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CLEARWATER, FLA. — Tampa Bay Water has received Statements of Qualifications from five design-build teams representing more than 40 firms interested in designing, building, monitoring, and maintaining the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir Renovation.

The Statements of Qualification (SOQ) submittal is the first step in a two-stage procurement process to select a preferred design-builder to renovate Tampa Bay Water’s 15.5-billion gallon, off-stream reservoir. The SOQs will be screened in August; those that pass the screening will be fully evaluated by a selection committee.

“We are happy that so many firms are interested in the project,” said Jonathan Kennedy, P.E., senior manager of projects and planning for Tampa Bay Water. “This qualifications step helps ensure the public’s interest is protected. The submittals will be screened to ensure they are responsive prior to the selection committee conducting a thorough evaluation.”

The selection committee will use pre-established criteria to evaluate the SOQs, and may elect to interview teams in late September. In October, Tampa Bay Water will request Board approval of a short list of three to five qualified design-build teams.

Only the short-listed teams will be invited to participate in the second stage, Request for Proposals (RFP). The RFP is scheduled to be issued in early November and will include the criteria that will be used to evaluate renovation proposals received.

Tampa Bay Water’s regional reservoir is being renovated because of larger-than-expected cracks that formed in the soil cement erosion control layer lining the reservoir’s embankment interior. The cracking requires a permanent fix in order for the facility to be used as intended. Tampa Bay Water’s Board of Directors has adopted six objectives for a long-term reservoir solution:
1) The agency must ensure that the procurement process is fair, transparent, and highly competitive, and communicates clearly with all stakeholders.
2) The selected solution (including the design and the contracting approach) must provide the agency with the highest possible certainty of success over the long term.
3) The solution must meet the long term performance requirements and may incorporate certain betterments (e.g., added storage capacity, enhanced monitoring).
4) The renovation must be completed in a manner that provides the lowest lifecycle cost to the agency with the highest possible certainty of success.
5) The renovation should be completed in a timely manner.
6) The agency must protect the public’s long term investment in the facility.

For more information, visit www.tampabaywater.org.