On-Call Backflow Inspection, Testing, and
Repair Services
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The City of Richmond Public Works Department, Parks and Landscaping Division, is seeking proposals from qualified, EBMUD approved, California-certified contractors to provide on-call backflow inspection, testing, installation, and repair services for City- owned backflow prevention assemblies. These assemblies are located at various parks, landscaped medians, irrigation systems, and public facilities throughout the City. The purpose of this contract is to ensure continued compliance with the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) Cross-Connection Control Program, Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, and industry best management practices (BMPs).
Bid Release Date: October 31, 2025
Deadline for Questions: November 19, 2025 at 5:00 pm – All questions must be submitted electronically through the City’s BidsOnline system.
Bid Due Date: December 1, 2025 at 2:00 pm – Late bids will not be accepted.
Submittal: Bids must be submitted electronically via the City’s BidsOnline system at www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids. Oral, faxed, or emailed bids will not be accepted.
Addenda and Clarifications: Any responses to questions, changes, or clarifications will be issued exclusively through the City’s BidsOnline system as addenda. It is the responsibility of each bidder to monitor BidsOnline for addenda prior to submitting a bid.
BACKGROUND
The Parks and Landscaping Division maintains more than 50 public parks, landscaped medians, and irrigation systems across the City of Richmond. Each irrigation system includes one or more backflow prevention assemblies that protect the City’s potable water supply. These assemblies require annual testing, certification, and occasional repair, installation, or replacement. The City currently maintains approximately 110 to 120 active backflow prevention devices. All testing and reporting must comply with EBMUD Cross-Connection Control standards and the City’s maintenance requirements.
Contract Term and Value
The initial term of this agreement shall be three (3) years, with the option to extend for up to two (2) additional one-year periods upon mutual agreement. The total annual not- to-exceed amount shall be Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000) per year, with a total potential contract value not to exceed Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) per vendor over five (5) years. The City reserves the right to award to one or more vendors on an on-call, as-needed basis.
SCOPE OF SERVICES
A. General Requirements
The Contractor shall furnish all labor, materials, equipment, supervision, and incidentals required to complete annual inspection, testing, and repair of City-owned backflow prevention assemblies. All testers must be certified by a recognized California agency such as the American Water Works Association (AWWA) or the American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA).
B. Testing and Certification
The Contractor shall perform annual testing of all City-owned backflow prevention assemblies as required by EBMUD and Title 17 CCR. Testing shall include checking for proper operation, recording results, and submitting reports to EBMUD electronically.
Testing equipment must be calibrated annually, and calibration records shall be maintained and available for City review.
C. Repairs and Retesting
If a device fails the annual test, the Contractor shall notify the City immediately and provide an estimate for repair. Repairs shall be performed promptly using manufacturer-approved parts, and the device must be retested following repair. All replacement parts must meet manufacturer and EBMUD specifications.
D. Emergency Services
The Contractor shall provide emergency backflow testing, repair, or replacement services in response to City requests. Emergency response shall be within 24 hours of notification for leaks, failures, or suspected cross-connections.
E. Recordkeeping and Reporting
The Contractor shall maintain accurate records of all tests, repairs, and device inventories. Reports shall include device serial number, location, type, size, date of test, tester name and certification number, and results. Copies of all reports shall be provided to the City.
F. Inventory Management
The Contractor shall maintain an updated inventory of all City-owned backflow assemblies, including device type, size, serial number, and physical location. The inventory shall be submitted to the City annually or upon request.
G. Environmental and BMP Compliance
All testing shall be performed in accordance with AWWA Manual M14 and industry BMPs. Test water shall be captured and properly disposed of to prevent discharge into storm drains. Contractor shall ensure all enclosures are secured and protected from vandalism and flooding.
H. New Installation and Replacement
The Contractor shall provide labor for installation or replacement of backflow prevention assemblies when directed by the City. All installations must meet EBMUD and City standards for configuration, location, and protection.
I. Safety Compliance
All work shall comply with Cal/OSHA safety standards, including confined-space entry procedures and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
To assist the City in evaluating proposals fairly and consistently, proposers shall submit the following documentation and information. Incomplete submittals may be deemed non-responsive.
1. CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS (Pass/Fail)
Proposers must provide documentation demonstrating that all minimum qualifications are met. These requirements will be evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis prior to scoring.
Proposers who do not meet these minimum qualifications will not be further considered.
Proposers must include the following items as proof of qualification:
Copy of valid California State Contractor’s License (C-36 Plumbing or equivalent).
Copy of current Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester certification issued by AWWA, ABPA, or an equivalent California-recognized certification program. Proof of current registration with the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) as an approved backflow tester.
Copy of current City of Richmond Business License.
Certificate(s) of Insurance meeting the City’s requirements (may be provided upon award but must be acknowledged in the proposal).
Only proposers meeting all minimum qualifications will advance to the Evaluation Criteria phase for scoring and consideration of award.
2. EVALUATION CRITERIA (100 Points Total)
Proposals meeting all minimum qualifications will be evaluated and scored based on the following factors. Each proposer must submit sufficient information for the City to evaluate the proposal under each criterion.
