Gonzales will continue to be a safe, clean, family-friendly community, diverse in heritage, and committed to working collaboratively to preserve and retain its small town charm September 3, 2025
Subject: Request for Proposals for Contract Operation of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant
The City of Gonzales is seeking Proposals for Contract Operation of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). Proposals may be submitted by individuals, companies or public agencies. A State of California Class 2 Wastewater Operators certification is required.
A non-mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on September 10, 2025 at 10:00AM for city staff to discuss the RFP, the expected services and take questions from attendees. The Pre-Proposal Conference will be held in the Community Room at the City’s Emergency Services Building at 109 Fourth Street Gonzales, CA 93926. A site visit to the WWTP will immediately follow the Pre-Proposal Conference.
Should you have any questions on this matter, please contact Patrick Dobbins at [email protected] or at (831) 675- 5000.
Sincerely,
Patrick Dobbins
Public Works Director/City Engineer
Enclosures
Copies: Project file
P.O. BOX 647 147 FOURTH ST. GONZALES, CALIFORNIA 93926
PHONE: (831) 675-5000 FAX: (831) 675-2644 www.ci.gonzales.ca.us
Request for Proposals for Contract Operation of WWTP
INTRODUCTION
The City of Gonzales (Monterey County) was incorporated in 1947, is located 15 miles south of the City of Salinas and is surrounded by prime agricultural land in the heart of the 90-milelong Salinas Valley. The 2020 census lists the City of Gonzales’ population as 8,647.
Gonzales is a net-importer of jobs due to the Industrial Business Park which includes several agricultural processing facilities. The ag-wash water discharged from the three main processing facilities makes up 75 percent of the flow to the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The city is currently constructing a separate Industrial Wastewater System to treat the ag-wash water.
The City of Gonzales is releasing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to firms, individuals and other public agencies for Contract Operation of the city Wastewater Treatment Plant. The City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant is located off Gonzales River Road, at 400 Short Road approximately two miles west of the city.
The plant is a facultative pond system and operates under Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) Order No. R3-2023-0016 issued by the Central Coast Region of the Regional Water Quality Control Board (copy attached). Permitted capacity is 1.3 million gallons per day. The WDR Permit requires an operator with a State of Calif Wastewater Grade 2 certification.
FACILITY
Originally established in the 1920’s and enlarged over the years, the wastewater treatment plant has undergone several upgrades over the last 25 years. In its current configuration, the plant is comprised of six treatment ponds (two acres each), two polishing ponds (five acres each), and three disposal fields (seven acres each). The ponds are arranged and operated as two parallel sets (trains) of three treatment ponds in series followed by a polishing pond. Effluent from the polishing ponds is conveyed to the disposal fields on a rotating basis.
All domestic, commercial and industrial sewage is conveyed to the plant via a 21-inch diameter gravity sewer. Pretreatment consists of a bar screen, grit removal system and two grinders. From there, wastewater flows into a wet well where it is pumped into a gravity line that feeds a diversion structure where flow can be directed to either train.
Recent capital projects include:
• Rehabilitation of the lift station just downstream of the headworks (May 2021) • Constructed a fourth disposal bed (December 2024)
OPERATION
The City of Gonzales has one Grade 1 operator and one Operator-in-Training who will assist with plant operations to the greatest degree possible. The city has six other Public Works staff members that provide maintenance duties at the WWTP. In 2025, the average daily flow through the plant has been 1.2 million gallons (MGD).
SCOPE OF SERVICES
Expected tasks include:
1. Provide a Grade 2 Wastewater Operator to serve as the Chief Plant Operator a. Be on-site a minimum one day/week
b. Available to report to the WWTP within four hours, seven days/week
2. Use City field personnel to assist with plant operations.
3. Routine maintenance of the headworks (cleaning bar screen, grinders, grit removal chamber, lubrication of motors and pumps)
4. Operate valves as needed to control the treatment process to stay within permitted operating limits
5. Collect wastewater samples for analysis by County laboratory
6. Work with City staff to update the Operations & Maintenance manual
7. Prepare reports to Regional Water Quality Control Board staff and other agencies as required by the operating permit and/or applicable laws
8. Coordinate with the City staff on matters concerning the WWTP
9. Train city public works staff on operation and maintenance of the WWTP
10. Recommend repairs and upgrades
11. Assist with reviewing and managing annual operating budgets
12. Keep and maintain all records of equipment usage, maintenance, repair, and condition
The Contractor shall:
1. Provide appropriately certified, highly qualified and professional staff with the appropriate licenses and experience to operate the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and maintain the existing facilities and equipment in good working condition.
