Emerging Contaminant in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (ECSDC) Engineering Services for Public Water Supply

Location:	North Carolina
Posted:	Mar 18, 2026
Due:	Apr 8, 2026
Agency:	State Government of North Carolina
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Solicitation No:	16-101173-000
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Solicitation Number:	16-101173-000
Project Title:	Emerging Contaminant in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (ECSDC) Engineering Services for Public Water Supply
Description:	Emerging Contaminant in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (ECSDC) Engineering Services for Public Water Supply
Opening Date:	4/8/2026 2:00 PM
Posted Date:	3/18/2026
Status:	Open
Department:	DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY


Solicitation Number * 16-101173-000	Department DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY	Status Reason Open
Opening Date 2026-04-08T14:00:00.0000000	Posted Date * 2026-03-17T19:04:34.0000000Z	Primary Commodity Code Engineering procurement and project management services
Mandatory Conference/Site Visit — —	Special Instructions —	Solicitation Type * Select RFP IFB RFI
Owner Michelle Blanchard
Description Emerging Contaminant in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (ECSDC) Engineering Services for Public Water Supply

Attachment Preview

Department/Agency

DEQ Number

Project Title

Design Services

Scope of Work

Contact

Telephone

Total Project Budget

Source of Funds

Approved OC-25 #

Publish Date

Closing Date

Submit electronic Proposal

(see Attachment 2) and SF-

254:

Physical Location

for Fed Ex/UPS Delivery

(Delivery Address):

NC Licensing Statement

NC DEQ – Division of Water Resources, Public Water Supply

Section

16-101173-000

Emerging Contaminant in Small or Disadvantaged

Communities (ECSDC) Engineering Services for Public Water

Supply

Designing, installing, and—when authorized by Task Order—

constructing turnkey engineered solutions (e.g., treatment

systems, new sources, or interconnections) to mitigate PFAS

contamination and deliver compliance-ready facilities,

including start-up, operator training, and handover.

NC DEQ is requesting qualifications from engineering firms to

support small and disadvantaged community water systems in

addressing PFAS contamination under the EPA’s EC-SDC

program. (See Attachment 1)

Rebecca Sadosky and Renee Parkman

919-707-9096

rebecca.sadosky@deq.nc.gov and renee.parkman@deq.nc.gov

Estimated to be $48,000,000 for Three (3) years with an option

to extend up to one (1) two-year period to complete ongoing

projects.

The source of the funds is the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) through the Emerging Contaminants in Small or

Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program,

authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

(IIJA) — also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

N/A

March 17, 2026

April 01, 2026 @ 2:00 pm ET

rebecca.sadosky@deq.nc.gov and renee.parkman@deq.nc.gov

Subject line must say: (ECSDC) Engineering Services Proposal

for Public Water Supply

Note: Email attachment limit is 25 MB.

Must be submitted electronically

In order to offer architectural, engineering, or landscape

architectural services in response to this solicitation, the proposing

firm must be properly licensed to practice Architecture, Engineering,

or Landscape Architecture in the State of North Carolina. If

construction is included, the contractor must hold an appropriate

North Carolina General Contractor license (Public Utilities/Specialty

as applicable) and ensure all trade subcontractors are duly licensed.

More information on the North Carolina state boards may be found

at the following websites:

NC Board of Architecture: (http://www.ncbarch.org)

NC Board of Examiners for Engineers & Surveyors:

(http://www.ncbels.org)

NC Board of Landscape Architects: (http://www.ncbola.org)

STATE BUILDING COMMISSION - SELECTING CRITERIA

In selecting designers, the selection committee should take into consideration qualification information

including such factors as:

1. Specialized or appropriate expertise in the type of project.

2. Past performance on similar projects.

3. Adequate staff and proposed design or consultant team for the project.

4. Current workload and State projects awarded.

5. Proposed design approach for the project including design team and consultants.

6. Recent experience with project costs and schedules.

7. Construction administration capabilities.

8. Proximity to and familiarity with the area where the project is located.

9. Record of successfully completed projects without major legal or technical problems.

10. Other factors which may be appropriate for the project.

STATE BUILDING COMMISSION - SUBMITTAL CRITERIA

Proposing firms must submit ONE (1) copy of the Proposal and a copy of your current Standard Form 254

(SF 254) with the information package. The current SF 254 template is located at

http://ncadmin.nc.gov/businesses/construction/forms-documents which is the State Building Commission

approved form.

