On-Call Water & Wastewater Engineering Services

The County Commissioners of Charles County, Maryland is requesting sealed proposals from qualified multi-disciplined engineering firms for on-call water and wastewater engineering services under RFP 27-004, with proposals due August 25, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. A non-mandatory pre-proposal teleconference is scheduled for July 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. (registration required by July 27), and questions are due August 4, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. The solicitation is exempt from the Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) program preference.

The scope encompasses design preparation, bid document preparation, project and construction management, surveillance, inspection, and permitting support for water and wastewater projects including pump stations, treatment plants, water facilities, and pipeline rehabilitation and replacement. Successful firms must demonstrate at least ten years of experience with a minimum of three representative projects completed within the past five years in nine specified categories of equal or greater magnitude for public water and wastewater utilities. The County intends to award to a single firm rather than multiple firms or joint ventures.

Firms must maintain a full-time staff of licensed Professional Engineers in Maryland across six core service areas: water/wastewater, civil, electrical/instrumentation/control, structural, process/mechanical, and project/construction management. Subcontracting is permitted for specialized services such as architecture, surveying, geotechnical work, and environmental services. The prime contractor must perform at least 50% of work with its own staff. Unit pricing must be provided hourly for principals, project managers, architects, water/wastewater engineers, civil engineers, electrical and instrumentation specialists, and other engineering services.

The base contract term runs from execution date through December 31, 2027, with four optional one-year renewals at the County's discretion. Task orders valued under $250,000 require proposals from one or more firms; those valued between $250,000 and $500,000 require proposals from at least three firms. Task order proposals must be submitted within fourteen calendar days of the County's written request. Pricing remains firm through the base term, with renewal adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index percentage change.

Evaluation criteria allocate 40 points for price, 30 points for experience of key staff and project team, 15 points for project understanding and approach, and 15 points for firm experience and representative projects. Electronic submission is required through the County's eProcurement Portal at OpenGov Procurement. All proposals must include Standard Form 330, MWBE compliance plan, non-collusion affidavit, vendor disclosure form, and proposed subcontractors form.