4. #26-1014 - Request for Qualifications - Engineering Services for Sanitary Sewer Force Main Conveyance System Project

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
ENGINEERING SERVICES
SANITARY SEWER FORCE MAIN CONVEYANCE SYSTEM PROJECT
RFQ NO. 26-1014
Date of Issue: April 7, 2026
Qualifications Statement Due Date: May 5, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM ET
Issued for:
Catawba County Utilities & Engineering
Water and Sewer Division
25 Government Drive
Newton, North Carolina 28658
(828) 465-8261
Issued by:
Catawba County Purchasing Manager
25 Government Drive
Newton, North Carolina 28658
(828) 465-8224
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INTRODUCTION
Catawba County (hereinafter "County") is soliciting the submittal of qualification
statements from experienced Engineering Firms (hereinafter "Firm") interested in
providing services for the development of a Preliminary Engineering Report (PER)
including route alternatives, project cost estimates, environmental impacts, etc.;
Engineering design including all necessary drawings and specifications; All necessary
permitting; Project bidding and award; Construction Administration and inspection
services, for a force main sanitary sewer conveyance system project estimated to be
22,000 linear feet to 61,000 linear feet in distance connecting to the Future Slanting
Bridge Sanitary Sewer Lift Station to the existing Hickory-Catawba Wastewater
Treatment Plant. The Conveyance System will be designed to convey 1.5 MGD, and
expandible to convey 3.0 MGD. This project is anticipated to include work within and
outside the NCDOT right-of-way. The property acquisition for this project will be
performed by others, but the Firm will be asked to obtain permits to locate the
conveyance system in NCDOT right-of-way where applicable. Eligible firms must have
demonstrated experience in the wastewater project development from PER through
project certification.
Catawba County reserves the right to reject any and all submittals. This submittal
request is neither a contractual offer nor a commitment to purchase services. The
County assumes no contractual obligation as a result of the issuance of this request,
the preparation or submission of a qualifications statement by a Firm, the evaluation
of statements or final selection.
PURPOSE
This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is being issued by County for the purpose of
soliciting Statements of Qualifications from firms for providing services for the design
and construction administration and inspection for a force main sanitary sewer
conveyance project in the southeastern part of Catawba County.
RFQ SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFQ. Catawba County will make
every effort to adhere to this schedule.
Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue RFQ County April 7, 2026
Submitted Written Questions Firms April 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Provide Responses to Questions County April 27, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Submit Proposals Firms May 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Contract Award County TBA
Contract Effective Date County Upon execution
The qualifications statement shall be submitted no later than 5:00 PM on May 5,
2026. No submittals will be accepted after the deadline.
Once the submittals have been reviewed, the County reserves the right to shortlist
Firm(s) and request that the Firm(s) conduct a presentation and be interviewed by the
selection committee.
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RFQ QUESTIONS
Written questions shall be emailed to tinawright@catawbacountync.gov by the date and
time specified above. Firms should enter "RFQ # 26-1014 - Questions" as the subject
for the email. Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the County's
response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the County will be posted in
the form of an addendum to the Catawba County website,
https://www.catawbacountync.gov/county-services/purchasing/bid-notices/ and
shall become an Addendum to this RFQ. No information, instruction or advice provided
orally or informally by any County personnel, whether made in response to a question
or otherwise in connection with this RFQ, shall be considered authoritative or binding.
Firms shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFQ.
SUBMISSION OF QUALIFICATIONS
The qualifications statement must be submitted with one (1) original, one (1) copy and
one (1) electronic copy on flash drive. When responding to this RFQ, please follow all
instructions carefully. Please submit proposal contents according to the outline
specified. Failure to follow these instructions may be considered a non-responsive
submission and may result in immediate elimination from further consideration. The
qualifications statement should be sent to the address indicated in the table below.
Mailing address for delivery of Office Address of delivery by any
proposal via US Postal Service other method (hand delivery,
overnight, or any other carrier)
RFQ Number: RFQ 26-1014 RFQ Number: RFQ 26-1014
Catawba County Government Center Catawba County Government Center
Attn: Purchasing Department Attn: Purchasing Department
Post Office Box 389 25 Government Drive
Newton, North Carolina 28658 Newton, North Carolina 28658
IMPORTANT NOTE: All qualifications shall be physically delivered to the office address
listed above on or before the submission deadline in order to be considered timely,
regardless of the method of delivery. This is an absolute requirement. All risk of late
arrival due to unanticipated delay-whether delivered by hand, U.S. Postal Service,
courier or other delivery service is entirely on the Firm(s). It is the sole responsibility of
the Firm to have the qualifications physically in this Office by the specified time and
date of opening.
