The Corporation of the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc (the “Municipality”) is seeking proposals from qualified consulting engineering firms (the “Proponent”) to provide construction, commissioning and warranty phase project management, engineering services, full-time site inspection and contract administration for a construction contract to complete upgrades to the Mount Brydges Wastewater Treatment Facility (MBWWTF).

The Municipality has completed a detailed design for the process upgrades, which generally include:

• Construction of a new Headworks Facility including screening and grit removal

• Conversion of two (2) existing Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) tanks to Extended Aeration

• Conversion of one (1) additional unused tank to Extended Aeration

• Construction of new odor control equipment and sludge handling tank

The MBWWTF currently cannot reliably meet compliance limits at current flow rates due to significantly undersized RBCs.  The upgrades to the Mount Brydges Wastewater Treatment Facility will restore the Plant’s ability to treat the rated capacity of 825 m3/d and ensure the MBWWTF can consistently meet compliance limits.

Mount Brydges is a semi-urban and rural community located in the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc, within Middlesex County in southwestern Ontario. Situated about 20 km north of London, Ontario. Mount Brydges is strategically positioned to benefit from its proximity to the London area. 

The community of Mount Brydges has a population of approximately 3,000 residents and has experienced steady growth over the past decade, with a notable increase in residential development. 

Existing Mount Brydges Wastewater Treatment Facility

The MBWWTF is located at 22416 Mill Road, Mt. Brydges. It was constructed in 2011 with a design capacity of 825 m3/day, to treat domestic wastewater generated by the community of Mount Brydges. Currently the plant is comprised of two rotating biological contactors, two clarifiers, three sand filters, chemical addition for pH and Phosphorus control and UV Disinfection.

Since 2019, the Municipality has not been able to consistently meet effluent limits at the plant throughout the year, particularly with ammonia, despite average daily flows of less than half of its rated capacity. The Municipality has been actively engaged with MECP District Office and Approvals Branch to assess and mitigate these issues. In 2022, an external Consultant was retained by the Municipality to undertake the design for the MBWWTF upgrades project, which includes the addition of a new Headworks Building and a sludge holding tank, converting the existing RBC system to extended aeration along with other associated upgrades. 

The construction contract for the process upgrades is anticipated begin in early 2026 and be completed by 2027.

INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS           

1. The requirements of this Proposal are not intended to limit Proponents submissions but rather to provide a framework for the Municipality to evaluate each proposal. It shall be the Proponents responsibility to advise the Purchasing Officer through Bids and Tenders if any language, requirement, specification, etc., or any combination thereof, inadvertently restricts or limits the requirements stated in this RFP to a single source. 

2. The Municipality is not liable for any cost incurred by interested parties in the preparation of their response to this request or interviews.

3. Each bid shall contain the full name of the party or parties bidding and the signature of the parties bidding shall be in their respective handwriting.

4. A bidder may withdraw a submitted proposal at any time up to the official closing time contacting bides and tenders. 

5. A bidder who has already submitted a proposal may submit a further proposal at any time up to the official closing time. The last proposal received shall supersede and invalidate all proposals previously submitted by that bidder as it applies to this request for proposal.

6. Bidders are solely responsible for any expenses they incur in preparing the proposal and for subsequent negotiations with the Municipality, if any.  If the Municipality elects to reject any or all proposals or cancel the request for proposal at any time the Municipality will not be liable to any Bidder for any claims, costs, loss of anticipated profit, or any other damages whatsoever.

7. All questions for clarification of the Request for Proposal shall be submitted online through the Bids & Proposals system by the registered plan takers. All responses, clarifications or changes to the Request for Proposal will be issued by the Municipality in the form of an addendum.  Changes to the Request for Proposal may be issued up to forty-eight (48) hours prior to the proposal closing.  The Municipality assumes no responsibility for oral instructions or suggestions.

8. Receipt of all addenda must be acknowledged by the bidders in their proposal submission documents.  Failure to acknowledge receipt of all addenda will result in the proposal being rejected. 

9. Proposals are to remain firm for acceptance for a period of ninety (90) days from date of proposal closing unless otherwise stated.

10. Successful bidders are required to submit the completed ‘Accessibility Regulations for Contracted Services’ form before commencing work.      The form is available on the ‘Bids & Proposals’ page of the Municipality’s website. 

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A - AGREEMENT:  

The Consultant will be required to enter into an agreement for professional consulting services with the Municipality as per Municipality’s purchasing by-law.

The agreement will provide that the Consultant shall not undertake any work that is beyond the terms of reference for the project in the accepted proposal without the written authorization of the Municipality.  Upset limit of the total cost of the study shall not be exceeded without the written approval of Municipality.

