RFQ - Engineering Services for Water and Sewer System Improvements

The Lumpkin County Water & Sewerage Authority (LCWSA) is conducting a qualifications-based selection (QBS) procurement for professional engineering services through a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process. The procurement encompasses two priority infrastructure projects and annual on-call engineering services for LCWSA's Capital Improvement Program. Project No. 20262 is the Sewer Line Expansion Project, which requires approximately 1,300 linear feet of sanitary sewer extension into the Lumpkin County Industrial Park, with deliverables including a Preliminary Engineering Report, alternatives analysis, planning, permitting, design, and construction phase services. Project No. 20263 is the Water System Improvements Project, requiring engineering services for the design and construction of a 1.0 million gallon ground storage tank, supplemental groundwater well development, and approximately 9,800 linear feet of water distribution infrastructure extension. Qualified engineering firms must demonstrate a minimum of 20 years of experience in water and wastewater infrastructure for municipal, public, or private agencies, with key personnel holding Georgia Professional Engineering licenses, and must have completed at least thirty comparable projects for municipal clients in the Southeastern United States within the past ten years and at least fifteen similar projects for Georgia municipal water agencies within the last five years. Statements of Qualifications are due May 28, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. local time, with three hard copies and a digital PDF version required; the question deadline is May 13, 2026, evaluation is scheduled for completion by June 3, 2026, finalist interviews are anticipated between June 8-11, 2026, and final selection and award is targeted for June 16, 2026. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Team and Qualifications at 40 percent, Experience and Past Performance at 30 percent, Statement of Suitability at 20 percent, and Value Added Services at 10 percent.

Respondents must comply with all local, state, and federal grant requirements, including Federal Labor Standards and Equal Opportunity provisions, and submit mandatory documentation including a Consultant's Affidavit (E-Verify), SAVE Affidavit, W-9 form, and evidence of required insurance coverage with minimum statutory workers compensation ($500,000), commercial general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), automobile liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence), and professional liability ($1,000,000 per claim/$2,000,000 aggregate). The RFQ does not identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors, nor does it specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. The projects are funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), with potential support from additional funding sources including CDBG, RDF, EIP, EDA, and USDA programs. Annual on-call engineering services will commence in July 2026 for an initial one-year term with options for renewal for up to four successive one-year periods, totaling a potential five-year engagement subject to annual board appropriations. Compensation for all services will be negotiated following the qualifications-based selection process with the highest-ranked firm(s), and billing rates and fee schedules are explicitly excluded from Statements of Qualifications submissions. Multiple awards may be made to qualified consulting firms that meet all stated requirements.