RFI - COUNTYWIDE DRAINAGE ASSET COLLECTION SERVICES

Location:	California
Posted:	May 12, 2026
Due:	Jul 17, 2026
Agency:	San Diego County
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	S - Utilities and Training Services
Solicitation No:	BPM013226
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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ALLEN R. HUNSBERGER

DIRECTOR

DEPARTMENT OF PURCHASING AND CONTRACTING

5560 OVERLAND AVENUE, SUITE 270, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92123-1204

PHONE (858) 505-6367

FAX (858) 715-6452

BRENDA G. MILLER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

May 12, 2026

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) 13226

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

COUNTYWIDE DRAINAGE ASSET COLLECTION SERVICES

The County of San Diego (County) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to seek input from all interested parties,

agencies, and stakeholders regarding Countywide drainage asset collection services. The goal of the RFI is to obtain

feedback and collect drainage infrastructure in the field; create and validate a GIS-based Municipal Separate Storm Sewer

System (MS4) asset inventory https://www.sangis.org/ and assess culvert conditions using the County’s Culvert Condition

Index (CCI). A sample of the CCI is included in Attachment A, County Sample CCI .

OVERVIEW

1. Background Information

1.1 The County is seeking to develop comprehensive, detailed, and accurate inventories of all County‑maintained

road‑related assets within the unincorporated area, an area of approximately 4,211 square miles. The County’s

current inventory includes approximately 19,000 Road Fund pipe segments and channels along almost 2,000

miles of County-maintained roads.

1.2 An updated inventory is needed to field validate the current pipe segments and add 38,000 junction structures

(cleanouts, manholes, curb inlets, etc.) for a total of almost 60,000 assets. The updated inventory will more

accurately represent the County’s MS4 infrastructure. It will include information on each facilities width, height,

material, and other attribute data to support a clear understanding of the overall system condition, enable the

County to make informed advanced planning decisions, guide repair and rehabilitation efforts, prevent culvert

failures and sinkholes, and enhance public safety as the County increases its investment in the maintenance of its

stormwater infrastructure.

2. Scope of Work

2.1. The Drainage Asset Inventory and Condition Assessment Project (Project) will provide two new ESRI

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) feature layers (stormwater nodes and lines) of the County’s MS4. The

Project will also provide a condition assessment of the County’s culverts (pipe segments) in accordance with the

County’s Culvert Condition Index (CCI).

2.2. General Requirements

SANDIEGOCOUNTY.GOV

COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) 13226

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

COUNTYWIDE DRAINAGE ASSET COLLECTION SERVICES

2.2.1. The contractor will develop MS4 GIS layers by conducting field data collection of the County’s MS4 assets.

The contractor will provide all tools, equipment, software, staff, and training (including confined space

entry) required including GPS or GNSS enabled devices and high-powered lights and cameras. Data will be

collected using field units equipped with accurate ESRI software.

2.2.2. Contractor staff should have practical fieldwork experience including knowledge of stormwater drainage

systems, roadway safety in urban and rural settings and high-traffic environments, training in confined

space, and the ability to perform activities such as lifting manhole covers, clearing minor debris, and

collecting MS4 asset information (such as, width, height, material, and feature type).

2.2.3. In preparation for field collection, the contractor will provide multi-year phasing plans that will show the

proposed work areas and schedule throughout the unincorporated county per year. Most field collection

should occur outside of the rainy season (October 1 through April 30) from upstream to downstream to

minimize winter storm impacts. Prior to work in specific areas, the contractor will provide Traffic Control

plans at least two months prior to field collection for County review and coordination. Traffic Control is the

responsibility of the contractor.

2.2.4. The County will clean and flush culverts one to two months in advance of data collection in order to support

data collection. However, because drainage infrastructure is in active use, culverts may not be in pristine

condition and the contractor should be able to clear minor trash and debris at inlets, outlets, or openings

using hand tools or other equipment as needed to access and document each asset.

2.2.5. The County will provide a CCI photo guide, drainage features guide and one week of training with

Department of Public Works Road crew and engineering staff. This training will familiarize the contractor

with the County’s best practices and field procedures.

