RFQ Design Build Water Utility SCADA System Modernization

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)
FOR DESIGN BUILD
WATER UTILITY SCADA SYSTEM MODERNIZATION
RFQ Issued:
September 17, 2026
Submission Deadline:
October 16, 2026
Contact:
Philip Pierce
Town of Munster Public Works
(219) 836-6978
Ppierce@munster.org
508 Fisher Street
Munster, IN 46321
Request for Qualifications
Town of Munster

1. NOTICE TO BIDDERS
The Town of Munster, Indiana ("Owner") invites sealed Design-Build Qualifications from
qualified, experienced Design-Build entities for the design, procurement, fabrication, installation,
testing, commissioning, training, and warranty of a complete Automated Control System
including Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) for the Town's water and
wastewater utility infrastructure which will enhance operational reliability, cybersecurity, and
system visibility across the water distribution system. The project shall be delivered under a
single Design-Build contract with full responsibility for engineering design and construction
vested in one firm.
Sealed requests must be received at the Office of the Town Clerk, Munster Town Hall,
1005 Ridge Road, Munster, Indiana 46321, no later than 2:00 PM (Local Time) on
October 16, 2026. Qualifications received after this deadline will be returned unopened.
2. PROJECT BACKGROUND & OVERVIEW
The Town of Munster operates a municipal water utility serving residential, commercial, and
institutional customers throughout the community. The system includes water towers, booster
stations, flow control valve facilities, and distribution monitoring points.
The Owner seeks to consolidate and modernize all control systems under a single, fully integrated
SCADA platform with standardized hardware, cybersecure communications, and a centralized
operator workstation environment at the Public Works Operations Center. The Design-Builder
shall provide a turnkey system ready for daily operations upon final acceptance.
Primary Facilities to be Integrated:
* Gound Storage Reservoirs (4 locations : 1 reservoir at 6.5 million gallons per day (mgd),
1 reservoir at 2mgd, and 2 reservoirs at 500,000 gallons per day)
* Elevated Water Storage Tanks (3 locations: 2 tanks at 2 million gallons and 1 tank at
500,000 gallons)
* Two (2) Booster Stations at Calumet Avenue and River Bend
* Flow control valve sites: 2 towers
* Distribution pressure monitoring points at towers
* Public Works Operations Center - Primary SCADA Master Station
* River Bend - Secondary/Read-Only Monitoring Station
* Remote mobile access for authorized operations personnel - laptops
3. PROJECT OBJECTIVES
* Replace existing SCADA infrastructure with a modern open-architecture platform
* Improve monitoring of towers, pumps, and distribution pressures
Request for Qualifications
Town of Munster

* Implement secure communications between field devices and central servers
* Improve alarm management and operator interface functionality
* Ensure long-term serviceability without reliance on proprietary vendor restrictions
* Control hydraulics during peak demand
* Minimize water main failures
4. SCOPE OF DESIGN-BUILD SERVICES
The selected Design-Build Team shall be responsible for:
* System evaluation of existing infrastructure
* SCADA architecture design
* Hardware procurement
* PLC / RTU programming
* Communication network implementation
* HMI development
* System commissioning and testing
* Staff training
* Documentation and system handover
The Design-Builder shall provide all labor, engineering, equipment, materials, software licenses,
communications infrastructure, installation, testing, and training necessary to deliver a fully
operational system. The Scope of Work includes, but is not limited to:
4.1 Engineering & Design
* Preparation of a complete Design-Build Project Execution Plan (PEP)
* 30%, 60%, 90%, and 100% design submittals with Owner review periods
* System Architecture and Network Design including redundancy and failover planning
* Control philosophy and loop descriptions for all monitored and controlled processes
* Instrument and panel schedules, wiring diagrams, and one-line electrical drawings
* Network topology diagrams and cybersecurity design documentation
* Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Site Acceptance Test (SAT) plans
* Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Manuals - minimum two (2) hard copies and
electronic PDF
4.2 SCADA System Requirements
* The SCADA system shall be based on System Platform by AVEVA Solutions.
* The SCADA servers must be installed on-premises at the designated facility. Cloud
hosted proposals will not be accepted. Provide separate server instances as recommended
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Town of Munster

