RFQ Advanced Water Purification Pilot Demonstration Facility 2-Step CMAR

The City of Phoenix Office of the City Engineer is requesting qualifications for Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) services for the Advanced Water Purification Pilot Demonstration Facility, a 200-gallons-per-minute (0.29 MGD) potable-water treatment facility, with Statements of Qualifications due October 23, 2026 and a mandatory pre-submittal meeting on October 8 at City Hall.

The facility will treat Class B+ non-potable reclaimed water from the 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant in Tolleson, Arizona, using advanced purification processes including flocculation, sedimentation, ozonation, dissolved air floatation, biofiltration, granular activated carbon, membrane, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet advanced oxidation. Preconstruction and construction services will occur over multiple fiscal years with multiple design packages. The CMAR will deliver the project under a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contract and assume completion risk.

The estimated construction cost is $20 million. The project is funded in part by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and is subject to Davis Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements, Build America Buy America Act (BABA), American Iron and Steel (AIS) requirements, and federal affirmative action compliance. The City will select up to three finalist firms to proceed to the Request for Proposal phase, with final selection anticipated in January 2027 and a scope meeting scheduled for February 2027.

Applicants must hold appropriate Arizona contractor licenses, be registered as a vendor with the City of Phoenix prior to submission, provide current Experience Modification Rate (EMR) ratings, and submit a surety bonding statement (A- or better rating for the prior four quarters). Evaluation weights are: general firm information and organizational structure (150 points), firm experience with comparable projects (250 points), key personnel experience (400 points), project management approach (200 points), and reference checks (21 points). SOQ submissions are limited to 10 pages plus up to 7 additional pages for resumes, 10-point minimum font, and standard 8.5-by-11-inch sizing. Contact with City employees outside the designated Contracts Specialist is grounds for disqualification.