BACKGROUND
History of Utilities in the SECC
The Catawba County Board of Commissioners (BOC) has long recognized the role of
proactive infrastructure planning in establishing and maintaining a climate conducive
to fostering quality growth and development. Over time, the BOC has governed in such
a way that acknowledges the support role played by water and sewer infrastructure in
facilitating and enabling market-driven development, rather than pushing or propelling
that growth. In the early 2000's, through an extensive public process involving design
charrettes and citizen-based committees, Catawba County developed the Sherrills Ford
Small Area Plan, in which the need for water and sewer investment and the notion of
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land use driving infrastructure requirements was explicitly laid out. This Land Use Plan
was updated in 2024.
The BOC also has a strong and long-standing tradition of partnership and collaboration.
As such, Catawba County operates a water and sewer utility system through a series of
partnership agreements involving municipalities within the region. Catawba County
offers these services to its citizens through contract with partner jurisdictions for
maintenance and operation of water and sewer systems, participating in various cost-
share models for the funding of line extensions and infrastructure investments to
support this approach. This series of agreements, some of which are specifically
discussed below, has evolved over time to yield a service delivery system whereby County
residents and businesses are afforded access to utilities provided by the County's
municipal partners on behalf of the County.
WATER
The City of Hickory is the primary supplier of drinking water to the citizens of Catawba
County. As such, Catawba County entered into a contract with the City of Hickory in
August of 2000 for the provision of long-term supply of municipal water to Southeastern
Catawba County (SECC) through 2040. Thus, the SECC water distribution loop was a
needed benefit for the citizens of the SECC area, the towns of Maiden and Catawba, and
the cities of Claremont and Conover, ensuring the continuous flow of drinking water by
providing a fortified distribution system. All cities could benefit from the SECC loop in
the event of a catastrophic event involving their water distribution systems.
The SECC water distribution loop was developed in three separate, but co-dependent
phases. Between 2000 and 2016, Catawba County, in partnership with City of Hickory,
constructed the water loop from the Conover interconnect, south along Sherrills Ford
Road to NC Highway 150. From NC Highway 150, the waterline continued to East
Maiden Road and Olivers Cross Roads, eventually interconnecting with Hickory's water
system on Startown Road.
SEWER
While the final phase of water was under construction, the County began to extend
sewer lines in the SECC area in an effort to expand service and spur economic
development, primarily along the NC Highway 150 corridor. Sewer infrastructure began
in 2010 with the northern section, a series of pump stations and force mains from
Sherrills Ford Elementary School along Mollys Backbone Road, then along Brown
Chapel Road, eventually connecting with City of Hickory's sewer system at the Hickory-
Catawba Wastewater Treatment Plant. Sewer service then expanded along the NC
Highway 150 corridor with a series of gravity sewers, pump stations and, force main
sewers connecting to the northern project at Sherrills Ford Elementary School. Sewer
along the NC Highway 150 corridor was completed in 2019.
While the sewer system along NC Highway 150 was under construction, the Hickory-
Catawba Wastewater Treatment Facility expanded to 1.5 million gallons per day.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Firm shall provide professional engineering services to assist with the following:
Finding a sanitary sewer force main route from the future site of the Slanting Bridge
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Sanitary Sewer Lift Station to the Hickory-Catawba Wastewater Treatment Plant. The
force main will be designed to convey 1.5 MGD upon completion and be expandable to
3.0 MGD. The consultant selected for this project shall prepare design plans and
specifications for force main; Obtain all necessary permits; Prepare bid documents and
assist with bidding the project; Assist the County in evaluating the bids; Provide
construction oversight and inspections services through the construction process; and
prepare the final record drawings for the project. The following tasks comprise the
general scope of work:
1. Project Kickoff Meeting
2. Develop Preliminary Engineering Report showing routing options and
discussing pros and cons of each
3. Survey selected route
4. Prepare any easement maps and descriptions needed for selected route
5. Prepare construction plans and specifications
6. Provide Assistance in preparation of bid documents
7. Provide assistance in responding to bid questions
8. Bid evaluation assistance and recommendation
9. Construction Kickoff Meeting
10. Contract Administration
11. Review submittals and answer RFIs
12. Provide construction oversite and inspection services
13. Review contractor's invoices and make recommendation for payment
14. Prepare final record drawings in hardcopy and electronic/pdf format on a
flash drive. Electronic record drawings will include surveyed attributes for
inclusion in County's GIS. Attributes include, but are not limited to, air
release valve location and pipe depth.
