Wastewater Treatment Plant Network Services Proposal

City of San Mateo
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Tel: (650) 522-7386 Fax:(650)522-7301
330 West 20th Avenue
San Mateo, California 94403 www.cityofsanmateo.org
Wastewater
Treatment Plant
Network
Services
Proposals

Bid Posting Date:
September 8, 2026
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR NETWORK MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT OF SAN MATEO'S WASTEWATER
TREATMENT PLANT PCS NETWORK
CITY OF SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA
September 8th, 2026
I. INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to identify and select a qualified
consultant with demonstrated expertise in Operational Technology (OT), Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and Information Technology (IT) network
architecture and cybersecurity. The City of SanMateo is requesting proposals to monitor,
repair update, and manage the wastewater treatment plant and collection system Plant
Control Systems.
We are requesting proposals from qualified network support vendors to provide ongoing
monitoring, maintenance, and technical support for the Wastewater Treatment Plant
(WWTP) network environment. This includes both Information Technology (IT) and
Operational Technology (OT)/SCADA systems that support critical infrastructure
operations.
II. BACKGROUND
The WWTP relies on a combination of industrial control systems, SCADA servers, PLC
networks, firewalls, switches, and remote access systems. Reliable, secure network
operations are essential for regulatory compliance, operational stability, and continuity of
service.

The selected vendor will be responsible for ensuring reliable network performance,
security, documentation accuracy, and rapid response to operational issues.
The City of San Mateo Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a secondary treatment
facility with a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Permit (NPDES) maximum dry
weather discharge capacity of 15.7 million gallons per day (MGD) and up to 60 MGD in wet
weather. The City of SanMateo's Wastewater Treatment Plant has recently undergone an
upgrade that has converted the treatment process to consist of Primary Clarification tanks,
Biological Nutrient Removal, Membrane Bioreactors, and disinfection/dechlorination prior
to discharge into the San Francisco Bay. The solids treatment process consists of gravity
sludge thickeners for the primary sludge, dissolved air flotation thickening of the secondary
sludge, anaerobic digestion, and dewatering by centrifuges. This upgrade has increased the
size and complexity of the Plant Control System. The Wastewater Treatment Plant is also
responsible for two remote pump stations in the collection system that are incorporated
into the plant's SCADA system via dedicated fiber connections.
The WWTP uses a combination of an in-house maintenance group and contractors for
monitoring, preventive maintenance, repairs and updating of the plant's control system.
The WWTP maintenance group is not staffed with all possible specialty workers for the
needed work. Therefore, external contracting services are required on an ongoing basis. In
the event of an imminent equipment or process failure or other critical situation, the WWTP
may need the services of an on-call IT/OT management contractor with the appropriate
specialized skills and equipment. The City intends to contract with an IT/OT management
company that has the proper licenses, skills, Certifications and equipment to provide
planned and emergency services on an as-needed basis.
III. SCOPE OF SERVICES
Upon receiving the Network Support and maintenance contract, vendor will conduct a
thorough on-site review of the WWTP's Control System. Any recommended improvements
will be evaluated and, if implemented, will be contracted for separately from this award.
A. Program Management and Reporting
Plant Control System Management
Provide ongoing monitoring, management, stabilization, and technical oversight of the
Plant Control System (PCS) and its supporting infrastructure to maintain reliable
operations and a secure, supported environment.
Project and Task Management
Coordinate, prioritize, document, and track maintenance activities, incidents, system

improvements, vendor activities, and other technical work affecting the control system
environment. Coordinate tasks with SCADA integrators.
Monthly Reporting
Prepare monthly progress reports documenting:
* Work completed during the reporting period
* Current projects and open action items
* Incidents, identified risks, and unresolved issues
* Known industry wide threats targeting water/wastewater facilities
* Planned maintenance and upcoming activities
* Recommendations requiring City review or approval
Annual Report and System Audit
Conduct an annual review of the supported environment and provide a comprehensive
report that includes:
* Operating system, application, firmware, and device-version status
* Hardware and software supportability
* Network device health and memory utilization
* Outstanding system issues and risks
* Security, reliability, and lifecycle recommendations
* Prioritized remediation and improvement items
B. 24/7 Remote Monitoring and Incident Response
Continuous Remote Monitoring
Provide continuous monitoring of the primary infrastructure supporting the WWTP,
Collection System, and UFES sites.
The monitored environment currently includes approximately (exact count to be
verified during onsite PCS review):
* 66 network switches
* 3 firewalls and security appliances
* 3 physical servers
* 35 workstations, operator terminals, and thin clients
* 2 Design Workstations

