref#: RFP-02 Page 5 of 12 disposal of debris removed during cleaning operations shall be required to meet criteria as described in City Ordinance No. 12274, Article VII "Liquid Wastes" (as codified in City Code Chapter 12. 5, Article VII, Sec. 12.5-700 et seq.).

3.6.2 Registered transporters shall maintain copies of their TCEQ registration letter and application in all vehicles used on the project.

3.6.2.1 The transporter must maintain a record of each individual collection and deposit in the form of a trip ticket (as per City

Code Ch. 12.5, Article VII, Section 12.5- 711, (k)).

3.6.2.2 Environmental Site Inspections may be made at any time during the duration of the project. Environmental site inspections may be performed by both the state and City throughout the course of the agreement.

3.6.2.3 Proof of proper TCEQ registration and trip ticket records must be provided immediately when requested. On occasion, the requestor may allow up to 24 hours for the records to be provided

3.6.3 The contractor shall be responsible for maintaining traffic control at all times and for notifying the proper authorities regarding the closing of roads. On a case-by-case basis, the contractor may request that the

Project Manager assist with contracted professional traffic control vendors obtained and paid by the City. This would be utilized on major roads or other specific hazard locations and will typically be identified during the contractor's reconnaissance of lines being worked.

3.6.4 The Vendor shall take all necessary precautions to protect the sewer facility from damage during cleaning and assessment operations.

3.6.5 The Vendor shall take all necessary precautions to ensure that no damage is caused to public or private property adjacent to or served by the sewer or its branches.

3.6.6 Satisfactory precautions shall be taken in the use of cleaning equipment. When hydraulically propelled cleaning or tools which retard the flow in the sewer line are used, the Vendor shall take

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3.6.6.1 If any damage or flooding is occurs, the Vendor shall pay for the mitigation and restoration at no additional costs to the owner or City.

3.6.7 The passing of dislodged materials downstream of the sewer segment being cleaned shall be the responsibility of the Vendor. If materials pass to downstream sewers, the Vendor shall be responsible for cleaning the affected downstream sewers in their entirety at no additional cost to the City.

3.6.8 The Vendor shall be responsible for meeting all state and local requirements when accessing a fire hydrant, including but not limited to meters, backflow preventers, and properly trained personnel.

3.6.9 The Vendor shall be responsible for locating and recovering any equipment that becomes lodged or lost in the pipeline including, but not limited to, any cost associated with required evacuation, restoration of roads and easements, or repairs to pipes and manholes as needed to restore the pipeline and appurtenances back to their original conditions.

3.6.9.1 If excavation is required, video documentation of existing conditions and work to be done will be submitted for approval prior to work.

3.6.10 The contractor may request the City to approve the use of rental equipment, specialty equipment owned by the contractor, supplies utilized, etc. if used for the purposes of completing work when such costs have been found reasonable and acceptable and given prior approval in writing by the Project Manager. The City may, at its sole discretion, choose to reimburse the vendor for a portion of the operating costs (rental fees, fuel) of the approved equipment.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

3.6.10.1 Rental or use of high lift machinery to access manholes greater than 8 feet.

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3.6.10.2 Specialty surfaces to disperse weight for accessing or traversing golf courses or specialty surfaces to avoid damage.

3.6.10.3 Boat rental or use to access and work around structures in a waterbody.

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 not 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 Small Business Utilization Goal – up to 25 points available

5.1.1 Small Business (SB) Participation will be evaluated as follows:

5.1.1.1 0% SB Participation = 0 points

5.1.1.2 1-10% SB Participation = 10 points

5.1.1.3 11-20% SB Participation = 15 points

5.1.1.4 21-29% SB Participation = 20 points

5.1.1.5 30% or more (goal met) = 25 points

5.2 Comparable Experience and References – up to 30 points available

5.3 Proposed Schedule, Work Plan, and Equipment – up to 20 points available

5.4 Qualifications of Key Personnel – up to 10 points available

5.5 Cost – up to 15 points available

6.0 PRICING STRUCTURE

6.1 All pricing will be submitted via Bid Table BT-12BP; pricing will not be present in any other documents.

6.2 The City will not pay separate trip fees, truck fees, fuel surcharges or other added charges not listed on the Bid Table.

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6.3 Unit prices shall include all associated costs, including complete removal of all associated debris from the site.

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.

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 a font no smaller than 12 point, 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper size, with one-inch margins for the entire submitted proposal.

RFP Ref. #: 26-0245 Doc. Ref#: RFP-02 Page 9 of 12

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.

8.1.3 Only the Bid Table (BT-12BP) shall refer to pricing.

8.2 Response Forms

8.2.1 Completed and signed RFP-04-Authorized Signature and

Questionnaire.

8.2.2 Completed and signed RFP-05-CFW Required Forms

8.2.3 Completed and signed RFP-06-Small Business Utilization Form

8.2.4 Completed and signed RFP-07-Deviations

8.2.5 Signed Addendum(s)

8.2.6 Bid Table (BT-12BP)

8.3 Technical Response

8.3.1 Understanding of project scope:

8.3.1.1 Include a summary of your firm’s understanding of the project

8.3.1.2 Include your firm’s approach to completing a project of this nature, including specific work elements that will be accomplished from the project beginning through completion.

8.3.2 Equipment list:

8.3.2.1 Provide a complete list of owned and leased equipment available for this contract, organized by the pipe diameter size classes each unit is capable of servicing. If a piece of equipment is capable of servicing multiple size classes, please list it in each section it can service.

8.3.3 Key personnel and qualifications:

8.3.3.1 Provide a list of the key personnel who will be involved in the project. For each team member, please include:

8.3.3.1.1 Professional summary including time with the

Proposer’s firm;

8.3.3.1.2 Respective responsibilities and experience with

RFP Ref. #: 26-0245 Doc. Ref#: RFP-02 Page 10 of 12 similar projects;

8.3.3.1.3 Time availability (e.g. weekends, 24/7, business

hours only).

8.3.4 Related projects and references:

8.3.4.1 Provide a record of at least five projects with a similar size and scope to this project.

8.3.4.1.1 Projects must be from the past ten (10) years;

8.3.4.1.2 Include any staff still employed by your firm who

serviced the listed projects.

8.3.4.2 Provide reference letters from two (2) or more current or past clients, written on their company’s letterhead.

References should include what project your firm worked on and how recently the work was performed.

8.3.5 List of exceptions, substitution, clarifications, additions:

8.3.5.1 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.

8.3.5.2 If no exceptions are taken, select “No

Deviations/Exceptions” in “RFP-07-Deviations”.

8.3.5.3 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

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8.3.5.4 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.

8.3.5.5 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.

8.3.5.6 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.

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

8.3.5.8 Begin responses to the major sections of the solicitation on a new page.

8.3.5.9 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.

8.4 Pricing

8.4.1 Proposal pricing shall be assembled and presented in accordance with the format and instructions of this solicitation.

9.0 SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM – The City of Fort Worth has established a

30% Small Business (SB) participation goal for this solicitation. This goal reflects the City’s determination that certified Small Business Firms are available to provide the goods and/or services required under this bid. Accordingly, at least

30% of the total awarded contract value must be subcontracted or spent with a certified Small Business Firm. All provisions and requirements outlined in City

Ordinance No. 27832-08-2025 apply to this solicitation. Bidders are required to

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9.1 Small Business Utilization form V1 (RFP-06) detailing how the Small

Business goal will be achieved.

9.2 Current Small Business Certification issued by a certifying entity approved by the City Manager.