RFQL VDE 2025-01.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

VILLAGE DISTRICT of EASTMAN

On-Call Engineering Services

May 22, 2024

The Village District of Eastman (VDE) is inviting consulting engineering firms to submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for On-Call Engineering Services. The On-Call contracts which result from this solicitation will be for a base period of five (5) years. The VDE may elect to extend the contracts on an annual basis thereafter, as agreed to by both parties.

The Statement of Qualifications will be received at the office of the Village District of Eastman, PO Box 990, Grantham NH 03753, attention General Manager Amy Lewis. SOQs may also be brought directly to the VDE office located at 53 Wellfield Road, Springfield NH 03257. Submittals are due by 3pm on July 3rd, 2024. P rovide one (1) original and six (6) copies of the submission. Each envelope is to be marked on the front with the name of the company and labeled “Village District of Eastman On-Call Engineering Services.” SOQs submitted after the specified date and time shall not be considered.

Any questions related to this RFQ should be directed to Amy Lewis, via email at: amy@eastmanh2o.org.

All questions must be received no later than June 21th 2024. The VDE will post an addendum on its website in response to questions it receives no later than June 26th 2024. Respondents are also invited to contact the General Manager to arrange a site visit to be conducted prior to June 26th 2024.

The VDE is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. Respondents to this RFQ agree and warrant that in the performance of the work contemplated under this RFQ they will not discriminate or permit discrimination against any person or group of persons. Respondents agree to provide the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights with such information requested by the VDE concerning employment practices and procedures.

The VDE reserves the right to accept or reject any or all SOQs or any part of an SOQ; to waive formalities or informalities, and to award the professional services deemed to be in the best interest of the VDE.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The VDE is a Municipal Overlay District as defined and governed by New Hampshire regulations. VDE owns and manages drinking and wastewater systems with the Eastman Community in parts of the towns of Enfield, Grantham and Springfield, New Hampshire. The Commission that oversees the VDE is comprised of volunteer elected officials that include: three Commissioners, Treasurer, Clerk and Moderator. Appointed positions include a Deputy Treasurer and Deputy Clerk. The system is managed and operated by a paid staff of five individuals, four of which are certified New Hampshire drinking water and wastewater operators.

about:blank

The VDE provides service to 1,360 drinking water customers and 535 wastewater customers within the Eastman Community and several homes outside the community are supplied with drinking water.

DRINKING WATER SYSTEM

Much of the drinking water system was constructed during the early development of the Eastman Community from the 1970’s through the 1980’s. Due to design faults and installation errors, coupled with aging infrastructure, the drinking water distribution system has experienced numerous failures and times of high non-revenue water.

The Water Treatment Plant (WTP) on Wellfield Road initially provided pumping services from the wellfield into the distribution system. Subsequent capital improvements have developed the WTP into an iron and manganese removal facility with three greensand-plus and anthracite filters, pre-filter pH adjustment, and post-filter chlorination. The filters have a combined design capacity of 1 MGD. Existing sources include five gravel-pack wells and one bedrock well.

The distribution system is approximately 201,000 linear feet. Approximately 86.5 % of the piping system is Polyvinyl Chloride and the remainder is Asbestos Cement. There are two atmospheric concrete storage tanks with a combined capacity of 420,000 gallons. Two booster stations provide water to two high-elevation service zones.

The drinking water system is fully metered and the VDE bills quarterly. A project to upgrade metering communication to allow for fully remote meter reading across the VDE’s system is underway. In 2022, average daily demand was 180,000 GPD. Prior to a leak detection effort in 2022, non-revenue water was as high as 40%. The following provides additional detail on water produced by year for the past three years.

2021: Total pumped, 201k; total billed, 109k; total accounted-for, 129k

2022: Total pumped, 205k; total billed, 104k; total accounted-for, 123k

2023: Total pumped, 191k; total billed, 97k; total accounted-for, 118k

A Drinking Water Asset Management Plan (AMP) funded by the NH Department of Environmental Services was completed in 2022 and is available on the VDE’s website. A second AMP to expand on the 2022 effort is currently in progress.

WASTEWATER SYSTEM

The VDE acquired the Eastman wastewater system from the Eastman Community Association (ECA) in 2014. The system was originally built in the late 1970’s. Portions of the collection system were added in the early 1980’s. Several major upgrades have been completed at the wastewater treatment facility (WWTF), including a new headworks in 2010, additional improvements to the headworks in 2018, and aeration improvements in 2021.

The wastewater collection system includes two pumping stations, nearly 33,000 liner feet of gravity collection main, and approximately 5,000 liner feet of force main. There are two wastewater lift stations located at West Cove A and B. The WWTF consists of the headworks, four aerated lagoons organized into two treatment trains with a primary and secondary lagoon. The effluent disposal system consists of the main effluent pumping station located at the WWTF, and a second effluent pumping station located at the three effluent holding ponds. The second effluent pumping station draws water from the holding ponds and transmits it after chlorination to the 14th fairway holding pond at the golf course owned and operated by the ECA. The ECA uses water from the holding pond to irrigate the golf course.

A Wastewater Asset Management Plan funded by the NH Department of Environmental Services was completed in 2022 and is available on the VDE’s website.

