Acquisition, Ownership, Operation, Maintenance and Transfer of Cross Creek Water and Wastewater Systems

Gainesville Regional Utilities Authority (GRUA), governed by the City of Gainesville, Florida, is soliciting proposals through an Invitation to Negotiate for acquisition, ownership, operation, maintenance, and eventual transfer of the Cross Creek Mobile Home Park water and wastewater utility systems, with proposals due November 3, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. and a non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting on September 21, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. at the site. GRUA reserves the right to negotiate all aspects of the transaction structure, including alternative arrangements such as phased ownership transfers or management agreements leading to eventual ownership, and will award to the respondent whose proposal is determined to be in the best interest of GRUA and customers served, not necessarily the highest purchase price. Eligible respondents must be utility operators, utility authorities, investor-owned utilities, special districts, or other entities legally authorized to own and operate water and wastewater utility systems within Florida.

The Cross Creek Systems currently serve approximately 50 customer connections in Alachua County and comprise two distinct infrastructure sets. The water system—fully operational, serving 39 connections with design capacity of 86,000 gallons per day—includes two 4-inch wells (one constructed 2017, one from 1994), a 1,000-gallon hydropneumatic tank (installed October 2021), hypochlorite injection treatment, approximately 3,400 linear feet of PVC distribution pipe, and a precast concrete treatment building. Recent equipment replacements include sodium hypochlorite pumps and chlorine analyzer (both 2024) and a programmable logic controller (August 2026). The wastewater system—non-functional in original design—comprises 1,400 linear feet of PVC gravity sewer (47 service laterals), an 8,000-gallon septic tank, a lift station with two 3.7-horsepower pumps, approximately 2,600 linear feet of 2-inch PVC force main, and a 12-acre drainfield. Due to drainfield ponding and elevated water tables, GRU currently transports wastewater by tanker truck to its municipal treatment facility. The successful respondent must obtain approvals from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Florida Public Service Commission. All water quality testing from 2021 through 2025 demonstrates compliance with federal drinking water standards; the wastewater drainfield represents the primary operational and financial challenge.

Respondents must demonstrate utility operations experience owning and operating comparable systems, financial capacity to acquire and maintain the systems, and ability to conduct utility business in Florida. Proposals must not exceed 34 pages and address utility operations experience and capability, financial capacity, transition plans, economic considerations, and references. Evaluation is weighted: Economic Consideration (35 points), Utility Operations Experience & Capability (25 points), Financial Capacity (20 points), and Transition Plan (20 points). Questions close October 16, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Property is conveyed "as is, where is, with all faults" and includes three GRU-owned parcels: the drainfield (0.76 acres), a potable water well site (4,791 square feet), and a lift station site (1,781 square feet). The purchaser must obtain comprehensive insurance including Commercial General Liability ($1 million), Professional Liability ($1 million), Automobile Liability ($500,000), and Workers Compensation coverage.