2.3. Requirements for Drainage Asset Inventory Task

2.3.1. The County will provide the GIS framework for MS4 data collection, including the required schema,

domains, attributes, and fields for two new layers (node and line). Using this framework, the contractor will

be responsible for creating the project geodatabase and configuring ESRI Field Maps (or equivalent ESRI

mobile tools) to support field data collection. The contractor must also supply all additional equipment,

software, and tools needed to collect, review, and manage the MS4 data.

2.3.2. To ensure accuracy of the field-collected MS4 data, the contractor will develop an ESRI-based web viewer

for use by both County and contractor staff during the validation process. Newly collected data will be

compared against the County’s existing MS4 layer, County-maintained road layer, and other relevant GIS

datasets to identify and reconcile discrepancies in alignment, size, right-of-way, and ownership. Additional

research using the County’s Survey Record System (SRS) may be required to confirm asset jurisdiction and

alignment. Validation will occur on a weekly to biweekly basis during active field work, with daily

communication expected to support timely clarification and field verification. All inconsistencies must be

catalogued and flagged for follow-up, which may include additional field investigation, as-built plan review,

or CCTV inspection. The contractor will provide CCTV services as needed for up to 10 percent of assets

each year. This iterative review and verification process will ensure the development of a complete and

accurate dataset.

2.3.3. The final deliverables for the Drainage Asset Inventory will include an accurate, verified geodatabase,

shapefiles, and two feature class layers (nodes and lines) formatted according to the established GIS schema

provided by the County.

2.4. Requirements for Culvert Condition Assessment

2.4.1. The contractor will rate the condition of all County-maintained pipe segments (culverts) and assign ratings

using the County’s Culvert Condition Index (CCI) rating system.

2.4.2. During field collection, the contractor will use high-powered lights and cameras to capture clear images of

the culvert interior and any areas exhibiting signs of distress, including roadway depressions, embankment

instability, joint gaps, corrosion, deformation, or other structural concerns. All photos must show sufficient

detail to support an accurate CCI rating and allow verification by County staff. Ratings may be completed

RFI: 13226

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COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) 13226

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

COUNTYWIDE DRAINAGE ASSET COLLECTION SERVICES

in the field or the office; however, all condition assessments must be based on clearly documented and

observable evidence.

2.4.3. The final deliverables for the Culvert Condition Assessment will be an accurate CCI rating for each County-

maintained culvert segment following the criteria established by the County’s guides and training. All

collected information will be incorporated into the project database and will support future maintenance

planning and capital improvement prioritization.

3. Goals and Outcomes

3.1. Goals: Contractor shall provide the services described herein to accomplish the following goals:

3.1.1. Create a comprehensive, spatially accurate, and field-verified MS4 inventory for all Road Fund drainage

assets in the unincorporated county. Deliverables: ESRI GIS geodatabase, shapefiles, layers and viewer

3.1.2. Assign an accurate condition rating to all Road Fund culverts using the Culvert Condition Index.

Deliverables: one CCI rating for each culvert or pipe segment in an Excel spreadsheet and one or more

photos of each culvert or pipe segment to document condition distress

3.2. Objectives:

3.2.1. 100% of County-maintained roads shall be reviewed for County-maintained drainage infrastructure with

20% of County-maintained roads reviewed each year.

3.2.2. 100% of County-maintained culverts or pipe segments shall be rated according to the Culvert Condition

Index with 20% of County-maintained culverts reviewed each year.

4. Geographic Area

4.1. Services will be provided in the unincorporated area of San Diego County.

5. Data Collection and Reporting Requirements

5.1. Provide biweekly (every two weeks) summary reports. Focus biweekly reports on field collected data for the

previous two weeks flagging assets that need office or other research due to discrepancies in infrastructure

alignment, material, size, ownership, or other factors.

5.2. Provide yearly progress reports. Yearly progress reports will summarize overall project findings for the year’s

asset collection and condition assessments.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal or a promise

to issue a solicitation in the future. This request for information does not commit the County to contract for any supply or

service whatsoever. Respondents are advised that the County will not pay for any information or administrative costs

incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s

expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitations. It is the responsibility of the

potential respondents to monitor this request for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

The County reserves the right to use, without restriction, any information provided in response to this RFI. Please note that

all information provided in response to this RFI may be subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act.

RFI SUBMITTAL INFORMATION:

Parties interested in providing input to this RFI may submit written responses to the Questionnaire below.

RFI RESPONSES:

Completed questionnaires are due no later than July 17, 2026, at 5:00 PM San Diego Time.

