RFI - countywide drainage asset collection services

The County of San Diego, Department of Public Works, has issued a Request for Information (RFI) regarding countywide drainage asset collection services for the unincorporated area of San Diego County, covering approximately 4,211 square miles. This procurement seeks to establish comprehensive and accurate inventories of County-maintained road-related drainage assets, including approximately 19,000 existing Road Fund pipe segments and channels along nearly 2,000 miles of roads, plus 38,000 junction structures such as cleanouts, manholes, and curb inlets, totaling almost 60,000 assets. The contractor must conduct field data collection using GPS or GNSS-enabled devices, high-powered lights, and cameras, with staff trained in confined space entry and stormwater drainage systems, with fieldwork scheduled over multiple years outside the rainy season (October 1 through April 30). Key deliverables include two new ESRI Geographic Information Systems (GIS) feature layers for the County's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4), an ESRI GIS geodatabase and shapefiles formatted to County specifications, a web viewer for data validation, culvert condition assessments using the County's Culvert Condition Index (CCI) with ratings in Excel format, and supporting photographs documenting condition distress. The project objectives require reviewing 100 percent of County-maintained roads with 20 percent reviewed annually and rating 100 percent of County-maintained culverts with 20 percent rated annually, with biweekly summary reports and yearly progress reports required. Qualified contractors must provide all tools, equipment, software, staff, and training required, develop multi-year phasing plans, and submit Traffic Control plans at least two months prior to field collection. Responses to the RFI questionnaire are due by July 17, 2026, at 5:00 PM San Diego Time through the BuyNet system, with questions due by July 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM San Diego Time.

The RFI document does not specify set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendors. No existing contractor relationships or current infrastructure requiring integration are identified in the procurement materials. Similarly, the RFI does not disclose potential award values or budget ranges, as this is an information-gathering solicitation that does not constitute a commitment to contract and provides no reimbursement for response costs. The County will provide certain support including GIS framework specifications, CCI photo guides, drainage features guides, and one week of training with Department of Public Works Road crew and engineering staff to facilitate qualified contractor performance. Additionally, the County will conduct culvert cleaning and flushing one to two months in advance of data collection and may request CCTV services for up to 10 percent of assets annually to support the contractor's work.