Water utility planning

The South Carolina Adjutant General's Office is soliciting bids for a Water Utility Planning contract through an Invitation for Bid (IFB) targeting Richland County. The procurement seeks a contractor to provide comprehensive emergency response planning services, with specific focus on updating multiple emergency response plans including Earthquake, Flood Response, Drought Response, and Winter Weather scenarios. Key deliverables include developing ESF-3 functions and responsibilities, facilitating utility participation in local Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs), disseminating critical information to utilities, and assisting with drought plan updates. The project requires extensive planning and coordination, with an estimated 460 total work hours divided across plan updates (120 hours), ESF-3 development (120 hours), LEPC participation (40 hours), information dissemination (40 hours), drought plan assistance (40 hours), and industry representation (100 hours). Bid questions are due by January 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM, with final bids required by January 27, 2025 at 10:00 AM. The contract award will be posted on February 3, 2025, with a one-year term from February 4, 2025 through February 3, 2026.

The solicitation includes specific preferences for South Carolina resident contractors and subcontractors, with potential preference percentages of 2% or 4% available for qualifying vendors. Bidders are required to submit both an hourly rate for Water Utility/ESF-3 services and detailed travel reimbursement costs. While no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are explicitly mentioned, the state's preference for local contractors suggests a potential advantage for South Carolina-based businesses. No pre-bid conference is required, and the procurement does not specify limitations on the types of organizations that can respond. The pricing structure suggests the contract will be awarded on a time-and-materials basis, with vendors expected to provide detailed hourly rates and a comprehensive approach to emergency utility planning. Although a specific budget range is not provided, the 460 estimated project hours and requirement for hourly rate submissions indicate a potentially significant contract value for the selected vendor.