ROWTP Production Wellfield Expansion, Grant Funded

The City of Fort Myers is seeking a qualified design team to provide comprehensive services for the ROWTP Production Wellfield Expansion project, a grant-funded initiative to increase potable water supply capacity. The project involves developing two new production wells, each expected to provide approximately 1 million gallons per day of treatable groundwater, along with associated raw water transmission mains. The selected consultant will be responsible for design, permitting, and construction support activities, including groundwater modeling, production well design, and transmission main design. A non-mandatory pre-submittal meeting is scheduled for August 8, 2025, with questions due by August 20, 2025, and proposal submissions due by September 2, 2025. The City anticipates City Council approval on October 6, 2025. Qualified respondents must demonstrate expertise in water infrastructure design, regulatory compliance with City of Fort Myers, South Florida Water Management District, and Florida Department of Environmental Protection standards, and ability to coordinate with the Construction Manager at Risk and Design Builder for related water treatment plant improvements.

The procurement opportunity emphasizes diversity and inclusion, with specific requirements for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) participation. The City has established a 15% MBE goal and requires contractors to document good faith efforts in engaging minority-owned businesses. Local preference points will be awarded: 5 points for an office within Fort Myers city limits, 3 points for an office in Lee County, and 0 points for no local office. Multiple compliance certifications are required, including E-Verify affidavits, anti-lobbying certifications, and human trafficking prevention attestations. While a specific contract value is not explicitly stated, the project is part of a broader strategy to support regional water infrastructure, with the City currently owning 27 production wells and permitted to withdraw 19.11 million gallons per day. The project is partially funded through a Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, which introduces additional federal compliance requirements for potential contractors.