When an emergency or issue arises at the City’s WWTP, the Contract Operator is expected to respond with qualified and certified staff within two hours of notification or realization of operational, interference, upset, power outage, regulatory inspection, or other emergency, 24hours/day, 365 days/year.
2. Provide technical expertise on the WWTP performance, operation, and compliance issues as may be required for operation in compliance with Permit. Notify city staff in writing of any recommended changes in the equipment or operating procedures for required approval.
3. Provide regulatory compliance for the operations including preparing and submitting self-monitoring reports, responding to inquiries from the RWQCB or other regulatory agencies, and providing required documentation to the City, RWQCB, or other regulatory agencies as requested.
4. Assist in representing the City during RWQCB inspections, meetings, and other thirdparty visits to the City’s facilities that the Contract Operator will operate and maintain. The Contract Operator is expected to maintain all required records onsite for inspection by City staff, RWQCB regulators, and other state inspectors.
5. Notify and provide written reports to the RWQCB and City officials as requested in the event of any permit violation. Any report any sewer spill shall be documented, responded to, and reported to the RWQCB in compliance with the City’s sewer backup response plan and federal and state law or regulations;
6. Conduct routine operations including all daily, weekly and monthly sampling as required in the City’s permits or compliance plans;
7. Create and maintain a daily operations manual and maintenance schedule for both WWTPs and the City’s lift stations.
8. Implement a maintenance program to ensure WWTP operations are fully maintained, evaluations are completed, and adequate parts are on site for immediate repairs.
PROPOSAL FORMAT
Proposals shall include the following:
Transmittal Letter: Proposals shall include a transmittal letter providing an overview of their proposal, team, qualifications, experience, and explaining why they should be considered to provide the specified services to the City.
The Transmittal letter must include the address, telephone number, and email for the Contract Operator’s Chief Plant Operator who will provide service to the City.
Approach: The proposal should provide a narrative describing the anticipated approach to the elements described in the Scope of Services section of this RFP. The narrative should provide sufficient detail to convey an understanding of the tasks and services to be provided.
The approach should identify expected tasks to be performed by the Contract Operator, the expected frequency per day/week/month for each task.
Describe how the Contract Operator will:
• Respond to an emergency or alarm during off-hours.
• How you plan to transition services from the existing Chief Plant Operator to your firm.
Project Team: Proposals should include an organization chart and staffing plan that describes the specific positions with their duties and responsibilities. The licensing and minimum qualifications for each staff person shall be identified.
The City recognizes that it may not be possible to definitively identify every project team member. However, the Chief Plant Operator must be identified and a list of positions by title and certifications shall be included. Provide a list of plant(s) that the Chief Plant Operator is currently or has previously provided similar services for.
Provide resumes for all key staff, including Chief Plant Operator, designated points of contact for City, and all staff listed and named in the proposer’s organization chart.
The proposal shall state how staff will be back-filled during vacations or while staffing is in transition due to resignations or retirements.
Experience: The experience of the Firm and Contract Operator will be presented in this section. It is expected that a minimum of five wastewater plants will be highlighted. The project experience shall include the duration of the contract, annual fee and how this experience relates to this RFP. A reference for each client should be provided, including name, position, contact information, and the role of the reference in relation to the experience.
Cost Proposal: Proposals shall contain the Contract Operator’s cost proposal to provide the services identified in the Scope of Services Overview section, including any recommendations or suggestions from the Contract Operator documented in their proposal.
Fees shall be presented on an monthly basis, and separated into fees for:
• Wastewater treatment operations, maintenance, and regulatory compliance • itemized costs for staffing, including the cost for each proposed classification, supplies, maintenance, and capital projects shall be included as separate line items. • One-time cost to transition from the existing Chief Plant Operator to the your Contract Operator
The proposal shall include a rate schedule for professional and technical personnel that may be utilized during the contract. A maximum annual escalation rate for these services should be included in the rate schedule.
