Water and Wastewater Commission – Oct. 14, 2026

Item 04 - 2026 Reservoir Improvement Program Contract — original pdf

Backup
Thumbnail of the first page of the PDF
Page 1 of 3 pages

Item 4 Water & Wastewater Commission: October 14, 2026 Council: October 22, 2026 Posting Language ..Title Recommend approval to authorize a contract for engineering services for the 2026 Reservoir Improvement Program Contract for Austin Water with Freese and Nichols, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $10,000,000. Funding: $10,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water. ..Body Lead Department Austin Financial Services. Fiscal Note Funding: $10,000,000 is available in the Capital Budget of Austin Water. Procurement Language: Austin Financial Services Department issued a Request for Qualifications solicitation RFQS CLMP396 for these services. The solicitation was issued on May 12, 2026, and closed on July 8, 2026. Of the two responses received, the recommended firm was selected as the most highly qualified provider of the services. A complete solicitation package, including a log of responses received, is available for viewing on the City’s website. This information can currently be found at: https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitation_details.cfm?sid=143946. MBE / WBE: This contract will be awarded in compliance with the City Code Chapter 2-9A (Minority-Owned and Women- Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program) by meeting the goals with 16.50% MBE and 9.00% WBE participation. Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action: October 14, 2026 – To be reviewed by the Water and Wastewater Commission. Additional Backup Information: The City of Austin owns and operates approximately 44 potable and reclaimed water storage reservoirs. These reservoirs maintain system pressure, store treated water, and provide critical emergency and fire flow capacity during outages and peak demand periods. Many of these reservoirs have been in service for decades and wear out on a predictable maintenance cycle. Typical wear and maintenance for these reservoirs consists of corrosion, water quality risks, and emergency repairs that also require the reservoirs to be taken out of service. To address these needs, Austin Water established an annual capital program, the Reservoir Improvement Program, to perform a yearly evaluation of tanks and address which ones require rehabilitation. Historically, Austin Water has utilized multi-year engineering contracts to keep the recurring work on schedule and to avoid procuring services tank-by-tank each cycle. The most recent contract for this work was in 2018 for the 2018 Reservoir Improvements Program Contract. This request is for authority to negotiate and execute a new multi-year engineering services agreement to continue the Reservoir Improvement Program. The consultant contracted for these services, will provide condition assessments, recommendations, design, construction documents, and construction-phase support needed to deliver annual reservoir rehabilitation work. These services require specialized expertise in coatings, cathodic protection, structural evaluation of steel and concrete reservoirs, geotechnical investigation, and environmental permitting. The work supports Austin Water’s asset management goals by ensuring reservoirs are rehabilitated on a planned cycle, protecting water quality, maintaining emergency and fire-flow storage, and extending the useful life of existing assets. Aligning this program with the City’s strategic outcomes for Health, Environment and Safety ensures the continued reliability of treated water infrastructure. Item 4 Water & Wastewater Commission: October 14, 2026 Council: October 22, 2026 Work associated with this program occurs at existing City-owned water storage reservoir sites that are not open to the public. Reservoirs are taken out of service individually during low-demand winter months to maintain system pressure for customers. No sustained water outages are anticipated. If temporary lane closures, traffic control, or brief service interruptions are needed at specific sites, Austin Water will coordinate with affected customers and Austin Transportation and Public Works, and advance notice will be provided. A delay in contract approval could impact the City’s ability to complete required maintenance within the winter low-demand window. Reservoirs cannot be drained during the summer’s peak-demand season and a delay would push out required projects by 12 months or more. This request allows for negotiation with the recommended firm, and if negotiations are successful, for execution of an agreement with that firm. If a satisfactory agreement cannot be negotiated, staff will end negotiations with that firm. Staff will return to Council for authority to negotiate and execute an agreement with the next most highly qualified firm for these services. This project is located within Districts 1-10. File ID: 26-2628 Item 04 City of Austin Council Agenda Back-up: October 22, 2026 PROJECT GOALS OR SUBGOALS MBE (use only if MBE/WBE goal) AFRICAN AMERICAN HISPANIC AMERICAN NATIVE/ASIAN AMERICAN WBE SUBGOALS: PROPOSED PARTICIPATION AFRICAN AMERICAN HISPANIC NATIVE/ASIAN AMERICAN WBE NON-CERTIFIED Total Subcontractor Participation Offeror (Own Participation minus Subs) TOTAL CP Summary 0.00% 1.61% 3.74% 2.23% 2.21% 3.00% 10.90% 2.60% 9.00% 0.00% 9.79% 0.00% 25.50% CLMP396 - CP Calculator (Freese And Nichols Inc.) Compliance Plan Verification Offeror: Sol#: Project: Freeze and Nichols Inc. CLMP396 2026 Reservoir Improvement Program $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 Cert Y/N? Y Comm Code 92531 Comm Description Electrical Engr. Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 96825 92670 91216 Corrosion Control Permitting Services Geotechnical Drilling 92670 - 91843 9254640 Enviro Consulting, HW Engr GeoTech Engineering 92588 90779 Structural Engineering Surveying Services INDIVIDUAL SUBCONTRACTORS PARTICIPATION Mbroh Engineering, Inc. Boswell & Reyes International Civil Team Engineers Texas Geo Bore Drilling Baer Engineering HVJ South Central TX _M&J., Inc. Jose I Guerra McGray &McGray Land Surveyors N/A AA HIS HIS HIS A/NA A/NA WBE WBE NON $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 3.00% 3.00% 10.00% 0.50% 0.40% 10.90% 2.00% 0.60% 2.60% 8.00% 1.00% 9.00% 0.00% 0.00% ALL SUBCONTRACTORS TOTAL $0.00 25.50% OFFEROR'S OWN PARTICIPATION IN RESPONSE (LESS AY AMOUNT SUBCONTRACTED): Freeze and Nichols Inc $0.00 74.50% TOTAL PARTICIPATION $0.00 100.00% Page 1 of 1