Pre-Advertisement Notice for Architectural, Engineering, Design and Construction Phase Services

DEPARTMENT OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
ARCHITECTURAL, ENGINEERING, DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION PHASE SERVICES
Andre Dickens
Mayor
City of Atlanta
Greg Eyerly
Commissioner
Department of Watershed Management

PART 1: INTRODUCTION
The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) is a regional public
water and wastewater utility serving 1.2 million people each day. The Department's core
services include treatment and distribution of safe drinking water; collection and
treatment of wastewater to a high standard; management of watersheds within the City
of Atlanta; and customer care and billing services for 176,000 accounts. The
Department's vision of being a leader in innovation, service and value is supported by
eight strategic priorities: Service Delivery, Infrastructure Reliability, Workforce
Development, Operational Efficiency, Financial Resilience, Compliance, Smart Utility,
and Safety and Security. The Department's Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget is $733M
and the current 5-year capital improvement program is $1.39B.
The mission of the Department of Watershed Management is:
Delivering excellent customer service through a motivated, skilled, and
empowered workforce
Ensuring treatment and delivery of high-quality drinking water as well as collection
and reclamation of wastewater to a high standard while implementing innovative
solutions for resource recovery
Sustainable stormwater management, integrated planning and mitigation of the
adverse impacts of flooding, while leveraging partnerships to protect, restore and
enhance our watersheds; and
Building the capacity to be a strong partner in the resilience of our City.
DWM's core values are:
Teamwork - focusing our collective strengths to deliver service
Integrity - adhering to high ethical standards; doing the right thing at the right time
for the right reasons
Customer Centric - understanding needs and delivering on our promises
Accountability - accepting responsibility for our actions
Employee Commitment - valuing our employees as our most valuable resource
1.1 Watershed Management Systems
A. WATER
The City obtains its drinking water from the Chattahoochee River through two raw
water intakes located downstream of Lake Lanier, a multi-purpose water reservoir

owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The City is permitted to
withdraw a combined total of approximately 225 mgd. The raw water is treated at
the City's three water treatment plants, one of which (along with a raw water intake)
is jointly owned with Fulton County. The WTPs have a combined treatment capacity
of 246.4 mgd. The City's distribution system includes over 2,700 miles of water
distribution pipelines ranging in diameter from 2 to 96 inches, four finished water pump
stations, three re-pump stations, 11 booster pump locations (eight of which are in
reserve), two raw water pump stations, one reservoir emergency draw-down pump
station, four surge tanks and 12 ground and elevated storage tanks.
The City's retail water service area includes the City, unincorporated areas of Fulton
County (south of the City), the areas located within the cities of Sandy Springs and
Chattahoochee Hills and portions of incorporated areas located in South Fulton. The
City's wholesale water customers include three cities in Fulton County (Hapeville,
Fairburn and Union City), and the counties of Coweta (Coweta County Water and
Sewerage Authority), Clayton (Clayton County Water Authority) and Fayette. The City
supplies water needed by the wholesale customer cities and a limited portion of the
total water needed by the wholesale customer counties.
B. WASTEWATER
The City's wastewater treatment and collection system encompasses more than
2,150 miles of sanitary and combined sewers, three permitted water reclamation
centers (WRCs), two permitted Combined Sewer System (CSS) Water Quality Control
Facilities (WQCF), four permitted Combined Sewage Control Facilities (CSCFs), and
16 pump stations. The three WRCs: the R.M. Clayton WRC in northwest Atlanta, the
Utoy Creek WRC in unincorporated Fulton County and the South River WRC in
southeast Atlanta, have a combined hydraulic treatment capacity of 220 mgd and
are permitted to discharge up to 188 mgd, based on a monthly average, under a
combined permit (NPDES Permit No. GA0039012). Each WRC receives wastewater
from one or more pump stations and multiple trunk sewers. All three of the permitted
WRCs discharge treated effluent to the Chattahoochee River. The Intrenchment
Creek WRC sends partially treated effluent to the South River WRC where it receives
further treatment. Since the effluent from the Intrenchment Creek WRC is discharged
via the NPDES-permitted outfall for the South River WRC, the Intrenchment Creek
facility does not have a NPDES permit.
The City's wastewater service area is regional, though the City's wastewater
collection and transmission system, with a few exceptions, is geographically located
within the City's corporate limits. This system collects wastewater from the City of
Atlanta and is also used to convey wastewater from portions of Clayton County,
College Park, DeKalb County, East Point, Fulton County and Hapeville customers to
the City's WRCs for treatment. Together, the City's WRCs serve a total area of 225