Proposal should also include the following:
1. Legal name and addresses of company offices
2. Name, title, address, telephone number, and email address of person to contact concerning the proposal
3. Information on the company’s safety programs
4. Assumptions made in estimating costs
EVALUATION CRITERIA
It is the City’s intent to enter into an agreement with a single firm to perform the services described in this RFP. Submittals will be evaluated by a panel appointed by the Public Works Director. Evaluators will independently evaluate each submittal and rank them in consideration of the following criteria:
• Completeness and responsiveness of the proposal = Pass/Fail • Quality, experience, and ability of the proposed staff = 15 points • Quality, experience, and ability of the proposed Chief Plant Operator = 25 points • Understanding of the operations, maintenance, and regulatory requirements associated with the City’s facilities = 15 points
• Ability and experience of the Contract Operator providing similar experience elsewhere. The City may choose to contact references provided by the Contract Operator, or other references known to the City = 25 points • Submitted fee = 20 points
It is the intent of the City to contract with the firm that, in the City’s opinion, provides the best value. Though the fee to perform the work is important, it is not required for the City to contract with the firm proposing the lowest fee.
SELECTION SCHEDULE
The anticipated RFP/Award of Contract schedule is:
Milestone Date
Issue Request for Proposals 9/03/2025
Pre-Proposal Meeting / WWTP Site Visit 9/10/2025 at 10:00AM Proposal Submittal Deadline 9/24/2025
City Staff releases short-list for interviews 9/25/2025 Interview short-listed contractors 10/07/2025
Contract Award at City Council Meeting 10/20/2025
Execute Contract 10/24/2025
Kick-Off Meeting / Notice to Proceed 10/27/2025
Contractor Mobilization 10/27/2025
The pre-proposal meeting will be held at:
City of Gonzales
Emergency Services Building - Community Room
109 Fourth Street
Gonzales, CA 93926
After the meeting there will be site visit to the Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 400 Short Road, Gonzales
CONTRACT
Should an award of contract be approved, it is assumed it will be effective as of October 27, 2025 and have an initial term of three years. Upon mutual agreement the contract can be extended.
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
Submit five printed and bound copies and one PDF copy on a thumb drive of your proposal to:
City Clerk of the City of Gonzales
PO Box 647
147 Fourth Street
Gonzales, CA 93926
CONTACT INFORMATION
Any questions regarding this Request for Proposals should be directed to:
Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer
City of Gonzales
147 Fourth Street / PO Box 647
Gonzales, CA 93926
(831) 675-5000
Email: [email protected]
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposer Questionnaire
2. Gonzales Wastewater “White Paper”
3. 2006 RWQCB Waste Discharge Requirements
4. 2023 RWQCB Waste Discharge Requirements
5. City’s standard agreement with insurance requirements (to be issued by Addendum)
Proposer Questionnaire for RFP for Contract Operation of WWTP Proposals shall include a signed Bidder’s Questionnaire using this form and all required attachments, including clearly labeled additional sheets.
The Questionnaire must be filled out completely, accurately, and legibly. Any errors, omissions, or misrepresentations in completion of the Questionnaire may be grounds for rejection of the bid or termination of a Contract awarded pursuant to the bid.
Part A: General Information
Bidder’s Business Name: _______________________________________________ (“Bidder”) Check One: ___ Corporation (State of incorporation: ___________________) ___ Partnership
___ Sole Proprietorship
___ Joint Venture of: __________________________________ ___ Other:___________________________________________
Main Office Address and Phone: ______________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Local Office Address and Phone: _____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Website Address: __________________________________________________ Owner(s) of Business: ______________________________________________ Contact Name and Title:_____________________________________________ Contact Phone and Email: ___________________________________________ California Contractor’s License Number(s): ______________________________ DIR Registration Number: ____________________________________________ Part B: Bidder Experience
1. How many years has Bidder been in business under its present business name? ____ years
2. Has Bidder completed projects similar in type and size to this Project? ____ Yes_____ No
3. Has Bidder been disqualified on grounds that it is not responsible, or otherwise disqualified or debarred from bidding under state or federal law? _____ Yes _____ No If yes, provide additional information on a separate sheet regarding the disqualification or debarment, including the name and address of the agency or owner of the project, the type and size of the project, the reasons that Bidder was disqualified or debarred, and the month and year in which the disqualification or debarment occurred.
