WRWWTF Electrical Building Progressive Design-Build

Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department is soliciting proposals for a progressive design-build contract to design and construct the Western Region Wastewater Treatment Facility (WRWWTF) Phase 2 Electrical Building & Resiliency Improvements project in Belle Glade, Florida, with proposals due November 12, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. Only one Design-Build Entity will be selected. No Small Business Enterprise participation requirement applies.

The scope includes design and construction of two new elevated electrical buildings (Main Electrical Building and Deep Injection Well Electrical Building), a new elevated outdoor enclosure housing two 1000 KW diesel generators, demolition of existing operations and electrical buildings, conversion of an existing DIW MCC building to storage, electrical powerline relocation or underground installation, stormwater enhancements, and new electrical, instrumentation, and controls infrastructure. All new structures must be elevated one to three feet above the Base Flood Elevation to address flooding and settlement risk. The Main Electrical Building will house 3000A arc-resistant switchgear with Main-Tie-Main configuration, new FPL pad-mounted transformers, and new 1200A Motor Control Centers. The DIW Electrical Building will include new 1200A switchboards, 18-pulse drive VFD units for deep injection well pumps, and reduced voltage soft starters for aerators. The project includes detailed electrical, HVAC, and instrumentation specifications.

The anticipated contract value is $20 million. The contract term is five years from issuance of the Notice to Proceed, with design completion estimated for December 2028 and construction completion for December 2029; the facility must be operational within three years of Notice to Proceed. The project is fully funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Resilient Florida Program. Design-Builder compensation is structured as time-and-materials plus out-of-pocket expenses for Phase 1 (design and pricing), with a Guaranteed Maximum Price established for Phase 2 (construction, commissioning, and warranty). The Design-Builder retains savings; the County retains an off-ramp option to cancel the project or engage the Design-Builder's design subconsultants directly.

The Design-Build Entity must hold a current Florida General Contractor license and demonstrate bonding capacity of at least $20 million. Minimum qualifications include substantially completed experience with at least one Main Electrical Building project in an industrial or municipal facility valued at $7 million or more within the last ten years, completed on schedule and on budget. Collaborative delivery method experience (Construction Manager at Risk or Progressive Design-Build) on industrial projects is mandatory; preference is given to prior water, wastewater, or reclaim treatment plant experience. The entity must submit an Experience Modification Rate not exceeding 1.0 and five-year average OSHA Total Recordable Incident Rates below 3.4, DART rates below 2.1, and Days Away from Work Case rates below 1.0.

Proposers and all sub-consultants must be certified in specific Palm Beach County CCNA categories: topography engineering surveying, soils and materials testing, architectural services, mechanical engineering for wastewater treatment systems, electrical engineering for industrial facilities, structural engineering for industrial applications, environmental engineering for water and wastewater treatment, and subsurface utility engineering. All key design staff (Design Manager, Lead Electrical Engineer, Lead Instrumentation and Controls Engineer, Lead Architect, Lead Structural Engineer) and construction staff (Project Manager, Preconstruction Manager, Construction Manager, General Superintendent, Quality Control Manager, Scheduler/Project Controls Specialist, Estimator, Health and Safety Manager) must be identified with resumes demonstrating relevant project experience.

Proposals must include nine originals, eight bound originals, one unbound original, and one CD/USB flash drive with PDF files. Questions are due November 2, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.; addenda will be issued by November 5, 2026. A short-list selection meeting is estimated for December 2026 or January 2027, with contract award estimated for July 2027. Prime contractors and all sub-consultants must be registered vendors with Palm Beach County at time of contract award and must comply with the County's Enterprise Business Ordinance requirements. Design-Builder must provide a Public Construction Bond equal to 100% of the contract value and commercial general liability, workers' compensation, professional liability, and builders risk insurance as specified in contract general conditions.