HomeMy WebLinkAboutRFP - 2021 Water Distribution System Audit
2021 Water Distribution System Audit
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
CITY OF BOZEMAN
PO BOX 1230
BOZEMAN, MT 59771-1230
MARCH 2021
NOTICE IS HEREBY given that the City of Bozeman (‘City’) is requesting proposals from qualified
engineering and consulting firms to provide professional services to conduct a water loss
control survey-audit and level one validation (‘Audit’) in order to develop a robust water loss
control program for the City. This project will include an analysis of the water system
examining all the facets of water use and water loss in the City. The information obtained from
the Audit will be utilized to identify the amount of overall losses within the water distribution
system, where those losses are occurring, make recommendations to control system water loss,
and provide tools and resources for the City to utilize for performing an annual water loss audit
in subsequent years. This will be accomplished by using the American Water Works Association
(AWWA) Water Audit Software as well as following methods contained in the AWWA M36
manual on Water Audits and Loss Control Programs.
The complete Request for Proposals packet is available for download on the City’s website at
https://weblink.bozeman.net/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=234453&dbid=0&repo=BOZEMAN.
All proposals must be provided as a single, searchable PDF document file and be submitted
digitally as an email attachment to the RFP Recipient email address below. Respondents are
advised that Recipient’s email attachment size limit is 25MB and that only one PDF file will be
allowed per response. The subject line of the transmittal email shall clearly identify the RFP title,
company name and due date/time. File sizes greater than 25MB in size may be uploaded to
bzncloud.bozeman.net upon special arrangement of the Recipient; however, it is the
respondent’s sole responsibility to ensure the file upload is completed, and that the Recipient is
separately notified via email of completed file upload prior to the given deadline.
The deadline to submit the RFP response is Wednesday, April 7th, at 3:00 p.m. MST. It is the sole
responsibility of the responding individual to ensure their email transmittal is digitally timestamped
as being sent to the Recipient’s email address prior to the prescribed closing time, as late
submittals will not be accepted.
RFP Recipient Email Address: agenda@bozeman.net
NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL PAY
The City of Bozeman is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Discrimination in the performance of any agreement awarded under this RFP on the basis of race,
color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, or actual or perceived sexual
orientation, gender identity or disability is prohibited. This prohibition shall apply to the hiring
and treatment of the awarded entity’s employees and to all subcontracts.
As such, each entity submitting under this notice shall include a provision wherein the submitting
entity, or entities, affirms in writing it will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion,
creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, or because of actual or perceived sexual
orientation, gender identity or disability, and which also recognizes the eventual contract will
contain a provision prohibiting discrimination as described above and that this prohibition on
discrimination shall apply to the hiring and treatment of the submitting entity’s employees and
to all subcontracts.
In addition, pursuant to City Commission Resolution 5169, the entity awarded a contract under
this RFQ and any subcontractors must abide by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Section 39-3-104,
MCA (the Montana Equal Pay Act), and affirm it will abide by the above and that it has visited the
State of Montana Equal Pay for Equal Work “best practices” website,
https://equalpay.mt.gov/BestPractices/Employers, or equivalent “best practices publication and
has read the material.
Failure to comply with these non-discrimination provisions is cause for the City to disqualify the
firm from selection.
Any administrative questions regarding RFP transmittal procedures or noticing materials shall be
directed to: Mike Maas, City Clerk, (406) 582-2321, mmaas@bozeman.net.
Any and all questions or clarifications relating to the RFP scope of services, submittal contents,
evaluation criteria, or selection procedures shall be directed solely and exclusively in writing to:
Jessica Ahlstrom, Water Conservation Specialist, jahlstrom@bozeman.net, 406-582-2265. The
respondent, and any of its associating parties, shall not contact other City staff in the preparation
of its response to this RFP.
Emailed questions or clarifications will be accepted until Monday, March 29th at 11:59 p.m. MST.
after which time the questions will be compiled, anonymized and provided with a posted
response on the City’s RFP webpage. Further questions will not be entertained after the question
period has elapsed.
