Southwest Water Treatment Plant – Flocculation Improvements

The Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) is seeking a consultant to provide comprehensive services for the Southwest Water Treatment Plant Flocculation Improvements project located in Allen Park, Michigan. The procurement involves replacing existing walking beam flocculators with vertical flocculators across three basins at the water treatment facility, which currently operates between 35-60 MGD with a rated capacity of 240 MGD. Required services include project management, engineering design, construction bid assistance, construction administration, resident project representation (RPR), training, and record document services. The project evaluation will utilize a Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) process, with criteria weighted as 49% for Technical Work Plan, 48% for Experience and Qualifications, and 3% for Economic Equity. Key project milestones include a 120-day preliminary design phase, 270-day final design phase, 270-day bid and award phase, 850-day construction phase, and 90-day project closeout, with a targeted construction completion date of July 31, 2031. Mandatory pre-proposal meetings and site tours are scheduled for July 9-10, 2025, at the Southwest Water Treatment Plant, with proposal submissions due by August 11, 2025, at 12:00 PM EST and questions accepted through an online portal until July 16, 2025.

The solicitation includes a robust Business Inclusion and Diversity (B.I.D.) Program that offers economic equity credits, with potential 1% credits for having a business presence in Michigan, being located in an economically disadvantaged GLWA service territory, or being situated in any GLWA service territory. Vendors can qualify through various diversity certifications, including Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Woman Business Enterprise (WBE), and Small Business Enterprise (SBE). The project has an estimated construction cost of approximately $23 million for the construction phase occurring between 2028 and 2031, with a provisional allowance of $400,000 established and controlled by GLWA. The consultant will be required to maintain various insurance types, including professional liability insurance of $3 million, and provide comprehensive documentation while ensuring compliance with GLWA's standards and specifications. The project involves significant infrastructure upgrades, including replacing flocculator drives, motors, control panels, bearings, instrumentation, and related components, with the goal of improving the overall functionality and maintenance of the water treatment facility's flocculation system.