for a medium sized application in accordance with the current versions' implementation
guide. Servers will be enterprise class, rack mount units with dual hot redundant power
supplies, hardware Raid 60 controllers, LOM or other out of band management adapter.
Raid Arrays will be sized for 4X the systems development size. Historical Data RAID
arrays will be sized at 2x the anticipated 10-year data collection.
* Provide all required server and network hardware for a complete installation including
server racks, true sinewave rack UPS units, network switches and an automatic
application backup solution.
* SCADA graphics will be developed with ISA 101 standards focused on situational
awareness. Visualization development on system platform will use the OMI.
* Historical data collection will time stamp data at the originating source. Data collection
strategies will include store and forward along with Sequence of Event logging and
historical backfill. System Time will be synchronized from a time master and
automatically synchronized to all Servers, Workstations, PLCs, OITs and Tablets. This
service will run over the private network without connection to the internet.
* The system shall include WIN-911 alarm notification software, fully integrated with
the SCADA platform to enable automated alerts via voice, text, or email. This shall also
include 10 years of cellular service with locked-in pricing.
* WIN-911 will be developed as a distributed system with the services residing on a server
and the system administration and scheduling configured from the SCADA client
workstation.
* All equipment and software must be Commercially Available, ensuring compatibility
with future service providers and third-party integrations. Supplier in-house or bespoke
software will not be accepted.
* Contractor to include development software and licenses in price. Servers and
workstations licenses will be retail versions and not tied to any specific hardware.
* Replace existing control panels at each site. Retrofits to the existing control panels will
not be accepted.
* All system programming and logic will be developed on Commercially Available PLC or
PAC hardware. Logic controllers will support standard IEC 61131 programming
software.
* Provide a local graphical Operator Interface Terminal on the main control panel at each
individual site. All setting, changes and monitored functions from the OIT will be visible
to the complete SCADA system and will operate as a single fully integrated system. In
addition, the OIT will allow the operator to fully control all of the local equipment in the
event that access to the complete system is unavailable.
4.3 Integration and Licensing
* Contractor to supply all necessary software licenses, including AVEVA System Platform,
Historian, OMI, and WIN-911 software.
* The WIN-911 alarm notification system must integrate natively through the AVEVA
System Platform Alarm Provider (no third-party connectors).
* Include 10 years of cellular service
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Town of Munster

4.4 Remote Access and Client Devices
* Provide (2) laptops. Configure for secure SCADA access via a private cellular network.
* The cellular network hardware shall be Cradlepoint model S750 or newest model.
Contractor to include 5 years of netcloud once the modems are purchased.
* The Cradlepoint devices must be added to the Town of Munster's existing NetCloud
account for centralized management and monitoring.
* Provide (1) SCADA client workstation. Provide 1 copy of Microsoft office home and
business perpetual license.
* Provide (1) wide format color printer (letter and tabloid paper sources).
* As a minimum hardware requirement, SCADA Client Workstation will include:
Current generation Intel or AMD processors with a minimum of 16 cores and a
o
minimum clock speed of 3.7Ghz.
Minimum of 32Gb RAM at the maximum supported clock speed of the
o
processor.
Discrete Graphics adapter supporting at least 2 2K monitors @ 1920x1024
o
resolution.
Dual 28" 2K monitors @ 1920x1024 resolution monitors.
o
True sinewave UPSs sized for the workstation and all included peripheral loads.
o
4.5 Network Security
* The private cellular network used for SCADA access must be non-routable to the
public internet, maintaining strict isolation from external networks.
* The system must adhere to industry best practices for cybersecurity, including secure
authentication and encrypted communications.
* The SCADA architecture shall be fully documented in a network topology drawing
showing VLANs, IP addresses, security zones, and firewall segmentation.
* Intrusion detection/prevention system (IDS/IPS) for SCADA network
* Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing by a qualified third party upon
completion
* Cybersecurity Operations Manual detailing protocols, patch management, and incident
response procedures
* All default passwords changed; password management policy documented and
implemented
4.6 Support and Emergency Response
* Contractor must offer 24-hour emergency call-out support.
* Include references demonstrating typical response times for emergency service requests
and examples of past performance under similar conditions.
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Town of Munster

* Must be on-site during an emergency within 2 hours of the call being received
4.7. Open Architecture and Non-Proprietary Requirements
* The Town of Munster requires that the SCADA system be based on a fully open
architecture platform.
* The system shall be nonproprietary and shall not create dependency on a single
manufacturer, vendor, or system integrator for future expansion, programming, or
maintenance.
* The Town shall retain full ownership and unrestricted access to:
* SCADA software licenses
* PLC and RTU programs
* HMI graphics and tag databases
* Alarm configuration and historian configuration
* Network configuration and communication drivers
* All administrative credentials and passwords
* Open Communication Protocols - All equipment shall utilize open and widely supported
industrial protocols including Modbus TCP/IP, EtherNet/IP, OPC UA, or DNP3.
* AntiVendor Lock Provision - The Town expressly prohibits vendorlocked SCADA
implementations. The following practices are prohibited:
* Passwordprotected PLC programs not provided to the Town
* Proprietary HMI software that only the integrator can modify is prohibited
* Locked communication drivers preventing thirdparty integration
* The Town must retain the ability to hire any qualified SCADA integrator to modify,
maintain, or expand the system.
4.8. Hardware Standards
Preferred hardware platforms include:
* Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) - Allen-Bradley ControlLogix or
CompactLogix series, or Owner-approved equal - at all remote sites
* Replacement of all outdated RTUs with modern, cybersecure communication-capable
PLCs
* All critical control panels will be equipped with redundant power supplies and UPS units
to maintain continuous operation during power interruptions, voltage fluctuations, or
utility outages.
* Network switches will be provided to support reliable and secure communication
between SCADA servers, control panels, and operator workstations, with provisions for
redundancy where required.
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Town of Munster