4. Has Bidder ever been terminated for cause, alleged default, or legal violation from a construction project, either as a general contractor or as a subcontractor? _____ Yes _____ No
If yes, provide additional information on a separate sheet regarding the termination, including the name and address of the agency or owner of the subject project, the type and size of the project, whether Bidder was under contract as a general contractor or a subcontractor, the reasons that Bidder was terminated, and the month and year in which the termination occurred.
5. Provide information about Bidder’s recent or on-going contracts as follows:
5.1 Five recent or on-going contracts within the last five years
5.3 Contracts like this Project including scope and character of the work.
6. Use separate sheets to provide all of the following information for each contract identified in response to the above two categories:
6.1 Project name, location, and description
6.2 Owner (name, address, email, and phone number)
6.6 Scope of work performed (as general contractor or as subcontractor)
6.7 Initial contract price and final contract price (including change orders)
6.8 Original scheduled completion date and actual date of completion
6.9 Time extensions granted (number of days)
6.10 Number and amount of stop notices or mechanic’s liens filed
6.11 Amount of any liquidated damages assessed against Bidder; and
6.12 Nature and resolution of any project-related claim, lawsuit, mediation, or arbitration involving Bidder.
Part C: Safety
1. Provide Bidder’s Experience Modification Rate (EMR) for the last three years:
Year EMR
2022
2023
2024
2. Provide the following, based on information on Bidder’s CalOSHA Form 300 or Form 300A, Annual Summary of Work-Related Illnesses and Injuries, from the most recent past calendar year:
2.1 Number of lost workday cases: ____
2.2 Number of medical treatment cases: ____
2.3 Number of deaths: ____
3. Has Bidder been cited, fined, or prosecuted by any local, state, or federal agency, including OSHA, CalOSHA, or EPA, for violation of any law, regulation, or requirements pertaining to health and safety? _____ Yes _____ No
If yes, provide additional information on a separate sheet regarding each such citation, fine, or prosecution, including the name and address of the agency or owner of the project, the type and size
of the project, the reasons for and nature of the citation, fine, or prosecution, and the month and year in which the incident giving rise to the citation, fine, or prosecution occurred.
4. Name, title, and email for person responsible for Bidder’s safety program:
_________________________________________ ______________________ Name Title Email
Part D: Verification
In signing this document, I, the undersigned, declare that I am duly authorized to sign and submit this Bidder’s Questionnaire on behalf of the named Bidder, and that all responses and information set forth in this Bidder’s Questionnaire and accompanying attachments are, to the best of my knowledge, true, accurate and complete as of the date of submission. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.
Signature: ______________________________ Date: ________________ By: _______________________________________________________________ Name and Title
END OF QUESTIONNAIRE
The City of Gonzales’ Approach to Wastewater System Expansion for Residential and Industrial Development
OBJECTIVES
1) Protect public health and groundwater resources by upgrading the city wastewater system through a phased approach to meet new Regional Board Regulatory Discharge Requirements. 2) Upgrade and expand the wastewater treatment plant to accommodate residential and industrial development projects in the most cost-effective and expedient way possible. 3) Recognize the city’s wastewater system is one utility system and expansion benefits all residential, commercial and industrial dischargers.
4) Increase the capacity of the city’s wastewater system in phases based on available funding and to minimize costs to sewer utility rate payers.
ABOUT THE CITY
The City of Gonzales (Monterey County) is in the heart of the Salinas Valley. The Salinas Valley has long been referred to as the "Salad Bowl of the World" because of the many crops grown, harvested and processed for context-Monterey County supplies a large percentage of crops including 61% of leaf lettuce, 57% of celery and 48% of broccoli nationwide. The city is a regional employment center due to the jobs generated in the city’s Industrial Business Park (75 acres, 15 agricultural related businesses including three processing facilities).
A proposed residential development project is going through the approval process to build 3,500 homes, apartments, and retail spaces. At the same time, agricultural businesses are eager to expand or build processing facilities in the city’s Industrial Business Park. Gonzales is ready to help the region meet its housing needs and job creation goals.