ATTACHMENT 1

SCOPE OF WORK

Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (ECSDC) Engineering

Services for Public Water Supply

Each of the selected CONTRACTORS must provide, in a manner satisfactory to the Department

of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and as authorized on a task order/not-to-exceed basis,

professional engineering and program management services to support community water

systems (CWSs) serving 10,000 or fewer and non-profit Non-Transient, Non-Community

(NTNC) systems under the oversight of the Public Water Supply Section, Division of Water

Resources (DWR) and in coordination with the Division of Water Infrastructure (DWI) for funding

programs, as requested by DEQ. Services may include, but are not limited to the following:

grant management for sub-recipients; project administration and coordination with DEQ;

drinking water sampling and evaluation with certified laboratories; development of engineering

alternatives; implementation of the selected alternative; preparation of engineering plans and

specifications; permitting, procurement support, construction contracting and oversight, start-up,

training, and periodic operational support.

A. Preparing system-specific Engineering Work Plans and Task Order Proposals—detailing

scope, technical approach, schedule, and staffing. Pricing and itemized cost estimates are

not required at this stage and will be developed and approved at the time of Task Order

issuance for each system. This is for planning, design, permitting, procurement support,

construction administration, start-up/commissioning, operator training, and follow-up

technical assistance for eligible public water systems (CWS ≤10,000 and NTNC).

B. Reviewing existing system records and prior submittals; coordinating with DEQ, community

water system, and non-profit NTNC operators to schedule system walk-throughs and site

visits; maintaining project files and access logistics; and documenting service locations and

conditions necessary to support drinking water sampling, evaluation, and subsequent

engineering tasks.

C. Conducting drinking water system assessments and contaminant evaluations, including

collection of source, and entry-point samples analyzed by a North Carolina–certified

laboratory; review of source characteristics and well construction records; evaluation of

existing treatment performance; basic hydraulic checks (pressure/flow) to inform design; and

compilation/interpretation of results to guide selection and implementation of corrective

actions for eligible small public water systems. Provide testing results and educational

materials to DEQ. All sampling, analysis, data management, and reporting shall be

performed in accordance with the EPA-approved Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP),

specifically the 2026 Water Monitoring for Per- & Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

QAPP.

D. Ability to perform limited non-invasive subsurface and infrastructure diagnostics to inform

siting and design and support construction projects.

E. Developing system-specific Corrective Action Plans and Engineering Reports that evaluate

feasible PFAS reduction alternatives for small public water systems including connection to

another public water system, drilling new well(s) or drawing water from another surface

water source, operational changes to existing sources, and adding treatment; selecting the

preferred alternative based on regulatory compliance, lifecycle cost, constructability, and

operations; and preparing full design deliverables in compliance with 15A NCAC

18C.0300—Basis of Design, technical specifications, standard details, and final plans—

along with opinions of probable cost, contract front-end documents, and bid-phase support

for procurement and construction of the selected improvements.

F. Coordinating and overseeing decommissioning of drinking water system assets—such as

wells, treatment skids, storage tanks, piping, and appurtenances—that are taken out of

service as part of the selected PFAS reduction strategy. This shall be done in compliance

with applicable State and local requirements.

G. Managing and overseeing specialty and engineering subcontractors, vendors, and

CONTRACTOR personnel involved in the installation, startup, operation, and maintenance

of drinking water system improvements; selecting firms based on qualifications, scope fit,

and best value using competitive procurement consistent with State Law, DEQ program

guidance and funding-source requirements; coordinating with the DEQ on subcontractor

shortlists and awards; and maintaining complete procurement files (scopes, solicitations,

evaluations, and agreements) to document compliance. Responsibilities include day-to-day

direction of field activities, verification of deliverables, adherence to safety and quality

standards, schedule and budget tracking, and prompt resolution of performance issues.

H. Preparing and submitting all approvals and permits required to construct and operate the

selected PFAS reduction strategy.

I. Implementing approved corrective actions and design packages for eligible small public

water systems—providing project management and construction administration; resident

engineering/inspection; contractor selection and coordination; submittal review; quality

assurance/quality control testing; change management; pay application verification; and

progress documentation. Responsibilities include overseeing installation, start-

up/commissioning, performance testing and optimization, instrumentation integration as

applicable, preparation of Operations and Maintenance (O&M) manuals and Standard

Operating Procedure(s) SOPs, operator training, and delivery of periodic status, schedule,

and cost reports to DEQ.

