Walnut Cove Tank Assessment.pdf

TO: On-Call Professional Engineering Services Firms

From: Curtis Skiles, Facilities Maintenance Supervisor for Water Production

Date: Monday, September 21, 2026

Project Name: Walnut Cove Tank Assessment Project Number: 298-FY27-WTR-RFQ-WCTankAssessment

RE: Request for Qualifications and Approach - Professional Engineering Services - Existing water tank study for evaluating the condition of its current structure and opportunities for repair, improvement, or replacement.

Objective: The City of Asheville’s Water Resources Department desires to employ a qualified engineering firm to evaluate two of its existing water tanks to determine the condition of the current structure and opportunities for repair, improvement, or replacement based on the structural analysis performed by the selected engineer. The City desires that the recommendations in the preliminary engineering report provide long term flexible solutions that include the most appropriate technologies; with the end result being improvement, repair, or replacement of existing water infrastructure with the purpose of providing sustained water pressure, fire protection, and ground storage to our customers.

Background: Walnut Cove Tank #2 was designed in 2007 for the purpose of providing fire protection, water storage, and sustained water pressure for the customers in the Walnut Cove subdivision located in Arden, NC. Walnut Cove Tank #2 is a 78,000 gallon glass lined Aquastore tank. The existing water tank has cracks along the external concrete foundation. A tank inspection report performed in 2026 showed significant spalling internally on the concrete floor of the tank. The lot has significant cracks in the pavement suggesting that ground shifting has taken place. Walnut Cove Tank #1 is a 286,000 gallon glass lined Augastore tank designed in 1992 for the purpose of providing fire protection, water storage, and sustained water pressure for the customers in the Walnut Cove subdivision located in Arden, NC. The tank has cracks along the external concrete foundation. A tank inspection report performed in 2026 showed spalling internally on the concrete floor of the tank. We are seeking a qualified engineering firm to provide a structural analysis of the existing water tanks and potential design or repair proposals with estimated costs included.

The Water Production division is seeking the following professional services for:

1. Project Management, Meeting, and Quality Assurance / Quality Control

2. Data Collection

3. Structural Analysis

4. Tank Improvements and Alternatives Analysis

5. Alternative solutions for water pressure sustainability.

6. Construction cost estimates for tank rehabilitation alternatives.

xxx

7. Construction cost estimates for tank replacement.

8. Construction cost estimates for alternative pressure asset solutions.

9. Draft and final study report.

Qualifications Schedule:

Issuance of RFQ Monday, September 21, 2026, 5:00pm

Deadline to Submit Questions Monday, October 5, 2026, 5:00pm

Qualifications Due Monday October 19, 2026, 5:00pm

Projected Project Start ASAP

Responses to RFQ: A set of 2 copies and a link to the electronic formatted copy should be received by Monday, October 19, 2026 by 5:00pm. Please address to Curtis Skiles

Physical Address Mailing Address Water Resources Water Resources City Hall / Mezzanine PO Box 7148 70 Court Plaza Asheville, NC 28802 Asheville, NC 28801

Responses should be To facilitate the City’s objective review of the Responses to the RFQ we request that responses be organized using a standardized format. Each Response should contain the following:

Cover Letter on company letterhead signed by a Principal or other member of the firm authorized to commit the firm to a contract for professional services.

Table of Contents, with page numbers

Project Team and Approach : Identify the proposed project team including any sub-consultants. Please include an organizational chart and brief resumes of the project team members.

Identify the project manager or primary contact along with team leaders and briefly describe how projects will be successfully managed. It is anticipated that the team members proposed in the Response will actually perform work on projects for the City.

Verify the planned workload of the proposed team members and confirm that proposed staff will be available for timely completion of projects.

Submit a timeline for activities.

Describe your quality assurance / quality control methods.

References: Note which team members were involved in referenced projects. Include an approximate dollar amount (professional service fee and construction cost, if applicable) and time period required for completion of referenced projects.

Highlight any projects performed for the City of Asheville during the past 5 years.

xxx Provide the name, telephone number, and address of five (5) references with at least three organizations within North Carolina for whom your firm provided professional services on projects similar to this request and whom the City of Asheville may contact regarding your firm’s performance on their projects.

If the consultant wishes to submit additional information in support of the response to this RFQ, such information may be submitted separately in appendices. Responses must be limited to no more than 15 pages(front and back), excluding the cover page, cover letter, table of contents, resumes, section dividers and appendices.

SELECTION OF CONSULTANT

General: This request does not commit the City to enter into an agreement, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a Response to this RFQ or in subsequent interviews and negotiations, or to procure a contract for the project. The City will require the selected consultant to participate in negotiations of the fees for the project and to submit such scope, technical and/or other revisions to the proposals as may result from negotiations. The City reserves the right to perform all or some of the services described in this document with its own workforce. The City also reserves the right to issue future Request For Qualifications (RFQs) and solicit responses from firms not selected as part of this process.

Qualifications-Based Selection Criteria: Responses to RFQs are traditionally evaluated and ranked based upon objective Qualifications-Based criteria. The City reserves the right to request an interview with any consultant during the selection process. Should the City see the need to interview consultants, the consultant will be notified as early as possible in the proposal review process. The selection criteria are as follows:

● Overall content and quality of the submitted qualifications

● Relevant qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience of assigned personnel in relation to water distribution.

● Project specific capabilities (strength and experience on similar projects)

● Project Approach

● Track record on past projects in delivering quality professional services in a timely manner for the City of Asheville

● Consultant’s performance on previous North Carolina municipal projects based on information gathered by the City and/or through the references provided by the consultant

● Local presence of the consultant(s), to include number and expertise of staff within the City’s jurisdictional limits

● Any special or unusual Terms and Conditions for the contract

● If performed, information obtained through interviews with short-listed consultants