* 3 VMware hosts
* 21 Virtual Servers
* 21 Network Attached Storage (NAS) Server - Backup destination
* 2 Switch Stacks
* 1 Storage Area Network (SAN) - Primary Storage for VMware hosts
* 20 other network devices
Alert Triage and Remediation
Review and respond to system alerts, equipment failures, application issues,
connectivity problems, security events, and service interruptions. Coordinate with City
personnel and third-party vendors as necessary to restore service.
Incident Response
Provide remote incident-response services during normal business hours and after
hours when requested. Non-emergency incidents should receive a response within 24
Hrs.
Incident Documentation
Prepare formal incident reports for significant outages or security events. Reports
should be documented:
* The nature and duration of the incident
* Affected systems and operational impact
* Root cause or probable cause
* Corrective actions taken
* Recommendations to reduce the likelihood or impact of recurrence
C. Preventive Maintenance and Technical Support
Operating System and Application Maintenance
Evaluate, test, coordinate, and apply operating system patches, application updates,
software upgrades, and firmware updates as appropriate for operational technology
environments.
Maintenance activities are to be performed with consideration for applicable
Department of Homeland Security guidance and NIST publications, including NIST SP
800-53, 800-61, and 800-82.

Hardware and Infrastructure Health
Evaluate the health, performance, capacity, and supportability of servers,
workstations, network equipment, firewalls, storage systems, operator terminals, and
other control system infrastructure.
D. Monthly On-Site Support
Provide a regularly scheduled monthly site visit, generally estimated at 8 to 16 hours,
to perform activities such as:
* Physical inspection of supported equipment
* Manual system and redundancy testing
* Troubleshooting that cannot be completed remotely
* Coordination with operations, maintenance, IT, and control system personnel
* Implementation of approved changes
* Training or knowledge transfer related to recent upgrades and system changes
E. Configuration and Documentation Management
Maintain current technical and configuration documentation for the supported
environment. Documentation should be stored in the City's designated SharePoint
environment and made accessible to authorized City IT and control system personnel.
Documentation at a minimum should include:
* Network and system architecture diagrams
* Hardware and software inventory
* System configurations
* Backup and recovery procedures
* Vendor and support information
* Administrative procedures
* Change and maintenance records
F. Break-Fix and Contingency Support
As-Needed Remediation
Provide troubleshooting and remediation for unanticipated failures, system defects,
integration issues, and problems involving supported third-party products.
Emergency Support
Respond to critical system failures during business hours, nights, weekends, and

holidays when requested by authorized City personnel. Vendor must have a hotline to
allow for immediate contact when necessary 24/7.
Vendor Coordination
Work directly with equipment manufacturers, software vendors, system integrators,
telecommunications providers, City IT, and other contractors to diagnose and resolve
issues affecting the control system environment.
G. Technical Leadership, CIO, and Project Services
Provide technical leadership and advisory services related to San Mateo's Operational
Technology environment, including:
* Technology planning and lifecycle management
* Cybersecurity planning
* Architecture and design review
* Budgetary and procurement support
* Development of technical specifications
* Vendor and proposal evaluation
* Project planning and implementation support
* Coordination between operations, engineering, IT, integrators, and vendors
* Support for system implementations, migrations, expansions, and
modernization projects
H. Additional Services to be provided
Secure Remote Access
Provide and support secure remote access for authorized users and vendors through a
remote-access platform. (City currently uses Tosi Box). The current environment
includes approximately 14 authorized mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.
Services include:
* User and device administration
* Secure access configuration
* Troubleshooting and support
* Access-policy management
* Vendor access coordination
* Review and removal of obsolete access
Veeam Backup Management

