Water Engineering Services (BOA)

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), Maryland is soliciting sealed proposals for a Blanket Order Agreement providing Water Engineering Services to support its water distribution system, with responses due November 18, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. via WSSC's eProcurement Portal. A 26% Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) subcontracting goal applies, with specific certification requirements and good faith efforts documentation required.

The scope centers on specialized engineering services using the WaterGEMS hydraulic modeling platform — WSSC's standardized tool for planning and operational analysis. Deliverables include updating 20-year water demand projections, evaluating water loss reduction initiatives, assessing reclaimed water system feasibility, analyzing system redundancy and resiliency, reviewing impacts of proposed growth and development on distribution infrastructure, and providing technical analyses and recommendations supporting strategic planning and capital improvement programs. Offerors must demonstrate a minimum of five years' experience in North America and completed experience in at least five water hydraulic modeling and planning projects within the past five years, with at least three projects demonstrating expertise in hydraulic modeling of water networks or water system master planning.

The BOA has a base term of three years with one optional two-year extension at WSSC's discretion. This is a requirements contract with no guaranteed minimum work volume. Compensation is structured as direct labor costs using hourly rates for nine staff classifications (Principal, Senior Technical Advisor, Technical Advisor, Project Manager, Project Engineer, Engineer, GIS Specialist, Technician, and Senior Administrative/Word Processor) or agreed lump sum task order prices, with a total cost ceiling of $6 million. All labor rates must be firm for the contract duration.

Proposals will be evaluated on key personnel (25%), firm experience (30%), technical approach (40%), and pricing (5%). Required insurance includes workers' compensation, commercial general liability with $1 million limits per occurrence, umbrella liability of $1 million, and errors and omissions liability of $1 million per claim and aggregate. WSSC retains the right to cancel the contract after the first fiscal year if funds become unavailable. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for October 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., with questions due October 30, 2026. The agreement is available through intergovernmental and cooperative purchasing participation, enabling eligible entities beyond WSSC to access negotiated terms.