RFQ - Water Supply Long Term Planning

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) in Wilmington, North Carolina, is requesting statements of qualifications from consulting engineering firms for Water Supply Long Term Planning, with SOQs due August 4, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. This is a qualifications-based selection process with evaluation weighted toward Project Understanding & Approach (35%), Relevant Firm Experience (35%), and Overall Staff Experience (30%).

The scope requires the selected firm to inventory future water supply alternatives, quantify average and peak day capacity for each alternative with treatment requirements and capital investment needs, and develop a scoring and ranking methodology for combinations of alternatives to satisfy a minimum of 50 MGD additional peak day demand beyond current supply. Deliverables include a comprehensive ranked-alternatives document, GIS layers, and Excel files for CFPUA staff use in future assessments and capital project development.

The project budget cap is $300,000, with final fee to be negotiated following SOQ selection. The project charter meeting is scheduled for September 2026, draft workplan due November 2026, and final deliverables due September 2027. Firms must carry General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate), Workers Compensation ($500,000 / $500,000 / $500,000), Auto Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence combined single limits), and Professional Liability (not less than $2,000,000 per loss), with CFPUA named as additional insured where applicable.

SOQs must be submitted in PDF format (maximum 25 MB), limited to 25 pages or less excluding cover page, table of contents, tabs, resumes, and appendices. Firms must be properly registered with the Office of the Secretary of State. Questions are due July 23, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.