On-Call Hydrogeological Services

The City of Modesto (City) is soliciting Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for On-Call Hydrogeological Services for the City of Modesto. Submittals are due before 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

Background

The City’s water supply is met by two sources: treated surface water from the Modesto Irrigation District’s (MID) Modesto Regional Water Treatment Plant (MRWTP) and the

City’s groundwater wells. The City’s annual average total water production is approximately 70 MGD, where about 40 MGD is supplied by groundwater extracted from roughly 75 operational wells within the City’s water service areas. The City faces significant water supply challenges, including regional competition for limited groundwater, drought impacts (i.e. reductions in treated surface water deliveries), and loss of wells from contamination. Hydrogeological related services are required to assist City staff to navigate through these and other water supply challenges.

The City will be designing and constructing various water related capital improvement program projects over the next several years. The City is looking to establish an On-Call Hydrogeological Engineering Services agreement with firms possessing established experience in hydrogeological engineering.  As noted in Section 1 of this RFQ, The City plans to select two to three (2-3) firms to establish on-call agreements with to provide hydrogeological engineering services on an as-needed basis. Please note that the establishment of these proposed on-call agreements does not prohibit the City from hiring other firms who do not actively possess on-call agreements with the City.

Project Details

• Department: Utilities
• Department Head: Will Wong (Utilities Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-05-07T00:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Experience (45 pts) —
  • Years of experience of firm and/or its principals as Project Managers.  If experience is lacking; explanation by consultant as why firm should be selected.
  • Broad character and scope of past projects.
  • Experience of proposed team members in projects of similar magnitude, regarding organizational ability, time management skills, areas of specialization, ability to produce quality work products, availability, and demonstrated experience within the past five years.  Identify each team member’s involvement in the specific project listed and with which firm they were employed when the work was done.
  • History of repeat business with clients within the last five years.
• Analysis (35 pts) —
  • Originality, creativity, and soundness of approach to problem solving and analysis of requirements.
  • Demonstrated management and organizational ability as related to time management, scheduling, City staff/client relationships, etc., and the ability to meet deadlines.
  • Ability to execute complete, clear, and concise reports and produce a quality work product.
• General (15 pts) —
  • Size of firm and available staff appropriate to project size.
  • Location of firm in relation to City of Modesto and project size.
  • Demonstrated understanding of community social relationships such as citizen and environmental concerns, energy conservation, ecological and economic considerations.
  • Firm reputation as relates to principles, credibility, and attitude.
• Local Sub-Consultant Involvement (5 pts) —

  If appropriate for the scope of services, consultants will be evaluated on the inclusion of local sub-consultants on the team and the anticipated percentage of work to be performed by local sub-consultants.   Local sub-consultants are defined as having a business office in Stanislaus County. 

Submission Requirements

• Cover Letter —

  Upload a cover letter that satisfies the following requirements:

  The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) submittal shall include a cover letter introducing the firm, highlighting the firm’s core areas of expertise, and confirming its commitment to providing services to the City. The cover letter shall, at a minimum, include the following information:

  • Firm Identification: Firm name, telephone number, office address, and email address.
  • Principal-in-Charge: Name and contact information, including telephone number, office address, and email.
  • Authorized Signatory: Contact information for the individual authorized to bind the firm to the terms of the agreement.
  • Project Manager(s): Name(s) and contact information.
  • Project Understanding: A brief statement demonstrating the firm’s understanding of the services being requested by the City.
  • Subconsultants: A list of any subconsultants that may be utilized for the project(s).

  Maximum Length: Two (2) pages.

• FIRM EXPERIENCE & CAPABILITIES —

  The proposed firm’s experience and capabilities shall, at a minimum, include a description of the firm’s facilities, staff, and representative work that demonstrate the ability to perform similar scopes of services for public agencies in California. For the prime consultant and any subconsultants, please provide the following information:

  • Principals: Names of principals, including experience, background, education, academic training, and professional registrations or licenses (as applicable).
  • Organization Chart: Firm organization chart showing key personnel and reporting relationships.
  • Business History: Length of time in business.
  • Office Locations: Office address(es) supporting field services, including percentage and/or category of work to be performed in each office.
  • Staffing and Facilities: Manpower and resources of the office(s) where the work will be performed.
  • Relevant Experience: List of five (5) completed or current major projects where hydrogeological services were provided. Include the type of project, scope of services, agreement fee, project duration & completion date, and construction cost. For each project include key issues and challenges; and how they were resolved. If any specialty areas were addressed, please include. Note any sub-consultant involvement. Include the name, address, and contact information of knowledgeable owner/client representative(s). For each project include key issues and challenges; and how they were resolved.
  • Additional Information: Any other relevant information supporting the firm’s qualifications for hydrogeological services.

