Southwest Water Treatment Plant Upgrades and Treatment Improvements

The Tohopekaliga Water Authority (TOHO) is seeking a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for the Southwest Water Treatment Plant Upgrades and Treatment Improvements project in Osceola County, Florida. The procurement is a Request for Qualifications (RFQu) solicitation targeting firms capable of providing pre-construction and construction services for a water treatment facility upgrade. The project involves installing a pump for well SW-5, connecting it to the existing raw water pipeline, implementing a forced draft aeration system for hydrogen sulfide removal and odor control, constructing a transfer pump station, and executing stormwater and yard piping improvements. Respondents must demonstrate extensive CMAR experience with public entities, specifically having completed a minimum of four similar water treatment facility projects over 5 million gallons per day capacity using the CMAR method within the past ten years. The evaluation process will follow Florida's Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act, with a maximum of 100 points available across nine submittal tabs, including company information, insurance and bonding capacity, project experience, key personnel qualifications, and technical approach. Critical deadlines include a question submission deadline of January 2, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., and a final submittal deadline of January 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. through the Bonfire electronic procurement portal.

The solicitation includes opportunities for disadvantaged business enterprises, with additional points (0-5) available for Florida DBE/MBE certification. The existing Southwest Water Treatment Plant currently has a maximum daily flow capacity of 8.64 million gallons per day, operating with two offsite groundwater wells, non-operational ozone treatment, sodium hypochlorite disinfection, and a ground storage tank. A third well (SW-5) has been drilled onsite but remains inactive. Respondents must demonstrate significant financial stability, with a minimum insurance and bonding capacity of $250 million for single projects and Worker's Compensation Insurance of $1 million per occurrence. While no specific incumbent vendor is mentioned, the project is anticipated to exceed $7.5 million in contract value. The successful respondent must execute the agreement within ten business days of receiving the Notice of Award, obtain required insurance certificates, and comply with e-verification requirements. The contract includes both preconstruction and construction phases, with compensation structured as a Preconstruction Services Fee and a Construction Phase fee calculated as a percentage of the Cost of Construction.