Professional engineering services for reservoir & storage tank rehabilitation program

The City of Tucson is conducting a competitive one-step procurement to select one qualified engineering consulting firm to provide professional engineering services for the Tucson Water Reservoir and Storage Tank Rehabilitation Program. The procurement covers Pima County and the City of Tucson, Arizona jurisdictions and involves comprehensive engineering services for the evaluation, inspection, rehabilitation design, and construction support of 60 potable and reclaimed water storage facilities with a combined capacity exceeding 335 million gallons and valued at over $200 million. Services will be delivered across four primary tasks: continuation of data collection and condition assessments for approximately 20 facilities annually; reservoir repair and rehabilitation prioritization recommendations; rehabilitation implementation including design and construction phase support; and supplemental engineering services including utility coordination and environmental permitting. Required expertise encompasses civil engineering, structural engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, geotechnical engineering, diving inspections, coatings inspection and testing, corrosion assessment, and water quality specialization. Deliverables include condition assessments, structural and coatings evaluations, rehabilitation design, construction documents, cost estimating, and construction support services. The Statement of Qualifications must be submitted by Friday, April 17, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Arizona time, with a mandatory pre-submittal conference scheduled for Friday, April 3, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Firm Experience on Similar Projects and Past Performance (35 percent), Experience and Qualifications of Firm and Team (30 percent), Experience of Key Personnel Assigned to the Project (15 percent), Understanding of Reservoir and Tank Rehabilitation Program and Methodology of Approach (15 percent), and Contract Work and Subcontractor Selection Plan (5 percent). Respondents must demonstrate at least three comparable projects each in reservoir rehabilitation programs, underwater inspection and cleaning, and specialized coating inspection and testing, with project owner references provided for each project.

The City of Tucson has established Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goals for this contract, with only firms certified by the City of Tucson under Chapter 28, Article XIII of the Tucson Procurement Code eligible to fulfill SBE requirements. Bidders must submit a completed Subcontractors List and Proposed SBE Plan identifying all SBE subcontractors regardless of contract value and all first-tier subcontractors with contract values of $5,000 or above, with documentation of good faith efforts required if the project goal cannot be met. The selected consultant must comply with Small Business Enterprise Program requirements, demonstrate experience with AWWA Standards and NACE Certified Protective Coating, and submit a subcontractor selection plan pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes 34-603. The contract will commence in Calendar Year 2026 for an initial one-year term with options for two additional two-year renewal periods, with the estimated annual budget of $1,800,000, individual projects not to exceed $750,000, and typical projects estimated under $500,000. Compensation will be based on negotiated fee schedules with monthly invoicing upon project completion and acceptance, funded through Tucson Water's Capital Improvement and Operational Reliability Budgets, with direct expenses reimbursed at cost with no markup subject to pre-approval and GSA rate limitations. The selected consultant must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence) and Professional Liability/Errors and Omissions ($1,000,000 per claim), with the City named as additional insured.