square miles; with the City's WQCFs and CSS Control Facilities providing supplemental
capacity for an area of approximately 11 square miles.
The wastewater system is operated pursuant to environmental permits issued by the
State of Georgia in accordance with the requirements of the federal Clean Water
Act and the Georgia Water Quality Control Act. In 1998, the City entered into the first
of two federal Consent Decrees to establish control over the City's Combined Sewer
Overflows (the CSO Consent Decree), which required the City to achieve full
compliance with environmental permits, the federal Clean Water Act and the
Georgia Water Quality Control Act with regard to the City's CSS Control Facilities. The
City completed the work required under the CSO Consent Decree in October 2008,
including partial separation of three combined sewer areas and tunnel construction.
In 1999, the City entered into a second Consent Decree, referred to as the First
Amended Consent Decree (FACD), and in 2012, the City was granted an extension
of the final completion date from July 1, 2014 to July 1, 2027.
C. WATERSHED PROTECTION
The Department of Watershed Management delivers a broad variety of watershed
protection services, frequently in collaboration with other City departments such as
the Department of Public Works and the Department of Parks and Recreation. These
services include a variety of activities required under the Department's NPDES permits
and other water-quality related regulatory requirements. The Department works
collaboratively to perform a number of stormwater management and drainage
functions. The City's watershed protection assets serve the 136.3 square miles of area
within the City of Atlanta jurisdictional boundaries including approximately 125 square
miles of municipal separate storm sewer system infrastructure.
The City of Atlanta is classified as a Phase 1 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System
(MS4) community, and just recently received the 2019 MS4 permit (GAS000100).
In 2015, with reissuance of the NPDES permits for the East Area and West Area CSS
Control Facilities, the Georgia EPD included new requirements for development and
implementation of an Integrated Plan regarding the City's approach to address
metals in stormwater runoff discharged via the City's six Combined Sewage Control
Facilities. The Integrated Plan was submitted on schedule to the Georgia EPD on
August 18, 2017.
1.2 Watershed Management Capital Improvement Program
The Department's 5-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) is currently estimated at
$1.33B and is derived from short, mid and long-term project needs identified in the current
masterplans for water supply and conservation management, wastewater and

watershed protection management. Together the current masterplans represent
approximately $8.7B in capital investment needs. The CIP is categorized as follows:
Water
o Water Supply
o Drinking Water Facilities
o Water Distribution
Wastewater
o Water Reclamation Centers (and related facilities)
o Wastewater Collection
o Wastewater Consent Decree
o Watershed Protection
CSO Facilities
Stormwater
General Support
o Facilities Management
o Support Services
It is the intent of the Department of Watershed Management to utilize the services
procured by this solicitation to assist with implementation of the current CIP and future
project needs identified in the master planning effort underway as well as urgent need
projects required to address infrastructure improvement needs, compliance and O&M
engineering support.

PART 2: INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPONENTS
1. Services Being Procured: The City of Atlanta ("City"), on behalf of its Department
of Watershed Management, has issued this Request to procure services from
qualified proponents ("Proponent" or "Proponents") for the purpose of selecting
and entering into agreements with up to six (6) professional services consultants to
provide the following services ("Services"): Engineering design, including initial
planning, programming, design, engineering support during construction and
start-up, and knowledge transfer for water conveyance, water/wastewater
treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection, and power projects. The
selected Proposers will assist DWM staff in the implementation and completion of
various Watershed Management projects on an as-needed basis, and may be
called upon to provide related services for a portion of projects at any stage.
Selected Proposers may also be called upon to provide other related engineering
design services during the term of the Professional Services Agreement
("Agreement"). A more detailed Scope of Services ("SOS") sought by this
procurement is set forth in Exhibit A.
2. Contract Term: The City anticipates awarding Agreements to the six (6) highest-
ranked Proponents. Each Agreement will be for a maximum term of five (5) years
and will have a not-to-exceed amount of $4 million, inclusive of reimbursable
costs, for a cumulative amount not to exceed $24 million for all six (6) agreements
annually. The City reserves the right to commence, close, reduce or extend
Proponents services at any time in response to changing needs and the
availability of funds, subject to the restrictions of Section XXX of the City of Atlanta's
Code of Ordinances.
3. Compensation Under This Contract: Compensation under this contract will be
provided as: 1) labor-related costs by hourly billing rates for hours worked, and 2)
separately billed reimbursable expenses or other direct costs (ODCs) as approved.
4. Applicable Rates, Markups: For fair comparison purposes, all billing rates shall
reflect 2026 billing rates. The selected Proponents will only be allowed to escalate
its 2026 billing rates based on the annual percentage change of the Consumer
Price Index (CPI) for the Atlanta MSA for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers.
Billing rates will be fixed for the first year of the contract, and may be adjusted
annually thereafter, pending a timely request and approval by the user agency.
Hourly billing rates shall be the actual hourly base salary rate of each employee
utilized for the work multiplied by the firm's proposed overhead rate (including
salary burden and fringe benefits) and proposed profit rate. Each firm's proposed
OPR, or "multiplier," shall apply to all proposed staff and substituted, new, or
added staff for the duration of the contract and shall include all miscellaneous

