26-35 Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Resiliency Project Additional Filters

The Bay County Board of County Commissioners (Florida) is conducting an Invitation to Bid (ITB) 26-35 for the construction of three additional sand gravity-type filters at the Water Treatment Plant located at 3400 Transmitter Road, Panama City, Florida 32404. This formally advertised public works procurement seeks a single qualified general contractor to design and construct new Filters 12, 13, and 14 adjacent to existing Filters 9-11, including installation of Transfer Pump No. 5 in Transfer Pump Station No. 2, filter underdrains and media, piping systems, control valves and gates, electrical distribution and SCADA system improvements, and all related appurtenances and yard piping modifications necessary to deliver a complete operational filtration system. The project scope encompasses comprehensive construction sequencing that maintains continuous facility operations with construction interruptions limited to maximum 72-hour periods for critical tie-ins, along with all temporary facilities, erosion and sediment controls, testing and commissioning, operations and maintenance documentation, and a one-year warranty from Substantial Completion. Bidders must be Florida-licensed general contractors with all applicable subcontractor licenses; submit a 5 percent bid bond; provide a 100 percent performance and payment bond; and comply with prevailing wage requirements (obtained from sam.gov), Davis-Bacon standards, American Iron and Steel provisions, federal labor standards, E-Verify employment verification, and all FDEP and EPA requirements. All materials and equipment in contact with potable water must be NSF/ANSI 61 certified. The contract includes cash allowances totaling $110,000 for soils and concrete testing ($50,000), construction verification surveying ($10,000), and owner contingency ($50,000), with unit price items for unsuitable material removal/replacement and helical micropile adjustments based on actual installation lengths. A deduct alternate for replacing the helical pile foundation system with conventional cast-in-place concrete (requiring design by a Florida-licensed professional engineer and supplemental SPT borings) is available. Electronic or sealed paper bids must be received by 2:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time on Thursday, June 4, 2026, with mandatory pre-bid meeting scheduled for 10:00 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, May 13, 2026; public bid opening follows immediately after the submission deadline. The project completion period is 432 calendar days from Notice to Proceed with liquidated damages of $1,366.00 per calendar day for delays, and contract award is anticipated for June 16, 2026.

This procurement contains no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs), minority business enterprises (MBEs), or women's business enterprises (WBEs), although the supplemental conditions indicate these entities should be utilized when possible as sources of goods and services. Comprehensive insurance requirements mandate minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence for general liability (including XCU endorsement for underground damage), $1,000,000 business auto liability, and workers' compensation with employer's liability limits of at least $500,000 per accident, plus an additional three-year products and completed operations insurance requirement. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documentation. The project requires integration with existing Water Treatment Plant infrastructure, particularly the coordination with Filters 9-11 and existing pump stations while maintaining operational continuity throughout construction. The County reserves the right to exercise Owner Direct Purchase (ODP) provisions for materials exceeding $10,000 per item, with the County maintaining title and builders risk insurance while the contractor remains responsible for procurement coordination, inspection, conformance to specifications, and warranty management. The total project budget is estimated at $13,000,000, with $2,000,000 allocated from impact fees and $11,000,000 from FY 26 budgeted funds, with primary financing through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection State Revolving Fund (SRF) Drinking Water Loan Program (DW0302J0-Amendment 1) at a fixed rate of 1.71 percent per annum over a 20-year term, including principal forgiveness components totaling approximately $4,142,763 of the $27,122,278 total financing package.