The list of tasks above is not meant to be a full description of the work, but a summary
breakdown of the scope in the design and construction of the gravity sewer.
CONTENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS STATEMENT
Respondents must carefully read the information in this "Contents of Qualifications
Statement" section and submit a complete Qualifications Statement responding to each
request for information. Incomplete Qualifications Statements will be considered non-
responsive and are subject to rejection.
Qualifications shall be submitted on 8-1/2 x 11 paper, side bound with Table of
Contents and reference tabs for key sections. Qualifications Statements shall be
limited to 30 pages, printed front and back.
The qualification statement must be submitted with one (1) original, one (1) copy and
one (1) electronic copy on flash drive.
Qualification Statement shall include the following information:
1. Introduction - Letter of Transmittal
* Summarize in a brief and concise manner the Firm's understanding of the scope
of work and make a positive commitment to perform the work in a professional
and timely manner.
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2. Qualifications of Firm
Please provide:
* General work plan that demonstrates the consultant's complete understanding
of the scope of work.
* Company's recent history and experience in sanitary sewer force main design in
the last three years as it relates to projects of same or similar scope as this
project.
* Overall qualifications of project's managers and key personnel.
* Previous project success for projects similar in scope to this project.
* Overall experience with:
- Developing written technical specifications
- Sanitary Sewer Conveyance Systems to include Gravity Sewer, Lift Stations,
and Forcemain Design
- Project Construction oversight and inspection.
- Project administration.
- Project closeout.
* Provide a summary of any litigation, claim(s), or contract dispute(s) filed by or
against the Firm in the past five (5) years that are related to the services that the
Firm provides in the regular course of business. The summary shall state the
nature of the litigation, claim, or contract dispute; a brief description of the case;
the outcome or projected outcome; and the monetary amount involved. If no
litigation claim(s) or contract dispute(s) have been filed by or against the Firm in
the past five (5) years, please state that.
* List any regulatory or license agency sanctions. If no license sanctions against
the Firm, please state that.
3. Project Management and Key Personnel
Please provide:
* Firm staff resumes that show project comparable experience in North Carolina
for staff assigned to this project.
* State qualifications of the firm and its key personnel who will be assigned to work
with the County.
* List of personnel who will work on the project including their specific
qualifications and experience on projects of similar scope.
* List any professional training and experience, especially in relation to the type
and magnitude of work required for this particular scope of services.
* List any licenses or certifications related to the scope of work described in this
Request for Qualifications.
* Describe the Firm's approach to and/or method of cost control and project
scheduling.
* Current workload and percentage of availability of key personnel.
* Hourly billing rates charged by your Firm for each position type.
4. References - Past Performance and Existing Contracts
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Please provide:
* List of previous and current clients for work similar to this scope of work within
the past three years. Include names and location of project, brief description and
firm's key personnel's involvement, name of project manager and telephone
number, date, and value of project. In addition, please complete Attachment A:
Reference Disclosure Form and submit with qualifications.
EVALUATION METHOD - SELECTION PROCESS
Catawba County will use the following selection process. This process is designed to
ensure that consultants are selected in a fair and uniform manner, those selected for
work are qualified and experienced in the professional services desired, and to ensure
that every qualified consultant has the opportunity to be considered for providing
professional services to Catawba County.
A Selection Committee will evaluate responses to the Request for Qualifications and
determine the most qualified applicants. Upon receipt of the packages from
respondents, the Selection Committee will review using a scoring program that has been
determined by the committee and detailed below. Past performance will be scored based
on responses from the references submitted by the responder and/or the experience of
the Selection Committee with particular firm's past performance. Only one reviewer will
contact any given reference.
The Selection Committee will use the total point scores to rank the prospective Firms.
The Selection Committee will determine the most highly qualified Firm based upon the
ranking scores. Once the firm is selected, contract award and authorization will be
sought from either the County Manager or the Catawba County Board of
Commissioners, whichever is applicable.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The Content of Qualifications Statement, as referenced above, shall be evaluated as
follows:
Description Total Possible Points
Qualifications of Firm
* Success of Previous Projects (i.e. still in operation,
how long in operation, etc.)
