On-Call Water and Wastewater Engineering Services

Dorchester County, South Carolina is seeking qualified professional engineering firms to provide on-call water and wastewater engineering services through a competitive Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process. The county desires multi-disciplinary firms capable of delivering comprehensive services including water distribution and wastewater collection system investigations, planning, design, rehabilitation, master planning, hydraulic modeling, owner's representative services, program and project management, peer review, procurement document preparation, and construction administration. Evaluation of submissions will be conducted by a Selection Committee using five specific criteria: Firm Qualifications and Relevant Experience (25 points), Project Understanding and Technical Approach (20 points), Team Organization and Key Personnel (20 points), Relevant Project Experience and References (20 points), and Capacity, Availability, and Responsiveness (15 points). Key dates include January 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. as the last day for written questions, with Statements of Qualifications due February 3, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. The county reserves the right to select one or more firms and assign work based on availability, qualifications, workload capacity, performance, and fee competitiveness.

The contract will have an initial one-year term with potential for up to four additional one-year renewals, creating a possible five-year engagement. Selected firms must maintain specific insurance requirements, including $1,000,000 professional liability per occurrence, $1,000,000 general liability, $1,000,000 automobile liability, and workers' compensation as mandated by South Carolina law. Successful offerors must be licensed in South Carolina and comply with state and federal regulations, including the Drug-Free Workplace Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. No specific funding amount is predetermined, as this is an on-call contract where work will be authorized through individual task orders. Compensation will be negotiated with the highest-ranked firm based solely on qualifications, with payment processed within thirty days of approved invoices. While no incumbent vendor is specified, the county anticipates potential task orders for various water and wastewater infrastructure projects, with work assignments determined by the county's evolving infrastructure needs.