The City reserves the right to amend or modify any element of this RFP by issuance of an
addendum at any time prior to the given submittal deadline. Any addenda that may be issued
for this RFP will be individually noticed on the City’s RFP webpage. It is the respondent’s
responsibility to determine if any addenda have been issued.
DATED at Bozeman, Montana, this Sunday, March 21st, 2020.
Mike Maas
City Clerk
City of Bozeman
For publication on:
Sunday, March 21st, 2021
Sunday, March 28th, 2021
I. INTRODUCTION
The City of Bozeman (‘City’) is requesting proposals from qualified engineering and consulting
firms to provide professional services to conduct a water loss control survey-audit and level one
validation (‘Audit’) in order to develop a robust water loss control program for the City. This
project will incorporate an analysis of the water system examining all the facets of water use
and water loss in the City. The information obtained from the Audit will be utilized to identify
the amount of overall losses within the water distribution system, where those losses are
occurring, make recommendations to control system water loss, and provide tools and
resources for the City to utilize for performing an annual water loss audit in subsequent years.
This will be accomplished by using the standard American Water Works Association (AWWA)
Water Audit Software as well as methods contained in the AWWA M36 manual on Water
Audits and Loss Control Programs.
The release of this RFP alone shall not commit the City to enter into a Professional Services
Agreement, to pay any expenses incurred in preparation of any response to this request, or to
procure or contract for any supplies, goods or services.
II. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION
The City of Bozeman provides water service to approximately 14,000 metered connections
through 295 miles of water mains. Nearly forty percent of total annual water use occurs in
single-family homes followed in magnitude by multifamily and commercial connections, which
account for approximately 24% each of total annual use. Additional customer connection
classes include government, industrial, and Montana State University. Total annual metered
production during the 2020 calendar year was approximately 6,800 acre-feet (AF).
The City of Bozeman, located in Gallatin County, MT, has been experiencing high growth for the
past seven years, at approximately 4% annually. The City estimates the population reached
over 51,000 in 2020. The average annual gallons per capita day (gpcd) water demand over the
last five years (2016-2020) was 121 (based on metered production).
The City relies on snowpack and surface water for its water supply, receiving 80% of its water
from the Gallatin Mountains and 20% from a developed spring in the Bridger Mountains.
Bozeman is considered drought-prone and has historically experienced numerous drought
events. Future projections indicate more climate variability, including earlier peak runoffs,
more precipitation in the form of rain than snow, and hotter, drier summers - likely stressing
the City’s water supply.
The City of Bozeman’s Water Conservation Division, under the Public Works Department, was
developed after the adoption of the 2013 Integrated Water Resources Plan (IWRP), which
recommends alternatives for generating additional water supplies to meet projected future
demands through new supply development and demand management initiatives. Ultimately,
the IWRP recommends that water conservation measures make up 10,100 acre-feet of the City
of Bozeman’s projected 50-year water supply gap.
The Water Conservation Division has implemented various public-facing incentive and
education-based program measures since its inception, with a focus on voluntary water
conservation measures, specifically. The City has also implemented best management practices
to maximize water efficiency within its distribution system and other infrastructure. This
includes ongoing leak detection and pipe replacement, as well as Automated Meter
Infrastructure (AMI) meter upgrades.
In 2014, the City hired an engineering and consulting firm to complete a water loss control
audit based on guidance in the AWWA M36 Water Audits and Loss Control Programs manual.
The goal of this audit was to uncover areas of real and apparent water loss. The findings from
this audit will be made available to the firm selected to complete the 2021 audit.
The goal of the 2021 Audit is to identify the amount of overall losses within the water
distribution system, where those losses are occurring, make cost effective recommendations to
control system water loss, and provide tools and resources for the City to utilize for performing
an annual water loss audit in subsequent years in order for the City to maximize efficiency to
support water conservation goals.
