NCC WTP Operations and Maintenance

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), through its Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division, is soliciting proposals under RFP 2027000059 for operation and maintenance of the North Clear Creek Water Treatment Plant in Black Hawk, Colorado, with a mandatory pre-proposal meeting on November 10, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. MDT and proposals due December 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. MDT. Attendance at the pre-proposal meeting is required for bid eligibility. No SDVOSB set-aside is established; SDVOSB offerors claiming status must submit U.S. Small Business Administration certification documentation.

The contractor will operate and maintain a plant with design capacity of up to 600 gallons per minute that treats acid mine drainage from historic mine adits and contaminated surface water through high-density sludge lime neutralization. Work includes facility management, preventive and corrective maintenance, staffing with operators, chemists, mechanics, and support personnel, and development of operational documents and technical reports. Staffing must cover a minimum of eight hours per day with on-call response during unstaffed hours, and three days of treatment chemicals must remain on site. Required deliverables include an Operation and Maintenance Management Plan and Emergency Action Plan within 30 days, a Health and Safety Plan within 45 days, a Sampling and Analysis Plan/Quality Assurance Project Plan within 60 days, monthly reports within 21 days of month-end, and an annual report by September 15 each year.

Offerors need five years of continuous Colorado office operation, experience operating and maintaining at least one similar-sized and complex facility, and prior work under CERCLA, the Clean Water Act, and Colorado state agencies. The lead operator must hold a minimum Colorado Class B Industrial Wastewater Treatment Certification, with Class A preferred, and at least one year of recent responsible charge experience under the RFP, or two years at similarly sized facilities under the draft statement of work. Staff must include a certified industrial hygienist with two years' experience, a QA/QC officer with one year of similar experience, and current OSHA HAZWOPER training. Because EPA provides partial funding, federal provisions apply, including System for Award Management registration and maintenance. The signed Attachment 1 vendor form requires a Colorado Vendor Self-Service customer number, FEIN, and UEI.

Pricing combines fixed-price labor, with firm hourly and overtime rates for twelve worker classifications, and cost-reimbursable supplies based on actual quantities purchased. Non-routine and emergency allowances of $100,000 and $50,000 are line items, and the proposed markup applies to Schedule B supplies. CDPHE anticipates negotiating a not-to-exceed contract amount based on submitted cost and labor rate schedules. The estimated effective date is April 1, 2027, with a base year through March 31, 2028 and up to four one-year renewals, for a maximum term of five years, subject to available funding and CDPHE's sole discretion. Financial capability verification of the awardee, including bank balances and financial statements, is reserved. Exhibit D, an optimization project list, totals an estimated $2,268,005 and includes a 6,500-foot influent pipe-burst replacement.

Evaluation criteria are organizational experience, minimum requirements verification, personnel qualifications, technical approach, cost reasonableness, and references. CDPHE may conduct discussions or request best and final offers. Proposals are limited to 50 pages, excluding required attachments and resumes, with resumes capped at three pages and two to six project references. Written inquiries are due November 30, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. MDT, with answers published by December 11, 2026. Proposals must be submitted through BidNet Direct, and emailed proposals will not be accepted.