Evaluation Factor Required Submittals / Information Maximu m Points
Experience and Past
Performance
Provide a summary of the firm’s experience
performing backflow inspection, testing, and
repair services for public agencies or
municipalities. Include a list of comparable
contracts (agency name, contact person,
phone/email, and term). Provide at least three
(3) references verifying satisfactory performance.
40 Project Approach and
Understanding of Scope
Provide a detailed description of the proposer’s
approach to annual testing, certification, repair,
reporting, and emergency response. Describe
25 understanding of EBMUD standards, Title 17
CCR, and City reporting requirements.
Capacity and
Responsiveness
Describe available staff, certifications,
equipment, and resources. Provide
organizational chart and identify key personnel
assigned to the City’s account. Explain ability to
respond to emergency requests within 24 hours
and maintain accurate records.
20 Cost Proposal Complete and submit the Bid Schedule provided in this RFP, including all unit costs and hourly
rates. Ensure pricing includes all labor,
materials, equipment, calibration, and reporting.
15 Total Possible Points: 100
GENERAL GUIDELINES
This RFP does not commit the City of Richmond to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal pursuant to this RFP, or to procure or contract for work. The City of Richmond may reject a proposal without providing the reason(s) underlying the declination. A failure to award a contract to the proposer with the lowest cost proposal shall not constitute a valid cause of action against the City of Richmond. The City shall not be responsible for work done, even in good faith, prior to final approval of the proposed contract. The City may investigate the qualifications of any respondent under consideration, require confirmation of information furnished by the respondent, and require additional evidence or qualifications to perform the Services described in this RFP.
The City reserves the right to:
1. Reject any or all proposals.
2. Issue subsequent Requests for Proposal.
3. Postpone opening for its own convenience.
4. Remedy technical errors in the Request for Proposal process.
5. Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Respondents.
6. Solicit best and final offers from all or some of the Respondents.
7. Select one or more Respondents.
8. Accept other than the lowest proposed fees.
9. Waive informalities and irregularities in proposals.
Insurance Requirements
The City of Richmond requires consultants doing business with it to obtain insurance, as shown in RFP Attachment A. The required insurance certificates must comply with all requirements of the standards as shown and must be provided within fifteen (15) days of issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award and prior to the commencement of any work on the Project.
Business Licenses
The successful Contractor and all subcontractors used in the work will be required to hold or to obtain a City of Richmond business license for which the fee will not be waived.
Compliance with City Ordinances
The contractor and all subcontractors shall comply with the City of Richmond Nondiscrimination Clauses in City Contracts Ordinance (Richmond Municipal Code (RMC) Chapter 2.28), Business Opportunity Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.50), Local Employment Program Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.56), Living Wage Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.60) and Ordinance Banning the Requirement to Provide Information of Prior Criminal Convictions on all Employment Applications (“Ban the Box”) (RMC Chapter
2.65), which are incorporated into the Contract Documents by this reference.
Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance (SCCO)
The Richmond Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance No. 12-18 (Attachment D) prohibits the City from granting and or retaining contracts with any person or entity that provides Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the United States Department of Homeland Security (“ICE”).
Proposers must submit the attached Sanctuary City Compliance Statement with their Proposal. (Attachment C)
Collusion
By submitting a proposal, each respondent represents and warrants that its proposal is genuine and not false or collusive or made in the interest of, or on behalf of any person not named therein; that the respondent has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other person to submit a false proposal, or any other person to refrain from submitting a proposal; and that the respondent has not, in any manner, sought collusion to secure any improper advantage over any other person submitting a proposal.
Award - When the Review Panel has completed its work, City staff will then recommend contractor(s) to the City Manager and City Council for approval. The services provided by the successful bidder shall be governed by a Standard Services Agreement (Attachment B).
Attachments
A. Insurance Requirements
B. Standard Contract
C. Sanctuary City Compliance Statement
D. Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance No. 12-18
COST PROPOSAL – BID SCHEDULE
Proposers must complete and submit the Bid Schedule below as part of their RFP submittal. Failure to include a completed Bid Schedule may result in disqualification. All prices shall include labor, materials, equipment, travel, calibration, testing, reporting, and any other costs necessary to perform the required services. Unit prices shall remain firm for the full contract term and any approved extensions.
Bid
Item
Description Unit Estimated
Quantity
Cost
1 Annual testing and certification of
backflow devices (all sizes)
Eac
h
120
2 Retest after repair Eac
h
25 3 Repair of backflow device (¾” – 2”) Hour 60
4 Repair of backflow device (2½” – 4”) Hour 40
5 Repair of backflow device (over 4”) Hour 20
6 Replacement or installation of new
backflow assembly (labor only)
Eac
h
10 7 Emergency after-hours service call Hour 10
8 Administrative report and
documentation submission to
EBMUD
Eac
h
120
All bid prices shall include labor, materials, equipment, travel, calibration, testing, and reporting. Unit prices shall be valid for the full contract term and any approved extensions.