RFI: 13226

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COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) 13226

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

COUNTYWIDE DRAINAGE ASSET COLLECTION SERVICES

1. Submit electronically by uploading your information in either Word or PDF format directly in the BuyNet system at:

https://sdbuynet.sandiegocounty.gov/

1.1. Questions should be submitted via BuyNet by sending a message to the Contracting Officer through the

“Discussions” functionality.

1.2. Questions are due no later than July 10, 2026, at 5:00 PM San Diego Time.

Please note: This Request for Information (RFI) is NOT a procurement action. It is intended for information

gathering only.

Thank you for your interest in responding to this RFI. The County of San Diego looks forward to your organization’s

participation in this process.

QUESTIONNAIRE:

Company Background & Relevant Project Experience

1. Provide an overview of your company’s relevant experience with stormwater infrastructure and below ground

asset collection, including project types, duration of experience, and work on systems comparable in size to the

County of San Diego.

2. Describe your team’s fieldwork capabilities, including CCTV inspections, traffic control, and general stormwater

field knowledge.

3. Describe your experience conducting condition assessments, including use of rating systems such as CCI.

GIS Expertise & Data QA/QC

4. Describe your company’s experience with creating and using ESRI GIS tools, including geodatabases, shapefiles,

map viewers, and Field Maps or similar field data collection applications.

5. Describe your experience developing and using GIS dashboards or applications for data validation, discrepancy

tracking, and QA/QC.

6. Describe your process for verifying and reconciling asset information, including as-built plan research methods

for confirming easements, alignment, pipe size, material, and other data attributes.

Field Methodologies, Measurement & Technology

7. Describe the methodologies and equipment your company uses to identify, document, and measure stormwater

assets (e.g., pipe size, direction, material, and asset type).

8. Describe your approach to photographing assets in low light, difficult to access, or recessed conditions.

9. Describe any advanced or innovative technologies your company uses (e.g., drones, mobile LiDAR, high

resolution pole cameras, AI assisted validation) to improve accuracy, coverage, or efficiency. In addition, describe

your company’s experience using machine learning and artificial intelligence in asset condition assessments.

Organization:_________________________________________________________________________

Address:_____________________________________________________________________________

Contact Person: _______________________________________________________________________

Phone Number: _________________________________ Email ________________________________

RFI: 13226

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ATTACHMENT A - COUNTY SAMPLE CCI

Culvert Condition Index - External Assessment

Distress Attribute

Pavement Settlement, Road Distress, Sinkhole

Erosion, Slope Stability, Vegetation Loss

Stream Flow Restriction/Obstruction

Inlet Structure

Rating

Not Assessed

Yes

Not Assessed

Yes

Not Assessed

Yes

Not Assessed

Yes

Score

None

0-None

1-Fair

2-Poor

3-Critical

None

0-None

1-Fair

2-Poor

Outlet Structure

Not Assessed

Yes

3-Critical

0-None

1-Fair

2-Poor

3-Critical

Description

A yes rating means pavement sagging, buckling, cracking or sinkhole in line or near culvert.

0-No erosion, slope, or vegetation issue

1-Slope stability or vegetation maintenance needed but no drainage system issue

2-Minor depression visible, material loss due to culvert

3-Significant erosion or material loss due to culvert, culvert pipe exposed

A yes rating means there is evidence of sediment or debris, waterway misalignment, private structure. Note the obstruction: tree, grate, private property

structure (fence, wall, etc.), sediment, other.

0-No structural issue

1-Minor surfacing cracking

2-Cracked concrete, exposed rebar

3-Parts of structure missing, significant structural damage

0-No structural issue

1-Minor surfacing cracking

2-Cracked concrete, exposed rebar

3-Parts of structure missing, significant structural damage

RFI: 13226 Attachment A

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

RFx Name:	BPM013226
RFx Begin Date (UTC+0):	RFI - COUNTYWIDE DRAINAGE ASSET COLLECTION SERVICES
RFx End Date (UTC+0):	1
Commodities:	1
RFx Status:	Water resources development and oversight
Solicitation Code:	5/12/2026 3:30:00 PM
Lot #:	7/17/2026 5:00:00 PM
Round #:	65 d 08 h 43 min 36 s

RFI - COUNTYWIDE DRAINAGE ASSET COLLECTION SERVICES

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See also