The project comprises of a combination of services designed to assist the City in improving
water accountability and optimizing the operational performance of the City's distribution
system. This specific project will start by using a “top-down” approach to analyze the water
system and examine all the facets of water use and water loss in the City. The Audit will also
include a leakage component analysis and a “bottom-up” validation approach. The data used in
this Audit will be focused on a 12-month period of time, however, when applicable, 36-months
of data will also be made available.
III. PRELIMINARY SCOPE OF WORK
The preliminary scope of work for this project will involve a series of tasks and deliverables as
outlined below. The City desires for the scope of work to be completed in a diligent manner.
Additional tasks and work elements may be inserted into the scope of work during contract
negotiations with the selected firm. It is also possible that tasks or elements could be removed
during negotiations or not included in an initial contract due to budget limitations. In its proposal,
a firm may recommend addition/deletion of tasks and/or modification of tasks in describing its
particular understanding and approach for the project.
Proposals must clearly identify any elements of the proposed scope of work that would not be
provided by the prime consulting firm. Any sub-consultants which comprise the respondent
team must be identified along with a description of past working history between the firms.
Tasks:
Completion of tasks shall generally conform to best practices outlined in the American Water
Works Association (AWWA) M36 manual on Water Audits and Loss Control Programs. The
Audit is to be of such a quality that the same data and processes developed and applied in this
project can be used in subsequent years to enable the City to track utility water losses
internally.
1. Review of Current Water Loss Prevention Practices
All studies and reports on previous water loss for the City should be reviewed with the goal of
refining and updating previous techniques. This includes but is not limited to the City’s 2014
Water Loss Control Audit, the City’s ongoing pipe replacement program, and the City’s leak
detection program. A detailed review of current water loss prevention practices should be
completed to identify cost effective loss reduction strategies.
2. Conduct Audit of the City’s Water System
Begin the Audit with a top-down approach by gathering information from existing records,
procedures, data and other information systems. Once necessary information is collected,
follow the Audit process steps outlined in the AWWA M36 Manual. Utilize the AWWA Water
Audit Software to calculate and validate both apparent and real losses. This information will
provide the foundation for all water loss and remediation recommendations.
3. Complete Level One Water Audit Data Validation
4. Provide Water Loss Remediation and Prevention Recommendations
Based on information from the above-listed tasks, develop short and long-term water loss
remediation recommendations. Highlight opportunities for internal process changes that will
minimize apparent losses and increase revenues. Identify cost effective short and long-term
solutions to minimizing real losses. Provide strategies to decrease water losses as the City’s
distribution system continues to expand.
5. Provide Detailed Insight into the Methodology Used to Conduct the Audit
Once the above-listed tasks are complete, provide a detailed overview of the steps taken to
produce results. Provide tools and resources that the City can use in future years to conduct
audits internally and continue the water loss management program. Provide recommendations
for how the City can develop and maintain an ongoing water loss program, including
recommendations on how to track progress over on a short and long-term basis.
Key Deliverables:
1. Completed Audit in a digital format using the AWWA Water Audit Software including all
data and validation calculations.
2. Audit report including but not limited to:
a) Water Loss remediation and prevention recommendations for both short and
long-term programs.
b) A detailed description explaining the methodology and logic used to complete
the Audit and develop the recommendations.
c) Recommendations for developing and maintaining a long-term water loss audit
program within the City.
IV. PROPOSAL CONTENTS AND FORMAT
Proposals must contain the following information and be organized under the headings below.
A. Proposal Contents
1. Firm Background
2. Project Overview
3. Project Approach
4. Management Approach
5. Staff Qualifications
6. Related Experience on Similar Projects
7. Proposed Schedule
8. Nondiscrimination and Equal Pay Affirmation Form (see Attachment A)
i. Failure to provide a signed Nondiscrimination and Equal Pay Affirmation is cause
to disqualify the firm from selection.
B. Proposal Format
Respondents shall provide proposals as a single, searchable PDF document file format.
1. RFP responses shall contain a cover letter, not exceeding one page in length, signed
by an officer or principal of the responding prime firm. Digital signatures are
acceptable.