The agreement will be the current version of the standard MEA/CEO Agreement.

             B - INSURANCE:

The successful bidder shall provide a certificate of insurance including:

• Comprehensive General Liability Insurance for an amount not less than five million ($5,000,000) dollars per occurrence and in the aggregate and shall include the Municipality as additional insured.

• Automobile Liability Insurance for an amount of not less than two million ($2,000,000) dollars on forms meeting statutory requirements covering all vehicles used in any manner in connection with the performance of the contract.

• Professional Liability Insurance for an amount of not less than five million ($2,000,000) dollars per occurrence and in the aggregate.

Insurance coverage must in all respects be satisfactory to the Municipality and shall be maintained continuously by the Consultant from either the commencement of the Services or the signing of the Contract, whichever is earliest. The policies must be endorsed to provide the Municipality with not less than thirty (30) days’ written notice in advance of cancellation, or any change or amendment restricting coverage.

C - WORKPLACE SAFETY AND INSURANCE BOARD (WSIB) REQUIREMENTS:

The successful bidder shall furnish a WSIB Clearance Certificate indicating their WSIB firm number, account number and that their account is in good standing. This form must be furnished prior to commencement of work.  The bidder further agrees to maintain their WSIB account in good standing through the contract period.

The Municipality may require the successful bidder to produce a WSIB Clearance Certificate from time to time during the contract on request and/or prior to final payment as deemed necessary by the Municipality.

If the successful bidder is a self-employed individual, partner or executive officer who does not pay WSIB premiums and is recognized by WSIB as an ‘independent operator’ a letter from WSIB acknowledging independent contractor status and confirming that WSIB cover is not required must be provided to the Municipality prior to commencement of work.

D - HEALTH AND SAFETY:

All work performed under this Contract must be carried out in accordance with the Municipality’s Health and Safety Policy and any federal and provincial health and safety legislation and regulations. Failure to comply with this condition will be considered a breach of contract.

E - INFORMATION REQUESTS:  

The Consultant shall be responsible for obtaining all data and information required to complete the Project. The Municipality will provide assistance with, but is not responsible for, obtaining information.

The Consultant may request specific information from the Municipality by way of a Request for Information and the Municipality may provide, if available.

F - MUNICIPAL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION AND PROTECTION OF PRIVACY ACT (MFIPPA):

In accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, as amended, personal information Bidders provide is being collected under the authority of the Municipal Act and will be used in the selection process. All bids submitted become the property of the Corporation of the Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc. In accordance with MFIPPA the proposals received are recognized as proprietary and confidential information, the disclosure of which could cause the Bidder injury.

G - AWARD OF PROJECT CONTRACT:

Consideration for award shall only be undertaken in relation to Bidders who are determined by the Municipality to have satisfied all the requirements.

Contract award will be based on a technical-cost based evaluation that may include past performance with the Municipality.  The Municipality reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals.

The Municipality may reject any Bidder who is involved in litigation with the Municipality, its elected or appointed officers and employees in relation to any contracts or services, or any matter arising from the Municipality’s exercise of its powers, duties or functions.

H - OWNERSHIP AND COPYRIGHT:

All materials and information prepared, conceived or produced and delivered to the Municipality in the preparation of the Proposal and the negotiation and performance of any Agreement by the Proponents, shall be the sole property of the Municipality.

I - FEE STRUCTURE

The consultant shall provide a total upset limit cost to complete each task or item associated with this Project as defined within this document.  The Total Cost shall be fully inclusive and cover all expenditures relating to this work including disbursements, travel and any other incidental costs. 

All rates must include all labour, materials, incidentals, equipment and deliverables necessary to complete the project as specified within this document. 

The consultant shall be paid based on the actual time and disbursements incurred up to total upset limit for the agreed and approved total cost of the study including the cost of any sub-consultants and equipment rentals.

The Municipality reserves the right, at the selections stage, to delete components of work due to budget constraints and reduce the total study cost accordingly.

All applicable taxes are to be shown separately.

DETAILED SCOPE OF WORK

The following sections include selected details on the minimum scope of work expected from the Proponent. 

This is by no means intended to be an exhaustive list of the work required to successfully complete this assignment and Proponents are encouraged to include additional details of all scope they deem necessary to complete the project in their Proposals.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The objective of the upgrade works is to mitigate both short-term compliance issues and improve long-term operational efficiency and resiliency of the Mount Brydges Wastewater Treatment Facility. Specifically, the project aims to:

• Ensure continued compliance with current and anticipated regulatory requirements for effluent quality and environmental protection.