and incidental costs of work other than those as specifically defined as direct
reimbursable expenses. The maximum billing rate is $240/hour.
Compensation for any portion of the contract services performed by a principal
of the successful Proponent or Subconsultant firm will be capped at a maximum
billing rate of $240/hour. No fee shall be paid on such services. A "principal"
means an individual who is duly authorized to legally bind the firm. Depending on
the firm, the principal may be an owner, corporate officer, associate, partner, etc.
With respect to a corporation, an owner who owns ten (10%) or more of the voting
stock is deemed to be a principal, even if he/she does not have the authorization
to legally bind the firm.
The Proponent's billing rates and Effective Overhead and Profit Rate (EOPR)
provided in the Overhead and Profit Schedule (OPS) will be non-negotiable during
the Agreement award process and the duration of the Agreement. The EOPR will
apply to the billing rate of all sub-consulting firms not listed in the OPS. If a new sub-
consulting firm is added during the duration of the Agreement, the new individual
firm Overhead and Profit Rate can be no more than the Proposal Effective
Overhead and Profit Rate. The EOPR will also apply to all amendments to the
Agreement.
The Proponent may be required to provide certified payroll records documenting
the actual salaries of all individuals who will be added to the Project (i.e.,
individuals not listed in the OPS). The Proponent should note that the City will only
approve project staff substitutions when that change in personnel is requested by
the City and/or beyond the control of the Proponent. Individuals listed in the OPS,
and for whom resumes and qualifications have been submitted as part of the
proposal, are expected to be provided to the project team.
The Proponent shall provide the markup on Subconsultant labor costs as a
separate line item in the OPS. Markups are limited to 5% of Subconsultants' actual
labor costs. Markups on ODCs or materials for either the Proponent or its
Subconsultants are not allowable.
5. Overhead and Profit: Proponents must submit an Overhead and Profit Schedule
(OPS), produced in Microsoft Excel using the template provided in Exhibit A.1, to
provide an OPS that must include the base hourly rate and each firm's overhead
and profit rate (OPR, or "multiplier") for each staff member for the Prime Proposer
(or JV Partners) and all Subconsultants expected to work on the Project. Only one
overhead and profit rate must be listed for each firm. The OPS must include the
markup on subconsultants labor costs. The base hourly rate is the employee's
earned income hourly rate, which shall not include health benefits, retirement
benefits, profit sharing, sick leave, and vacation.

All costs to manage and administer the services under the Agreement must be
included in each firm's "multiplier." Only individuals who are assigned to the
proposed team or have been approved by DWM to be added to the Agreement,
and are performing tasks directly related to the Agreement, will be allowed to
charge their time on the approved task orders.
Based on the information provided in the OPS, an Effective Overhead and Profit
Rate (EOPR, or "Average Multiplier") will be calculated by dividing the Total Actual
Labor Cost by the Total Base Labor Cost. EOPR is essentially a weighted average
of the rates proposed for each firm listed as part of the Proposer's team. The EOPR
shall not exceed 3.20.
Any Proponent that does not submit a completed OPS and/or does not comply
with the maximum allowed EOPR will not receive any points for the OPS portion of
the proposal evaluation. Furthermore, it is within the sole discretion of the City to
reject any proposal that does not comply with the OPS and maximum billing rate
requirements.
6. Other Direct Costs: Direct reimbursable expenses or other direct costs (ODCs) shall
include actual direct costs (with no markup) of expenses directly incurred in
performing the work. All ODCs are subject to pre-approval in writing by the
designated contract administrator for DWM. Eligible items for reimbursement as
ODCs will be included in the Agreement.
7. Method of Source Selection: This procurement is being conducted in accordance
with all applicable provisions of the City of Atlanta's Code of Ordinances,
including its Procurement and Real Estate Code and the particular method of
source selection for the services sought in this solicitation is Code Section 2-1189.
By submitting a Proposal concerning this procurement, a Proponent
acknowledges that it is familiar with all laws applicable to this procurement,
including, but not limited to, the City's Code of Ordinances and Charter, which
laws are incorporated into this solicitation, by reference.
8. Minimum Qualifications: Each Proponent team member (Service Provider Key
Staff) shall have the minimum qualifications set forth in Part 3.
9. Authority to Transact Business in Georgia: Each Proponent must submit with its
Proposal, documentation that demonstrates it is duly authorized to conduct
business in the State of Georgia.
10. No Offer by City; Firm Offer by Proponent: This procurement does not constitute an
offer by the City to enter into an agreement and cannot be accepted by any
Proponent to form an agreement. This procurement is only an invitation for offers
from interested Proponents and no offer shall bind the City. A Proponent's offer is
a firm offer and may not be withdrawn except under the rules specified in the
City's Code of Ordinances and other applicable laws.