2. RFP responses must be contained within 20 total pages or less, including whatever
graphics, charts, tables, figures and text narrative the firm deems necessary and
appropriate. Page size shall be no larger than 8-1/2 x 11 inches, with margins no
smaller than 0.75 inches, and text information no smaller than 11-point type.
3. The following pages are exempted from the maximum 20-page limit: Cover Page,
Cover Letter, Table of Contents Page, Divider Pages, and Resumes. Page size for
exempted pages remains limited to 8-1/2 x 11 inches, with no smaller than 0.75”
margins, and text no smaller than 11-point type.
4. An exception is granted to the otherwise required 8-1/2 x 11 inches page size for a
project schedule sheet, which may be provided at a page size of 11 x 17 inches. The
schedule sheet does apply towards to maximum 20-page limit.
V. RFP DEADLINES & SELECTION TIMELINES
EVENT DATE/TIME
Publication dates of RFP Sunday March 21st & 28th, 2021
Deadline for RFP questions & clarifications Monday March 29th at 11:59 p.m. MST
City Response to questions & clarifications By Thursday April 1st, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. MST
Deadline for transmittal of proposals Wednesday April 7th at 3:00 p.m. MST
Evaluation of proposals April 8th - April 12th,2021
Interviews (if necessary) and Selection Week of April 12th, 2021
Contract Negotiation April 19th – April 23rd, 2021
Contract Authorization & Notice to Proceed May 11th, 2021
The timeline of events following deadline for transmittal of proposals is aspirational and is not
predetermined. The City endeavors to conduct these post-deadline events diligently in order to
arrive at contract authorization and notice to proceed by the date shown. Failure to reach the
notice to proceed milestone by the date shown imparts no liability on the part of the City.
VI. SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL
By submitting a proposal, the consulting firm makes an incontrovertible and unequivocal
representation that it understands, respects, and agrees to be bound by the terms and processes
described herein that the City will employ in its review, evaluation, selection and contract
negotiations occurring under this RFP procurement action. The proposal shall be submitted as
stated in the notice.
VII. SELECTION PROCEDURE
Procurement of professional services under this RFP is governed by Sec. 18-8-201 MCA et. Seq.
and the specific processes contained within this RFP. Proposals meeting the submittal
requirements and deadline will be distributed to a project selection committee for review and
evaluation. The selection committee will consist of no fewer than 3 City staff members whose
identities will remain anonymous ahead of the submittal deadline.
Proposals will be distributed to the selection committee where they will be individually evaluated
against the selection criteria below. Upon review, each member will assign an ordered ranking
of the proposals from most-qualified to least-qualified. The most-qualified proposal will be
assigned an ordinal value of one (1), the second most-qualified an ordinal value of two (2),
continuing in this fashion until the least qualified proposal is found and given an ordinal value
equaling the total count of proposals received. Ordinals assigned to each proposal by each
committee member will then be summed together and sorted from lowest ordinal sum to highest
ordinal sum, producing the selection committee’s initial ranking list from most-qualified to least-
qualified. The selection committee will review the initial ranking list and determine at its sole
discretion whether it will conduct interviews with the top ranking firms of its choosing, or it may
determine that it will forego interviews and simply select the most-qualified firm from the initial
ranking list to enter contract negotiations. Should the selection committee determine it will
conduct interviews, it will select the firm it determines to be most-qualified upon a combined
evaluation of the firm’s written proposal and interview performance.
The firm determined by the selection committee to be most-qualified will be deemed the
‘selected firm’ for which the City will enter into contract negotiations. To begin contract
negotiations, the initial draft of the Professional Services Agreement between the City and the
selected firm will incorporate the scope of work and schedule as presented in its RFP submittal.
Contract negotiations will take into account the estimated value of services to be rendered, as
well as the scope, complexity and professional nature thereof, in order to arrive at a contract
that the City determines to be fair and reasonable. If the City is unable to negotiate a satisfactory
contract with the consultant initially selected at a price the City determines to be fair and
reasonable, negotiations with that consultant will be formally terminated and the City will select
another consultant in accordance with Sec. 18-8-204 MCA and continue until an agreement is
reached or the procurement process is terminated.