• Improve treatment capacity and reliability to support existing demand and accommodate future community growth in Mount Brydges.

• Support the Municipality’s commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and long-term infrastructure planning.

PROJECT SCOPE OF SERVICES

The successful Proponent shall provide professional engineering services during the construction, commissioning and warranty phases of the Mount Brydges Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) Upgrades project. Services will include, but not be limited to:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT & CO-ORDINATION

• Serve as the Municipality’s representative during construction.
• Coordinate with the Contractor, Municipality and external stakeholders to ensure work is completed in accordance with the contract documents and approved design provided by the Municipality.
• Conduct and document regular project meetings.
• Review Contractor’s project plan, commissioning plan and staging plan and provide comment.
• Monitor Contractor’s progress and schedule and ensure project plan is being adhered to.
• Conduct and document all project meetings

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

• Administer the construction contract in accordance with OPSS/OPSD standards and Municipality requirements.
• Review contractor’s submittals, shop drawings, and RFIs for compliance with the approved design.
• Maintain records of all correspondence, change orders, and contract modifications.
• Review contractor’s progress payment applications and recommend payments.
• Track project budget, identify potential overruns, and provide timely reporting to the Municipality.
• Contract Administration to be priced based on full-time Contract Administration for the duration of construction, warranty and project closeout
• Contract duration anticipated to be 430 working days and additional 2 years of warranty.

FULL-TIME SITE INSPECTION

• Provide a qualified full-time site inspector throughout construction to monitor quality, progress, and adherence to the design.
• Document site activities, deficiencies, test results, and corrective actions through daily inspection reports.
• Site inspection to be priced based on full-time, on-site inspection at 10 hours per day, 5 days per week for a total of 430 working days (4,300 hours total)
• Site inspection shall be invoiced on a per-hour basis, based upon the actual number of hours of on-site inspection 
• Site inspection shall be required only when active site construction is on-going and may be coordinated with the Municipality on a week-to-week, forward-looking basis.

ENGINEERING SERVICES, TECHNICAL SUPPORT & QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Review, provide comment and approve all contractor shop drawings, technical submissions, deliverables
• Verify that all construction materials, equipment, and workmanship meet the specifications outlined in the Detailed Design Report (April 2025) and tender package.
• Review and respond to Contractor’s questions during construction
• Provide engineering support and analysis and provide engineered solutions where required
• Coordinate and witness all testing, start-up, and performance verification of new systems and equipment (including Headworks, extended aeration, sludge holding tank, electrical, mechanical, SCADA).
• Monitor maintenance of contractor’s red-line drawings, verification of any changes to original design 
• Prepare and finalize as-built drawings. 

REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE SUPPORT

• Ensure construction activities comply with all relevant permits and approvals, including MECP requirements and the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA).
• Support Municipality in responding to any regulatory inquiries during construction.

PROJECT COMPLETION SERVICES

• Prepare deficiency lists and monitor resolution.
• Review and verify O&M manuals
• Respond to 2-Year Warranty issues
• Prepare a final project summary memo for the Municipality

PROVISIONAL ALLOWANCES

Provisional Allowances are to be used for project work that cannot be accurately priced at the time of Proposal development. The Table of Items and Prices includes the amount of allowance for each item. 

The Consultant will be responsible to competitively price the work and/or develop a detailed scope of work and may be requested to retain up to three (3) quotes from specialized subconsultants. 

The Consultant must receive written approval from the Municipality prior to undertaking any Provisional Allowances. 

The allowable markup for any provisional, subconsultant services shall be 5%. 

KEY DELIVERABLES

The Proponent shall provide the following deliverables during the course of the assignment:

1. Project Management Deliverables

• Log of Shop Drawings, Submittals, and RFIs.
• Log of all contract modifications, change directives, and claims.
• Bi-weekly progress reports to the Municipality.
• Meeting Agenda + Minutes for all project meetings.

2. Inspection & Quality Control Deliverables

• Daily site inspection reports, including photos and test results.
• Non-conformance and corrective action reports, if applicable.

3. Financial Deliverables

• Certified progress payment recommendations.
• Monthly budget tracking and forecast updates.

4. Compliance Deliverables

• Regulatory compliance reports (as needed).
• MECP/ECA coordination documentation.

5. Project Completion Deliverables

• Final deficiency list and sign-off.
• As-Built Drawings and O&M manuals reviewed for completeness.
• Final completion certificate recommendation.
• Final project report summarizing scope, schedule, cost, and performance.

PROJECT TEAM REQUIREMENTS

The Proponent shall provide a qualified project team with demonstrated experience in wastewater treatment facility construction and contract administration.  Key personnel shall have the minimum experience as noted below.  Key personnel may take on multiple roles where appropriate. 