SCOPE OF WORK

The recently completed Asset Management Plans are evidence of the upcoming capital improvement needs for both the Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems. Of note is that the VDE has initiated a 50-year replacement plan for its Drinking Water System distribution piping together with future required pump station upgrades and subsurface disposal needs for its Wastewater System.

To upgrade and improve upon the facilities, and to provide efficient and cost-effective operations, the VDE wishes to obtain consulting services from a qualified engineering firm(s). Work would be awarded on a task order basis as the need arises. The VDE may also utilize the consulting services under this contract for emergency project work. The Scope of Work for engineering services as requested by the VDE under this contract includes but is not limited to the following:

1) Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades

2) Pump Station and Lift Station Improvements

3) Design and Construction Management Services for the Drinking Water Distribution/Storage

System and the Wastewater Collection System

4) Compliance with Federal/State Regulations

5) Adherence to NHDES Dam Safety Requirements

6) GIS/Mapping Support

7) SCADA Upgrades

8) Asset Management Plan Updates

9) Improvements to Chemical Treatment

10) DWSRF and CWSRF and Other Funding Support

11) Production/Customer Metering Upgrades

12) Environmental Compliance Support Services.

13) Assistance with Capital Improvements Plans, Identifying Project Financing Alternatives and Developing Rate Projections.

14) Review and Update the VDE Standards, Regulations and Best Practices.

15) Non-Revenue Water Studies and Reporting

16) Energy Use Improvement Projects

17) Inflow and Infiltration Studies

18) Facility Planning

19) Assistance with Community Outreach

20) Other Related Services as Required

STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS CONTENT AND FORMAT

The Statement of Qualifications shall be limited to 25 pages and should include the following information:

A. Cover letter.

B. A description of the firm’s approach to providing services of this nature.

C. Firm overview and summary of qualifications for the items described in the Scope of Work section.

D. Organizational chart and summary of the project management team and identify New Hampshire Licensed Professional Engineers.

E. Relevant Experience – Provide examples of recent relevant experience for the services proposed.

The same information shall be provided for subcontractors, if utilized. Provide a minimum of three (3) reference projects for similar On-Call Service work completed within the prior 5 years.

F. References – Provide a minimum of three (3) municipal references with phone numbers and email addresses. References should be from recent recipients of the Consultant’s services.

(within the past 5 years).

G. Resumes for key project team members (not included in page total).

H. Professional/General Liability Insurance – Provide evidence of general liability coverage ($2 million each occurrence, $4 million aggregate), auto liability coverage, workers compensation, and professional liability coverage ($2 million each occurrence, $2 million aggregate). Please list in detail (or provide certificates) showing the type of insurance and monetary levels carried.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

Selection of the successful firm(s) will be based on their qualifications to perform such work, level of experience with comparable projects and approach to the needs of the VDE.

Contracts awarded under this request for qualifications may be funded in full or in part by the State of New Hampshire Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Clean Water State Revolving Fund as administered by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal, state, and private funding sources for which the VDE may qualify.

Neither the State of New Hampshire nor any of its departments, agencies or employees is or will be a party to this request for qualifications. This procurement will be conducted per the guidelines of New Hampshire ACEC unless described otherwise It is the intent of the VDE that the firm(s) selected to complete funded projects will both prepare funding applications and complete the project work.

The selected consultant(s) may be required to utilize Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) subcontractor participation. MBE/WBE participation percentages will be required to meet the percentage of total contract amount in place at the time a specific task order is issued. (Note: this is a federal requirement for any financial assistance administered by the EPA such as SRF loans.) Consultants are encouraged to identify how they would satisfy these MBE/WBE participation percentages of potential funding sources.

Responding firms will be evaluated and ranked based upon a review of their qualifications based on the criteria listed below. Following the evaluation process, the VDE may shortlist firms that it intends to interview, or may directly select consultant(s). Responding firms will be notified of the results of the initial screening process and final selection.

The following criteria will be utilized by the VDE in the selection of a consultant for professional services.

1. Type of Experience: The VDE shall evaluate the quality, depth, and breadth of experience that the firm demonstrates relative to the anticipated services outlined, the firm’s management approach and company history, and additional support services and unique advantages that the firm offers that may be deemed important by the VDE.

2. Project Team: The VDE will review the qualifications and relevant experience of key personnel to be assigned to this project, including the number of years of experience key members of the consulting team have in the appropriate fields of discipline required for successful implementation of the expected work.

3. Relevant Experience: The VDE will evaluate the related experience provided by the firm in terms of similarity to the VDE’s anticipated needs, ability of the firm to self-perform work with minimal subconsultants and ability to develop project cost budgets and provide cost-control throughout the entire planning/design/implementation process.

4. Quality of References: Reference checks will be performed to evaluate the special skills, relevant expertise, the quality of past performance in comparable work, and the ability to perform assigned tasks in a timely and accurate manner.

5. Experience in working with regulatory/funding agencies, including the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

Qualifications submitted in response to this RFQ will be reviewed against the selection criteria listed above. Consultants submitting the most responsive SOQs may be invited to an interview with the VDE Selection Committee. The VDE may choose up to four (4) firms to be assigned to its On-Call Services List.

PLEASE NOTE: The SOQ submittal should not include cost or rate information. Qualification packages that include cost or rate information will be excluded from the selection process.

END