* Primary and secondary SCADA servers will be implemented in a redundant
configuration to ensure high availability, fault tolerance, and rapid recovery in the event
of server failure.
* Dedicated operator workstations will be provided to allow real-time system monitoring,
control, alarm management, and data visualization, ensuring continued operational
oversight.
4.9. Communications Network
* The Design-Build team shall evaluate and implement appropriate communications
technologies including:
Dual APN Private Cellular Network
o
All communications shall be encrypted (AES-256 minimum) end-to-end
o
4.10. Human Machine Interface (HMI)
The SCADA system shall include modern HMI interfaces capable of:
* Real-time system monitoring
* Historical trending
* Alarm management
* Operator control capabilities
4.11. Data Historian
The SCADA system shall include a centralized historian capable of storing operational data for
system analysis and regulatory reporting.
4.12 Documentation Requirements
Deliverables shall include:
* As-built drawings - 2 hard copies and 1 PDF
* PLC logic documentation
* Network architecture diagrams located in each control box/panel
* Operator manuals
* Maintenance manuals located in each control box
4.13 Testing, Commissioning & Training
* Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) of all panels and SCADA system at manufacturer's
facility - Owner and Engineer witness required
* Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) of complete integrated system - Owner and Engineer
witness required
* Minimum thirty (30) day operational reliability demonstration period prior to Final
Acceptance
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Town of Munster

* On-site operator training - minimum 40 hours for Town staff. This will include system
operation, alarm management, trouble shooting procedures and basic PLC interfacr
understanding
* System Administrator training including SCADA configuration, tag management, and
alarm setpoint modification
4.14 Warranty & Post-Commissioning Support
* Minimum two (2) year comprehensive warranty on all installed equipment, software, and
workmanship from date of Final Acceptance
* Manufacturer's extended warranty on all SCADA software licenses - minimum five (5)
years
* 24/7 emergency technical support hotline for the duration of the warranty period
5. QUALIFICATIONS SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications package shall include:
* Executive Summary
* Firm qualifications and organizational chart - prime and all major subcontractors
* Resumes of all Key Personnel
* Reference projects with owner name, contact information, project description, contract
value, and date of completion
* Project approach and technical solution description
* Proposed SCADA platform with manufacturer authorization documentation
* Preliminary System Architecture narrative and conceptual network diagram
* Proposed project schedule in Gantt chart format with major milestones
* Cybersecurity approach narrative
* Training plan summary
* Warranty and post-commissioning support plan
Qualifications shall be submitted in conformance with the following:
A sealed envelope or package clearly labeled with the following:
"DESIGN-BUILD Qualifications - Town of Munster Automated Control System &
SCADA"
The Town will also accept submittals on a flash drive delivered to the Town Hall before the
deadline. The delivery shall also be labelled as stated above.
Email submittals will not be accepted.
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Town of Munster

Proposers are responsible for informing any commercial delivery service, if used, of all delivery
requirements and for ensuring that the required address information appears on the outer wrapper
or envelope used by such service.
6. EVALUATION CRITERIA
This procurement will use a Best Value Design-Build selection process. Qualifications will be
evaluated by a Town Selection Committee using the following weighted criteria:
Evaluation Category Max Points Weight
Technical Approach & System Architecture 30 30%
Qualifications & Experience of Firm and Key Personnel 30 30%
SCADA Platform Capability & Cybersecurity Approach 25 25%
Project Schedule & Project Management Approach 10 10%
Training, Warranty & Post-Commissioning Support 5 5%
TOTAL 100 100%
Bidders may arrange facility site visits with Town Public Works staff. The site visits shall be
coordinated through Philip Pierce (water/sewer division). Before making a final award, the Town
may conduct oral interviews or presentations with the highest-ranked firm(s) and negotiate
contract terms with the top-scored proposer.
7. SELECTION COMMITTEE
The evaluation committee may include:
* Director of Operations
* Town Manager
* Water Utility Superintendent
* IT Department representative
* Town Engineer (Advisory)
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Town of Munster

8. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
The Design-Builder shall maintain, at a minimum, the following insurance coverage throughout
the duration of the Contract:
Coverage Type Minimum Limit
Commercial General Liability $2,000,000 per occurrence / $4,000,000
aggregate
Professional Liability (E&O) $2,000,000 per claim / $4,000,000
aggregate
Cyber Liability $2,000,000 per occurrence
Automobile Liability $1,000,000 combined single limit
Workers' Compensation Statutory (Indiana)
Employer's Liability $500,000 per occurrence
Umbrella/Excess Liability $5,000,000 per occurrence
The Town of Munster shall be named as an Additional Insured on all liability policies.
Certificates of Insurance must be submitted with the proposal and updated annually throughout
the contract period.
9. COMPLIANCE WITH INDIANA LAW
All procurement procedures shall comply with Indiana municipal procurement statutes and
applicable public works requirements.
10. QUALIFICATIONS SUBMITTAL FORMAT
Qualifications shall be submitted in electronic and printed format with clearly organized sections
corresponding to the evaluation criteria.
11. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS
The Town reserves the right to reject any or all qualifications and/or proposals, waive
informalities, and accept the qualification and/or proposal determined to be in the best interest of
the Town.
Request for Qualifications
Town of Munster