WASTEWATER CHALLENGE
The wastewater discharged from residential, commercial, and industrial properties in Gonzales is conveyed to the city-owned municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWWTP). The MWWTP operates under a permit from the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and has a permitted capacity of 1.30 million gallons/day (mgd). Currently, the MWWTP treats and disposes of approximately 1.20 mgd. A third of the wastewater is from residential and commercial properties with the rest being agricultural wash (agwash) water discharged from processing facilities in the Industrial Business Park. While ag-wash water is “cleaner” than domestic wastewater, it contains cleansers and sanitizers that disrupt the biological treatment processes at the MWWTP.
The MWWTP is near its permitted capacity and has struggled to meet the 2006 discharge permit requirements as the MWWTP wasn’t designed for the amount of ag-wash water it must treat every day. In April 2023 the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Board issued a new discharge permit that contains requirements the MWWTP is not capable of meeting. Therefore, the city needs to upgrade its wastewater system to comply with the new RWQCB permit and expand wastewater capacity to accommodate residential and industrial development projects.
SOLUTION
Through the preparation of the 2018 Long-Term Wastewater Management Plan mandated by the Regional Board, the city identified that constructing a dedicated industrial wastewater system was the most cost The City of Gonzales’ Approach to Wastewater System Expansion for Residential and Industrial Development
effective and expedient approach to expand the city’s wastewater system. Operating the industrial wastewater treatment facility under the Regional Board’s Fruit and Vegetable Processing Discharge Permit saves significant money and energy by only using the treatment processes necessary and not sending the wastewater through the extra processes needed to treat domestic wastewater.
Constructing the Industrial Wastewater (IW) system will allow the city to shift approximately 850,000 gallons/day from the MWWTP, greatly reducing wastewater flows to the MWWTP. This will allow the city to take one of the two treatment trains at the MWWTP offline which is the most efficient way to rehabilitate the MWWTP. While constructing the IW System, the city will design the upgrades for the treatment processes to ensure the MWWTP meets the new discharge permit requirements.
WASTEWATER PROJECT PHASING
Phase 1 – Construct the IW Pipeline and build the 1.0 MGD IW Treatment Facility on 55 acres the city owns adjacent to the MWWTP. The CEQA-Plus EIR for the project was completed in October 2021 and construction documents (plans, technical specifications, and cost estimate) were completed in September 2022. In July 2024, the city secured a $29M State Revolving Fund loan for the project. Construction of the IW Pipeline began in November 2024 and was completed in June 2025. Construction of the IW Treatment Facility began in July 2025 and should be completed in Spring 2027.
Phase 2 - Upon completion of the IW System, 850,000 gallons/day of ag-wash water will be shifted from the MWWTP to the IW Treatment Facility. The city will then rehabilitate the MWWTP which includes removing accumulated sludge, line the treatment ponds, and installing an upgraded treatment process. When that work is completed, the city WW system should have a capacity of 2.9MGD, be able to meet the 2023 discharge requirements and will be able to accommodate projected housing growth through 2048.
Phase 3 - Expand the IW System treatment capacity to 3.5 MGD to accommodate additional processing facilities in the city’s Industrial Business Park and add a recycled water component.
BENEFITS OF WASTEWATER SYSTEM PROJECT PHASING
1. Most expedient and least costly approach for meeting the project objectives.
2. Minimizes environmental short-term impacts by using existing pipeline alignments and replacing long abandoned pipelines with newer and larger ones.
3. Minimizes long-term environmental impacts by using high efficiency equipment and low energy demand treatment processes. When the IW System is expanded to Phase 2 resulting in a capacity of 3.5MGD it will have the ability to produce recycled water.
4. Minimizes long-term costs to city residents and industrial customers.
CONCLUSION
Constructing the IW System is critical for the city to meet its wastewater compliance plan and obligation to provide for residential and industrial developments. Completing the IW System is a major step that will allow the city to rehabilitate the existing municipal wastewater treatment plant, expand the capacity of the wastewater system and protect valuable groundwater resources.
The City of Gonzales’ Approach to Wastewater System Expansion for Residential and Industrial Development