Manage and monitor the Veeam backup environment protecting the VMware
infrastructure and its associated Backup and Disaster Recovery server.
Services include:
* Backup-job monitoring
* Failure investigation and remediation
* Backup configuration and maintenance
* Periodic recovery testing
* Capacity and retention review
* Coordination of backup-related infrastructure changes
SCADA System Alarm system Infrastructure Support
Monitor, maintain, and support the SeQent software platform and its related
infrastructure.
Services include:
* Application and infrastructure troubleshooting
* System monitoring and maintenance
* Vendor coordination
* Upgrade and migration support
* Resolution of integration and communication issues
IV. PROPOSALS
Proposals should be as concise as possible and include the following information outlined
below.
A. Cover Letter
The proposal shall be submitted with a cover letter. The letter accompanying the
proposal must provide the name, title, address, telephone number, and signature of
the individual(s) authorized to negotiate and bind the firm contractually. An unsigned
proposal or one signed by an individual unauthorized to bind the firm may be rejected.
The cover letter shall provide a summary of the firm's capabilities and availability of
construction management staff, information and qualifications of the proposed lead
who will be representing the firm.
B. Approach to Providing Network Monitoring and Management of PCS Network

Provide a detailed description of the firm's proposed approach to implementing and
achieving the Scope of Services described in Section III. At a minimum, the approach
shall include an implementation plan for the tasks described in the scope of services,
team organization, communication protocol, availability of proposed personnel, and
response time.
C. Experience and Qualifications
Provide a brief history of the firm, including name of the firm, general services,
experience, the firm was established under the current name, the principal place of
business, and the location of local office(s). Indicate any other previous names of the
firm during the last five (5) years and the year any name change was effective.
D. Estimated Costs and Labor Hours
Please provide quotes for the scope of work as well as your time and material costs
for additional work.
E. Conflict of Interest Statement
Provide names of individuals associated with the firm that have a potential conflict of
interest. The City may not contract with a proposer if the proposer is an employee,
officer, or director of the proposer's firm, or any immediate family member of the
preceding, has served as an elected official, employee, board, or commission member
of the City who influences the making of the contract. Furthermore, the City may not
contract with any proposer whose income, investment, or real property interest may be
affected by the contract. Proposals are subject to disqualification based on such
conflict of interest as determined by the City.
F. Terms and Conditions
The proposal shall stipulate that it is predicated upon all the terms and conditions of
the Request for Proposals. In addition, it shall contain a statement to the effect that it
is valid for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of receipt thereof
by the City. It shall be signed by an official authorized to bind the organization. The City
reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. Any protest, if allowed, shall conform
to City Resolution No. 61 (2004).
V. AGREEMENT AND PAYMENT
A. Agreement
The selected firm will be required to execute an Agreement for services on the City's
form, which is made part of the Request for Proposal as shown in Appendix 1. All

proposers are directed particularly to review all Indemnification, Hold Harmless and
insurance requirements set forth in this Agreement. Any changes requested to the
City's Agreement must be submitted with the proposal and will be evaluated as part of
the proposal. Changes to the Agreement may render the proposal non-responsive.
B. Payment
The method of payment to the successful proposer shall be in accordance with the
payment clause of the executed agreement with the selected firm as shown in Section
5, "Payment" of the sample agreement provided in Appendix 1. No payments will be
made prior to execution of the agreement.
VI. SUBMISSION OF THE PROPOSAL
Proposers shall submit an electronic copy of their proposals as described in Section III to
Robert Learmonth, WWTP Plant Manager, at rlearmonth@cityofsanmateo.org.
Proposals must be received by 5 PM 9/18/2026. Proposals received after this time or
at any other location will not be accepted.
VII. SELECTION PROCESS
Proposal submissions will be reviewed based on completeness, responsiveness to all
items included in the scope of services, firm's qualifications, and cost. Review of the firm's
qualifications criteria will also include: 1) Ability to monitor and repair the network
remotely, to include appropriate infrastructure and personnel. 2) Ability to monitor,
maintain and improve network security, to include remote secure access for city staff. 3)
Experience with similar types of facilities and infrastructure. 4) Emergency response. To
include incident response, remediation and documentation 24/7.
Interviews may be held at the City's discretion.
VIII. SELECTION TIMELINE