Torrance Refinery Water Recycling Plant Microfiltration Feasibility Study

West Basin Municipal Water District, serving Los Angeles County, California, is soliciting professional engineering services through a Request for Proposal (RFP) to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study for the Microfiltration System Replacement at the Torrance Refinery Water Recycling Plant (TRWRP). The existing microfiltration system, installed in 1999 with six units designed for a capacity of 3.73 MGD (518 gpm per unit), has deteriorated significantly and requires replacement to restore and increase water production capacity. The selected consultant must evaluate a minimum of five alternatives including continuing current operations with potable water supplementation, complete replacement of microfiltration effluent with potable water, relocation and installation of West Basin's existing Portable Ultrafiltration system, installation of microfiltration trailers or packaged systems, and proposing alternative solutions. Deliverables include a comprehensive feasibility study with preliminary design criteria, system hydraulics analysis, environmental impact assessments, regulatory compliance review, Class 4 cost estimates, life cycle cost comparisons, and return on investment analysis for each alternative, submitted in draft, draft final, and final stages with all documentation provided in organized electronic formats including CAD, GIS, PDF, and Microsoft files. The consultant must demonstrate expertise in microfiltration treatment facilities, contemporary system designs, water recycling applications, and current industry codes and standards; conduct a kick-off meeting, biweekly progress meetings with earned value analysis reporting, site utility searches, and a final presentation; and incorporate stakeholder feedback from West Basin staff and facility operators. The pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for February 17, 2026, with the deadline for respondent questions and clarifications on February 19, 2026, and proposals must be submitted electronically by 2:00 PM on February 26, 2026, with contract award notification expected by March 9, 2026. Evaluation criteria include executive summary quality, consultant qualifications and experience, key personnel qualifications with resumes, technical approach and methodology, client references, and detailed pricing organized by task, with proposals remaining valid for a minimum of 90 days from submission.

West Basin has established a Small and Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) program offering evaluation incentives for qualified participants, including three additional points for SBE or LBE prime consultants (six points if both designations apply) or one point if SBE/LBE subcontractors receive at least 30 percent of total contract compensation, with price proposals for qualifying firms reduced by 3 percent (or 6 percent if both designations apply) during evaluation, though the actual contract amount reverts to the originally proposed price upon selection. No incumbent vendor or current contractor is identified in the procurement documents, indicating this represents a new engagement for the feasibility study services. Consultants must obtain and maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability of $2,000,000 per occurrence, Business Automobile Liability of $2,000,000 per accident, Workers' Compensation with statutory limits and $1,000,000 Employer's Liability coverage per accident, and Professional Liability (Errors and Omissions) of $2,000,000 per occurrence, with West Basin named as an additional insured with primary coverage status. The procurement requires integration with existing Portable Ultrafiltration system infrastructure that may be relocated and installed as part of the evaluated alternatives, and compliance with California prevailing wage requirements applies to any subconsultants providing labor on tasks with established state prevailing wage classifications. Compensation will be structured on a time-and-material basis with rates and specific not-to-exceed amounts to be determined upon contract execution, with monthly invoices submitted in arrears and payment issued within Net 30 days of receipt; no specific budget range or award value is provided in the RFP documents.