Water Treatment Plant Upgrade Engineering and Design Services

The City of Westerville, Ohio is soliciting proposals for professional design and engineering services to support comprehensive upgrades to its Water Treatment Plant located at 312 W. Main Street, Westerville, Ohio. The facility, licensed by the Ohio EPA with a treatment capacity of 7.5 million gallons per day serving over 15,000 homes and businesses, requires complete design and engineering services for critical infrastructure and system improvements aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, reliability, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Deliverables include preliminary design (30%), intermediate design (60%), and final design (100%), along with permitting support, bidding assistance, and construction phase services. The scope encompasses multiple systems including raw water intake improvements, flow measurement and pumping systems, CO2 storage and feed systems, filter flow control automation, chemical feed system automation, finished water pump improvements, SCADA system enhancements, standby generator replacement, and granular activated carbon (GAC) water treatment system enhancements. Evaluation criteria include responsiveness (10 points), experience and qualifications (30 points), capability and project approach (50 points), and cost (10 points). Key dates include a mandatory pre-proposal conference on February 13, 2026 at 10:00 AM EST via Google Meet, a site visit on February 18, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM EST, written questions due February 19, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST, City responses due February 25, 2026, and proposals due March 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM EDT. Evaluation is scheduled for March 17, 2026, with presentations and interviews March 18-25, 2026, and contract negotiations and award March 26-31, 2026, with services commencing on or about April 1, 2026.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types eligible to respond. Proposing firms must maintain professional liability insurance of no less than $1,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 aggregate, along with general liability and property damage insurance of $1,000,000 per person and $2,000,000 per accident. All proposals must include a transmittal letter (not exceeding two pages), a professional services proposal (not exceeding thirty pages), resumes for key professionals, and a complete cost proposal submitted as a total lump sum not-to-exceed fee. The City is targeting a construction budget of approximately $8.1 million including contingency, with construction expected to commence in 2027 using a design-bid-build project delivery method. Ownership of all data, materials, and documentation created shall belong exclusively to the City and be subject to public disclosure under Ohio Public Records Law. All proposals are valid for ninety days from the proposal due date, and the City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, request modifications, make partial or multiple awards, or award based on initial proposals without discussion.