* Developing Written Technical Specifications
30
* Project Understanding
* Overall Gravity Sewer, Lift Station & Force Main
Design Experience
* Previous/Pending Litigation
Project Management and Key Personnel
* Experience on similar projects.
* Projects on time and in budget.
60
* Gravity sewer project experience.
* Professional Training/Qualification
* Workload and Availability
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* Cost Control/Scheduling
* Relevant Licenses/Certifications
References - Past Performance and Existing 10
100 Points
FIRM INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
The successful Firm will be required to provide the County with Certificates of Insurance
meeting the County's insurance requirements as specified below. Failure to provide the
required insurance will result in cancellation of the selection and the County will have
the right to enter into an agreement with the Firm with the next highest ranking. Firm
shall maintain at all times during the term of this Agreement, at the Firm's sole expense:
I. Commercial General Liability Insurance
Firm shall maintain Commercial General Liability insurance written on an
occurrence basis, including coverage for products and completed
operations liability, contractual liability, liability from independent
contractors, property damage liability, bodily injury liability, and personal
injury liability with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and
$2,000,000 annual aggregate. The aggregate limit shall apply separately
to each location. The limits may be satisfied by a combination of primary
and excess insurance.
II. Professional Liability Insurance
Firm shall maintain Professional Liability insurance with limits of not less
than $1,000,000 per claim and $2,000,000 aggregate.
III. Business Automobile Insurance
At all times while the Firm's representatives are conducting on-site work,
the Firm shall maintain Automobile Liability insurance for any owned,
hired, rented, or borrowed vehicle with a limit of not less than $1,000,000
per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage liability. The limit
may be satisfied by a combination of primary and excess insurance.
IV. Workers Compensation & Employers Liability Insurance
At all times while the Firm's representatives are conducting on-site work,
Firm shall maintain statutory Workers Compensation insurance in
accordance with the laws of North Carolina. Firm shall also maintain
Employers' Liability insurance with limits of not less than $500,000 per
accident and $500,000 each employee for injury by disease.
V. General Requirements
1. Catawba County shall be named as an additional insured under
Firm's automobile and general liability insurance. In the event of a
loss arising out of, or related to the Firm's services performed under
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this Agreement, Firm's Liability insurance shall be primary (pay
first) with respect to any other insurance which may be available to
the County, regardless of how the "other insurance" provisions may
read.
2. The Firm's General Liability, Automobile Liability, and Workers
Compensation insurance must contain a waiver of subrogation in
favor of the County.
3. Firm shall be responsible for insuring all of its own personal
property, improvements, and betterments.
4. All insurance policies put forth to satisfy the above requirements
shall require the insurer to provide a minimum of sixty (60) days'
notice to the County of any material change in coverage,
cancellation, or non-renewal.
5. All insurance put forth to satisfy the above requirements shall be
placed with insurance companies licensed to provide insurance in
the state of North Carolina. Any deductibles or self-insured
retentions in the required insurance shall be subject to approval by
the County.
6. Prior to beginning the work, Firm shall provide written evidence of
insurance as requested by the County to confirm that these
insurance requirements are satisfied. Firm agrees to provide
complete copies of policies if requested. Failure of Firm to provide
timely evidence of insurance, or to place coverage with insurance,
or to place coverage with insurance companies acceptable to the
County, shall be viewed as Firm's delaying performance entitling
the County to all appropriate remedies under the law including
termination of the contract.
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ATTACHMENT A
REFERENCE DISCLOSURE FORM
Firm shall provide information regarding experience in work similar to this scope of work
by listing FIVE (5) RECENT CLIENTS, ONLY ONE OF WHICH MAY BE A CATAWBA
COUNTY GOVERNMENT LISTING. References should be clients of a similar scale as
the services requested in this RFQ.
1. COMPANY NAME: ______________________________________________________
PERSON TO CONTACT: _________________________________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER: _________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________
TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED: __________________________________________
SIZE: ____________________________________________________________________
JOB DATES:
BEGINNING END_____________________________
2. COMPANY NAME: ______________________________________________________
PERSON TO CONTACT: _________________________________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER: _________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________
TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED: __________________________________________
SIZE: ____________________________________________________________________
JOB DATES:
BEGINNING END_____________________________
3. COMPANY NAME: ______________________________________________________
PERSON TO CONTACT: _________________________________________________
TELEPHONE NUMBER: _________________________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________
TYPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED: __________________________________________
SIZE: ____________________________________________________________________
JOB DATES:
BEGINNING END_____________________________
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