  Maximum Length: Six (6) pages, not including certifications.

• EXPERIENCE OF PROJECT MANAGER —

  The firm’s Project Manager (PM) is defined to be the individual within the prime consultant’s firm who is directly responsible for and engaged in leading the required hydrogeological services. The PM must be knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of the design category selected.

  The SOQ shall include the following information demonstrating the PM’s knowledge, experience and availability:

  • Name and title, years of experience with the prime consultant’s firm, and years of experience with other firms.
  • Education, Degree, Licenses, Certifications, and Specializations.
  • Relevant Experience: Provide not more than five (5) recently completed projects, where hydrogeological services were provided. In addition, provide information on all projects that are currently in progress to which the PM is committed:
    • Owner, project name and description (including size), project background, construction costs, location, and completion date. If project is in progress, provide estimated completion date and level of commitment.
    • Name, address, and phone number of knowledgeable owner/client representative(s).
    • Consultant services firm for which the individual was employed during project experience.
    • Consultant services for which the individual was directly responsible: services/functions directly performed by individual (not just job title).

  Maximum Length: Two (2) pages, not including certifications.

• EXPERIENCE OF PROJECT TEAM AND OTHER KEY PROJECT STAFF – LIMIT TO 4 INDIVIDUALS —

  Project team and other key personnel shall have hydrogeological and geological experience. This section shall include:

  • Names and titles of each person, years of experience with the Firm, and years of experience with other Firms.
  • Education, Degree, Certifications, and Specializations.
  • Active professional registration (State and discipline).
  • Representative experience for not more than five (5) completed projects similar in scope, size and complexity to the Project with at least one (1) completed in the last five (5) years.
  • Owner, project name and description (including size), project background, construction costs, location, and completion date.  If project is in progress, provided estimated completion date and level of commitment.
  • Name, address, and phone number of knowledgeable owner/client’s representative(s).
  • Consultant services for which the individual was directly responsible; service/functions directly performed by individual (not just job title).
  • Firm with which the individual was employed during project experience.

  Maximum Length: Four (4) pages, not including certifications.

• Additional Information —

  For any additional information requested or required by any of your previously provided answers or as stated within this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) please upload the additional documentation as part of your proposal.

  Maximum Length: One (1) page.

• Proposal (required) —

  Please upload your Proposal here formatted in the manner required by this Request for Qualifications (RFQ).

• Proposal (without Cost) (required) —

  Please upload your Proposal here formatted in the manner required by this Request for Qualifications (RFQ). This upload here should NOT INCLUDE any pricing information as that will be uploaded separately.

• Separate Cost File (required) —

  Please upload a breakdown of your pricing information here. This information should not be part of your main proposal upload which is why it is requested separately here.

• Submittal Confirmation (required) —

  Consultant hereby certifies that all information provided within this submittal is accurate to the best of their knowledge and acknowledges that they have provided proof of their authority to submit a Statements of Qualifications on behalf of the stated Company Name committing them to the information contained within said submittal.

  By checking the "please confirm" box below, you certify the above statement.

• Financial Interest Disclosure (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• California Levine Act Disclosure (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• RFP or RFQ? (required) —

  Is this particular solicitation a Request for Proposals? Or is it a Request for Qualifications?

  Or is it for a combination of both?

• Confirm Submittal Type (required) —

  In order to assist with automating the creation of this solicitation by quickly populating all areas stating the type of submittal, please confirm the type of submittal(s) you wish to receive. Your answer here should match your answer to the previous question.

• Work or Project? (required) —

  Is this to procure general work under a Purchase Order/Contract or for a project?

• Brief Description of Work/Project (required) —

  As if you are completing the following sentence (specifically the highlighted area), please provide a brief description of the work to be performed.

  The purpose of the work is [Brief description of work].

  The scope of services for this project shall include [Brief description of work].

  The City is seeking {Confirm Submittal Type} as one single package from civil engineering design firms that demonstrate experience in [Brief description of work]  with similar magnitude and scope to the described project components.

• Electronic Pricing Table (required) —

  Do you wish to use the electronic pricing table within OpenGov Procurement to obtain pricing/cost information from consultants for this RFP/RFQ?

• Separate Cost Information? (required) —

  Do you want to separate the cost information from the rest of the proposal? This is a different question from using the electronic pricing table as you may have both the pricing table and a file upload. The pricing upload may contain a breakdown beyond what you require in the table, but you may also choose to just use the pricing upload.