Pre-Solicitation Notice for a Future Design Build

This Notice provides preliminary information to prospective Proposers (also referred to herein as Design-Builders) regarding an upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP). This is NOT a formal solicitation. No awards will be made from this notice, and the timeline provided, budget, and scope are subject to change.

Cobb County Water System (“Owner” or “County”) intends to select a Design-Builder to provide professional, construction, and commissioning services for the expansion of South Cobb Water Reclamation Facility from its current permitted capacity of 40 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) Maximum Month Flow (MMF) to 50 MGD MMF. The project will use the Progressive Design-Build delivery method.

The estimated budget for this project is between **$300M to $400M**.

The Project consists of two phases. Phase One services generally consists of site investigations, preliminary engineering, design development, and preconstruction services as well as preparation of a proposed price and schedule in close collaboration with the Owner. The proposed price and schedule would be based on preparing a design to sixty percent (60%) level of completion, a GMP, the project schedule, and supporting documentation such as detailed open-book costing for the GMP. At the discretion of the Owner, the Owner can convert the GMP to a lump sum price for the Phase Two Services. The Phase Two Services, if approved by the Owner, generally encompass completing the project’s final design, construction, and commissioning.

During Phase One, the Design-Builder will lead an Alternative Evaluation Phase to finalize the selected technology pathway to carry into 30% design.

The Facility Plan evaluated 11 alternatives. A decision was not made during the conclusion of the Facility Plan on which of these alternatives to implement; however, the County is considering two Primary Alternatives (Alternative A11.3 – consisting of a 4-Stage Bardenpho Process with Deep Bed Denitrifying Filters and Alternative A14.2, consisting of 5-Stage Bardenpho Process with Tertiary Membranes) but with strict modifications. If Alternative A11.3 is selected in Phase 1, the Owner requires Deep Bed Conventional Filters and not Deep Bed Denitrification Filters. If Alternative A14.2 is selected in Phase 1, the Owner requires a flat plate membrane design and not hollow-fiber membrane design. The Owner remains receptive to other innovative solutions that the Design-Builder may propose that meet or exceed project goals.

NO ACTION IS REQUIRED BY PROPOSERS AT THIS TIME.

The upcoming RFP will require Proposers to submit both technical qualifications proposal and cost proposal, which will be reviewed and evaluated concurrently using a single-step, best-value selection process.

• RFP Release Date: Friday, January 8, 2027
• Response Submission Deadline: Thursday, February 25, 2027

All responses to the upcoming RFP must be submitted electronically via the County’s eProcurement Portal at: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cobbcoga

The Evaluation Committee considers the cost information merely as one of the selection criteria and not the final determinant. The County may request additional information and/or may conduct interviews of responding firms.

Proposers and their key firms must be licensed in the State of Georgia for the type of work to be performed. The Design-Builder shall possess a valid Georgia Utility Contractor License and/or a Georgia Commercial General Contractor License. The designated Engineer of Record must be licensed as a Professional Engineer in the State of Georgia.

Proposers must have the capacity to obtain **100% Performance and Payment bonds** for the estimated $300M - $400M project budget.