Professional Services for the Ruskin Reclaimed Water and Ruskin Potable Water Pipelines Design

Hillsborough County Water Resources Department issued a Request for Professional Services (RPS-26-00187) on April 9, 2026, seeking competitive sealed proposals from licensed and qualified engineers to design two interconnected pipeline projects in Ruskin, Florida: the Ruskin Reclaimed Water Pipeline and the Ruskin Potable Water Pipeline. The Ruskin Reclaimed Water Pipeline will extend a reclaimed water transmission main to a proposed SHARP 6 injection well near the intersection of College Avenue and US Highway 41, with anticipated recharge capacity of 2.0 to 5.0 million gallons per day and infrastructure expected to be operational by fall 2027. The Ruskin Potable Water Pipeline encompasses waterline segments from 19th Avenue extending south and back east to the South County Potable Repump Station, designed to convey water from the 48-inch South County Potable Water Transmission Main and meet future 2050 population demands. Required professional services include route evaluation, detailed design development at 30%, 60%, 90%, and final milestones, permitting coordination with environmental and regulatory agencies, site visits and survey work including subsurface utility engineering, preparation of Opinion of Probable Construction Costs, bidding assistance, and construction inspection services. Evaluation criteria totaling 100 base points include Ability of Firm and Its Professional Personnel (45 points), Firm's Experience with Projects of a Similar Size and Type (40 points), Firm's Willingness and Ability to Meet Schedule and Budget Requirements (10 points), and Effect of Firm's Recent, Current and Projected Workload (5 points), with additional bonus points available for Small Business Enterprise participation and past performance ratings. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the County's Euna Procurement system by April 30, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time, with late submissions not accepted. The County may conduct oral presentations with no fewer than three shortlisted firms and reserves the right to select one qualified professional for award based on evaluation scoring.

Small Business Enterprise firms registered with Hillsborough County or possessing reciprocal registration from qualifying jurisdictions may participate as subcontractors and earn bonus points for the prime proposer, with opportunities for up to 5 bonus points if SBE participation reaches or exceeds 10 percent of total project fees, up to 5 points based on volume of work during the two previously completed fiscal years, and up to 5 points for past performance rating within 24 months prior to the submittal deadline. All proposers must comply with multiple regulatory requirements including E-Verify employment eligibility verification, IMAGE Best Practices for workforce verification, an Affidavit of Compliance certifying that the firm is not owned by or controlled by governments of Foreign Countries of Concern as defined by Florida Statutes Section 287.138, Hillsborough County Business Tax regulations, and public entity crimes provisions. Professional firms selected for award receiving SBE bonus points must maintain monthly reporting through the County's Vendor Compliance System (B2GNOW) and meet the 10 percent SBE participation goal throughout contract performance or face potential termination and debarment. Insurance requirements are comprehensive and substantial, including Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 to $5,000,000), Professional Liability ($1,000,000 to $5,000,000), Automobile Liability ($300,000 to $1,000,000), Workers' Compensation, Cyber Liability ($1,000,000 minimum), Pollution Liability, Crime Protection/Employee Dishonesty Bond ($1,000,000), and Directors and Officers Liability ($1,000,000), with Hillsborough County named as additional insured on all policies prior to work commencement. The estimated professional services contract value is $4,800,000, with construction costs for the combined pipelines estimated between $6.6 million and $8.3 million depending on route selection, and payment will be made through automated clearing house direct deposit with invoices processed within 45 days of presentation.