VIII. SELECTION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated on the criteria listed below. These are minimum criteria listed in Sec.
18-8-204 MCA as well as an additional criterion capturing the consultant’s specific project
approach and understanding. These criteria are not assigned point values for relative weighting
in the evaluation and ranking process. Instead, selection committee members will review and
evaluate the proposal as a whole to assign proposal rankings from most- to least-qualified.
• The consultant’s specific project approach and understanding;
• Qualifications of professional personnel to be assigned to the project;
• Capability to meet project time and budget requirements;
• Location of the consulting firm;
• Present and projected workloads;
• Related experience on similar projects;
• Recent and current work for the City.
IX. CITY RESERVATION OF RIGHTS / LIABILITY WAIVER
A. All proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the City and are
considered public records and, as such, may be subject to public review.
B. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals; to add or delete
preliminary scope items and/or quantities; to amend the RFP; to waive any minor
irregularities, informalities, or failure to conform to the RFP; to extend the deadline for
submitting questions or proposals; to postpone contract authorization and notice to
proceed for any length of time it determines necessary; to award one or more contracts,
by item or task, or groups of items or tasks, if so provided in the RFP and if multiple
awards or phases are determined by the City to be in the public interest; and to reject,
without liability therefore, any and all proposals upon finding that doing so is in the public
interest.
C. The City reserves the right to reject the proposal of any person/firm who previously failed
to perform properly to the satisfaction of the City, or complete on time agreements of
similar nature, or to reject the proposal of any person/firm who is not in a position to
perform such an agreement satisfactorily as determined by the City.
D. The City reserves the right to determine the most-qualified consultant and negotiate a
final scope of service and cost, negotiate a contract with another consultant if an
agreement cannot be reached with the first selected consultant, or reject all proposals.
E. This RFP does not commit the City to award a contract. The City assumes no liability or
responsibility for costs incurred by firms in responding to this request for proposals or
engaging in the selection process, prior to the issuance of a contract. The consultant, by
submitting a response to this RFP, waives all right to protest or seek any legal remedies
whatsoever regarding any aspect of this RFP.
F. The City reserves the right to cancel, in part or in its entirety, this RFP including, but not
limited to: selection procedures, submittal date, and submittal requirements. If the City
cancels or revises this RFP, all consultants who submitted proposals will be notified using
email.
G. Projects under any contract are subject to the availability of funds.
X. ATTACHMENTS
The attachments below are incorporated in this RFP:
• Attachment A: Non-Discrimination and Equal Pay Affirmation Form
XI. OTHER RESOURCES
The City’s 2013 Integrated Water Resources Plan (IWRP), 2013 IWRP Implementation Plan,
2014 Water Awareness and Conservation Survey, and 2017 Drought Management Plan can be
found on the City of Bozeman Water Conservation webpage under ‘Drought Management’.
Direct Plan links are listed below:
2013 Integrated Water Resources Plan
2013 IWRP Implementation Plan
2014 Water Awareness and Conservation Survey
2017 Drought Mangement Plan
END OF RFP EXCEPT FOR ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A
NONDISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL PAY AFFIRMATION
____________________________________(name of entity submitting) hereby affirms it will
not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national
origin, or because of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or disability and
acknowledges and understands the eventual contract will contain a provision prohibiting
discrimination as described above and this prohibition on discrimination shall apply to the
hiring and treatments or proposer’s employees and to all subcontracts.
In addition, ____________________________________(name of entity submitting) hereby
affirms it will abide by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Section 39-3-104, MCA (the Montana
Equal Pay Act), and has visited the State of Montana Equal Pay for Equal Work “best practices”
website, https://equalpay.mt.gov/BestPractices/Employers, or equivalent “best practices
publication and has read the material.
______________________________________
Name and title of person authorized to sign on behalf of submitter