7. Joint Ventures: Proponents will be required to form a Joint Venture ("JV"), each
party to the JV will be required to fully complete and submit the Required
Submittal Forms in Part .
8. Conflict of Interest: If Proponent is awarded a Services Agreement, Proponent
cannot be awarded a Program Management Services contract for the
Department of Watershed Management.
9. Confidentiality Agreement: The successful proponent will be required to execute
a Confidentiality Agreement with the City.
10. Participation: Neither the successful Proponent nor any of the parties to the JV are
eligible to perform construction services for which the Proponent has performed
design services. Any sub-consultants or sub-contractors hired by the successful
Proponent may perform other services as determined by the City. Sub-
consultants/subcontractors are required to submit a written request to the
Department's designee in order to receive a determination.
11. Other Solicitations:
A. The City reserves the right to issue solicitations for specific projects that are
independent of architectural, engineering and design services. Except as
stated in Paragraphs 20 and 21 of these Instructions, successful Proponents
under this solicitation are not precluded from responding to such
solicitations.
B. The City reserves the right to issue solicitations for other on-demand
professional services, including generically-defined projects or groups of
projects. Successful Proponents under this solicitation are precluded from
responding to such solicitations.
PART 3: MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
The Proponent must satisfactorily demonstrate the ability to meet the minimum
qualifications set forth below to be considered as qualified. If qualifying as a JV, the JV,
as a Contracting Entity, must meet the minimum qualifications collectively, except where
otherwise specified in this solicitation.
Proposals must clearly demonstrate compliance with the specified minimum
qualifications. Proposals that do not clearly demonstrate compliance with the minimum
qualifications may be rejected by the City without further consideration; however, the
City reserves the right to request clarification from Proponents who fail to meet any
minimum qualification requirements prior to rejecting a Proposal for failure to
demonstrate compliance.
3.1 Prime Proponent and Lead Joint Venture (JV) Partners Qualifications
A Proposer cannot be a Prime Proposer or JV Partner on more than one (1)
proposal. In addition, if a Prime Proposer or JV Partner intends to be listed as a
subconsultant on another competing proposal this should be fully disclosed to

the impacted parties. Any Joint Venture (JV) responding to this solicitation must
clearly identify the lead Proposer (referred to hereafter as the Lead JV Partner).
To qualify for award of the Agreement, the Prime Proponent or JV Partners must
demonstrate relevant expertise to successfully perform their role and
responsibilities in performing as-needed engineering design services as
described.
To qualify as a Prime Proponent or Lead JV Partner for this Agreement, a
Proponent must possess a minimum of fifteen (15) years in business performing
multidiscipline engineering design for water/wastewater treatment, water
distribution, wastewater collection, watershed protection and all other
associated projects; OR
A minimum of: (i) fifteen (15) years in business multidiscipline engineering design
for water/wastewater treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection,
watershed protection and all other associated projects; AND (ii) a principal,
partner or principal officer responsible for making significant administrative and
business decisions on behalf of the firm with at least fifteen (15) years'
professional engineering experience in those fields. The fifteen years "in
business" and the twenty-year principal/partner experience requirements, set
forth above, are separate and distinct; one cannot be substituted for the other.
The City will credit any relevant experience of a firm's principal, partner, or
principal officer(s) responsible for making significant administrative and
business decisions on behalf of the firm only if: (i) the individual is not
designated to fill a "key" staff role; (ii) the proposer demonstrates, to the
satisfaction of the City, that the individual's prior experience with another
firm/entity is predictive of proposer's performance under this Agreement based
on the individual's present management/supervisory role with the firm and the
individual's anticipated involvement in the management/supervision of the
services under this Agreement; and (iii) the individual has been employed by
or associated with (i.e., as an owner or partner) the firm for a period of at least
one (1) year prior to the due date for submittal of proposals; AND
Demonstrated experience in a lead role (as a Prime Proponent or Lead JV
Partner) managing at least one (1) relevant, similar as-needed engineering
design agreements for water/wastewater infrastructure with a contract fee of
at least $3 million. Proponents must provide one reference project as indicated
in Section XXX to demonstrate this experience.
The Prime Proponent or Lead JV Partner shall not have had any contracts with
the City terminated due to poor performance.