J. The CONTRACTOR shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws,

regulations, and ordinances—including worker health and safety requirements—for all

project activities.

K. Preparing and submitting all required technical reports, datasets, meeting minutes, and

other project documentation to DEQ per the approved schedule; providing concise project

status summaries with each invoice package that describe work completed during the

period, upcoming milestones, issues/risks and mitigation actions, schedule variances, and

budget-to-date versus task order authorization; and maintaining a current action log and

deliverable tracker to support timely reviews and payment processing.

L. Preparing and submitting all project deliverables including As-Built plan drawings in the

electronic formats specified by DEQ—typically bookmarked, searchable PDF for reports;

native editable files for calculations and schedules; and CAD/GIS files for drawings/maps—

with image submittals at a minimum of 300 DPI.

M. As a mandatory, pass/fail requirement, potential contractors must demonstrate the ability to

provide administrative support to DEQ to ensure compliance in the potential contractor’s role

as grant manager to ensure compliance with applicable federal grant requirements in 2 CFR

Parts 200 and 1500, including Build America Buy America (BABA) provisions and financial

audit requirements; firms that cannot demonstrate this capability will be deemed non-

responsive and will not be further considered for contract award. Potential contractors must

also describe their approach, tools/templates, and relevant experience supporting federally

funded water infrastructure projects (including procurement documentation, required

flowdown clauses, BABA documentation support, audit readiness, and records retention),

and must participate in an interview/oral presentation and Q&A in which the proposed

project manager and key staff walk through a scenario demonstrating how they will execute

these compliance responsibilities in practice; interview performance will be a major factor in

final ranking.

N. Conduct testing for emerging contaminants post construction to demonstrate compliance

with PFAS rules.

O. Develop or update the Water System Management plan.

P. If needed, assist the Owner of the Water System in hiring operators to operate and maintain

the PFAS treatment system.

Contract Agreement Fee Schedule (Effective: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2029)

Personnel Level

Principal

Senior

Project

Staff

Technicians

Draftsperson/CAD

Word Processor/Clerical

Hourly Rate

If DEQ determines that a task order requires specialized effort beyond what is covered in the

current Reasonable Rate Document (November 2024), DEQ may authorize specific elements

on a time-and-materials (T&M) basis by written directive. Such authorization is reserved for

exceptional circumstances only and does not convert routine work or overall reimbursement to

“fee schedule + T&M.” The established RRD rates remain controlling unless a discrete T&M

augmentation is expressly approved.

Bid Quotes

Submit a rate and fee schedule, standard markup policies, and task orders for defined scopes.

This shall be consistent with the current Reasonable Rate Document (November 2024) that may

be required for certain activities. At a minimum, the CONTRACTOR shall follow the

procurement requirements outlined in this AGREEMENT when hiring subcontractors and, where

applicable, comply with Article 8 of Chapter 143 of the North Carolina General Statutes

governing formal sealed competitive bids for subcontracted work.

Subcontractor Fees

Where rates are established in the current Reasonable Rate Document (November 2024),

subcontractor costs shall not exceed those published ceilings and will be reimbursed at the

lesser of the actual invoiced amount or the applicable maximum rate. The CONTRACTOR will

retain documentation of selection and invoices to support reimbursement.

Laboratory Fees

The CONTRACTOR may select any qualified analytical laboratory provided total project costs to

DEQ are not increased (including shipping, courier, and rush charges). Laboratories shall hold

appropriate certifications for the requested methods and matrices, and use approved analytical

methods consistent with project and regulatory requirements. The CONTRACTOR is

responsible for full data QA/QC and validation, maintaining chain-of-custody, and promptly

correcting any laboratory nonconformances or errors at no additional cost to DEQ. Selection

should consider method capability, detection limits, turnaround time, and data deliverable format

required for program reporting.

Due Dates

The CONTRACTOR shall coordinate with the assigned Public Water Supply Section, DWR

project manager to establish deliverable due dates within each task order schedule and

maintain an up-to-date deliverable tracker. Any request for a schedule adjustment must be

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

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Emerging Contaminant in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (ECSDC) Engineering Services for Public Water Supply

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See also