Los Alamos County Long Range Water Plan

The Incorporated County of Los Alamos, New Mexico, issued Request for Proposals (RFP) 26-62 on April 14, 2026, seeking consulting services to develop a comprehensive 40-year Long-Range Water Supply Plan meeting New Mexico Office of the State Engineer requirements. The County and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) jointly own water rights consisting of 3,878.91 acre-feet of groundwater, 1,200 acre-feet of undeveloped San Juan-Chama Project water, and LANL's 1,662.39 acre-feet of groundwater, and the selected consultant must project water demand for all County retail customers and LANL operations through 2066. Key deliverables include climate-adjusted yield projections, transit loss calculations for San Juan-Chama surface water rights, feasibility analysis for constructing a replacement well at Overlook Park to address chromium plume contamination at Pajarito Well #3, and revision of 2012 cost estimates for well development. The consultant must also implement a comprehensive public engagement strategy including stakeholder input sessions and public meetings to present the Plan to the County Utilities Board and County Council, and coordinate with the State Engineer's Office to confirm technical and permitting requirements for the new drinking water well. Required qualifications include a New Mexico Licensed Professional Engineer with at least 10 years of municipal water master planning experience, a Senior Hydrogeologist with groundwater-surface water interaction expertise, a Water Rights Specialist knowledgeable in New Mexico water law and the San Juan-Chama Project, and a Public Outreach Coordinator experienced in facilitating sensitive infrastructure meetings. Evaluation will be scored on a 100-point scale comprising qualifications and experience (20 points), understanding of industry standards and valid licenses (15 points), description of services and ability to meet scope (35 points), and cost proposal (30 points). A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for April 22, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time via Microsoft Teams; written questions must be submitted by May 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time with County responses due by May 8, 2026; and proposals are due by May 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Mountain Time through the County's Bonfire Procurement Portal with no late submissions accepted. Proposals are limited to 50 pages excluding exhibits and attachments and must include required certifications, disclosure forms, authorization verification, and two example 40-year municipal water development plans previously submitted to the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer.

The RFP includes local business, resident business, Native American resident business, and resident veteran business preferences under Los Alamos County Code Section 31-261(b), with eligible local businesses required to be incorporated in New Mexico, maintain their principal office and place of business in Los Alamos County, and provide a current valid County Business License. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. All offerors must submit Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension forms, Campaign Contribution Disclosure Forms identifying any contributions exceeding $250 to any of the seven County Councilors in the two years preceding proposal submission, Verification of Authorized Offeror Forms, Request for Client Information Forms documenting three to five previous clients served within the last 3-5 years, and Deviations or Exceptions to the Sample Services Agreement. The contract is structured as a multi-term agreement with an anticipated duration of up to seven years, with annual contract renewals available at the County Manager's or County Utilities Manager's sole discretion for consecutive one-year periods; the contract award is scheduled for June 10, 2026, following Board of Public Utilities approval (required for contracts exceeding $100,000) and County Council approval (required for contracts exceeding $300,000). Cost-plus-a-percentage-of-cost contracts are prohibited, though the County may consider but is not obligated to accept proposed cost escalators or escalation mechanisms; offerors must propose pricing for each potential year of the contract using the County's Cost Proposal Worksheet with direct labor hourly rates by classification, travel and per diem expenses subject to the County's Travel Guidelines (hotel not exceeding $250 per night, meals at $90 per diem for multi-day travel or $40 for one-day travel, and mileage at IRS standard rate with $0.45 minimum per mile), equipment, materials, and supplies as direct reimbursable costs. Although no specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the RFP documents, Board of Public Utilities and County Council approval thresholds indicate the anticipated contract value likely exceeds $100,000, with potential total contract value substantially higher given the multi-year term and comprehensive scope of services.