1. Project Manager 

• Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng) in Province of Ontario
• 10 years experience
• Provides general project leadership and oversight including schedule management, coordination of contract administration, project escalation, regulatory compliance support
• Meets at least monthly with Municipality’s project manager to review project progress, risks and issues
• Completes monthly consultant invoicing and manages change

2. Engineering/Technical Lead 

• Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng) in Province of Ontario
• 10 years experience
• Provides technical oversight including coordination of technical leads, responding to engineering/technical issues.

3. Contract Administrator

• 4 yrs experienced min.
• Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng), Engineer in Training (EIT) or Certified Engineering Technologist (CET) in Province of Ontario
• Acts as the primary point of contact for the Municipality.
• Responsible for overall contract administration, schedule monitoring, budget monitoring and risk management.
• Ensures RFIs, shop drawings, change orders and all other Contractor submittals are reviewed and approved in a timely manner, prepares formal recommendations to the Municipality.
• Ensures As-Built Drawings, Operating Manuals are completed
• Ensures compliance with MECP requirements, ECA, and all applicable codes and standards.
• Leads coordination between the Municipality, contractor and inspection staff.
• Leads progress meetings and provides bi-weekly reporting.
• Reviews and authorizes payment certificate payment

4. Site Inspector

• 3yrs. exp.
• Registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng) or Certified Engineering Technologist (CET) in Province of Ontario
• Provide full-time site inspection during active construction.
• Provide part-time site inspection services when required during slower construction
• Monitors contractor’s work for compliance with contract documents and specifications.
• Documents daily activities, site conditions, test results, and deficiencies.
• Reports issues promptly to the Project Manager for resolution.
• Ensures and verifies accurate and up-to-date red-line drawings are maintained

CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE

The Consultant shall ensure the Contractor produces an accurate, detailed and realistic Overall Construction Schedule.  The Consultant shall review the Contractor’s Schedule in detail and provide analysis and comments, in particular for construction staging and commissioning.

The Consultant shall monitor progress and ensure the Contractor updates their Overall Construction Schedule monthly.

The Consultant shall also ensure the Contractor provides detailed two-week look ahead schedules at each bi-weekly progress meeting.

PROPOSAL FORMAT

Proposals shall be limited to a maximum of seven (7) pages excluding Mandatory Requirements, Resumes and Project Reference Sheets. 

Proposal format is open to the bidder.  Concise, clear and brief submissions are preferred and may be reflected in the proposal scoring.  The proposals should include the following Sections at minimum:

1. Mandatory Requirements:

   • Bidders Declaration
   • List of References
   • Bid Form
   • Acknowledgement of Receipt of Addenda

2. Corporate Profile:

• Highlight firm’s background and experience working on similar projects with Municipalities.

3. Project Understanding, Work Plan & Methodology:

• This section should outline the overall scope and highlight Proponent’s understanding of the scope and key issues relating to this project. 

4. Team Member Experience:

• Provide overview of key personnel including experience and qualification of proposed team and any sub-consultants, noting their specific experience and role on projects 

5. Project References

• Provide 3x project profiles of similar projects the Proponent has worked on
• Indicate Proponent’s role on project and team members who worked on it
• Detailed project reference sheets may be included as an appendix

6. Time-Task Matrix:

• Provide a time-task matrix 

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The Municipality will be utilizing a 2-envelope method for evaluation of the proposals (80% Technical, 20% Cost). 

• The first envelope will include the Proponent’s Technical Proposal   

• The second envelope will include Proponent’s Cost Proposal 

Proponents must achieve a minimum technical score of 60% in order to proceed to the Cost Evaluation phase.   

Should Proponents fail to meet the minimum technical score their Cost package will not be considered.

COST EVALUATION:

1 – [(B-A)/A] x .20 = Final Cost Score 

A—Lowest Bidder’s cost. 

B—Bidder’s cost being scored. 

C—Maximum number of cost points available (20%).

If the formula results in a negative number (which will occur when the Bidders cost is more than twice the lowest cost), zero points shall be assigned.

TECHNICAL EVALUATION:

Corporate Experience (10%)

• Corporate Background 

• Project Org Chart

Project Understanding, Work Plan & Methodology (25%)

• Project Understanding 

• Project Work Plan & Methodology 

Team Member Experience (40%)

• Project Manager / Engineering Lead

• Contract Administrator 

• Site Inspector

Project References (15%)

• Project #1

• Project #2

• Project #3

Project Time-Task Matrix (10%)

• Time-Task Matrix