Request for Qualifications - Water & Wastewater Rate Consulting Services

Summary

The City of Conroe is soliciting for Request for Qualifications - Water & Wastewater Rate Consulting Services - Thursday, March 5, 2026at 2:00 pm through OpenGov Procurement. The City is soliciting Statements of Qualifications from experienced and qualified professional consulting firms to provide water and wastewater utility financial and rate consulting services. The selected firm(s) shall possess demonstrated expertise in municipal utility finance, cost-of-service analysis, rate design, long-range financial planning, and regulatory compliance for publicly owned water and wastewater systems.Services may be performed on an as-needed basis during the contract term and shall support the City’s ongoing efforts to ensure financially sustainable, equitable, and defensible utility rates while meeting operational, capital, and debt service requirements.The primary objectives of this engagement include, but are not limited to, the following:Ensure water and wastewater rates are sufficient to fully fund operating, maintenance, capital, and debt service obligationsProvide defensible, transparent, and equitable rate structures for all customer classesSupport long-range financial planning and capital improvement programmingAssist City staff and elected officials with informed decision-making related to utility finances and rate policyMaintain compliance with applicable state and federal requirements and bond covenants

Full description

The City's water and sewer system serves the needs of approximately 115,000 people in a 77.6 square mile area. It draws its water from the Jasper Aquifer through 20 wells, and it also receives surface water from Lake Conroe via the San Jacinto River Authority. The water portion of the System includes 551.1 miles of pipe and has a storage capacity of 14.2 million gallons. There are approximately 53,067 connections to the System of which 95% are residential and 5% are commercial. The City produced 5.5 billion gallons of water in 2023, 5.4 billion gallons in 2024 and 4.9 billion gallons for the first 11 months of 2025. The System is designed for a peak daily capacity of 36.8 million gallons per day (“MGD”) with no recovery and 24.6 MGD with 8 hours of recovery time. The average daily use is 14.6 MGD and the peak daily use is 20.5 MGD. The sewer portion of the System consists of 53 lift stations, 481.2 miles of pipe and two activated sludge treatment plants with a capacity of 18.0 MGD. The City treats an average of 9.0 MGD with a peak that has reached 29.0 MGD. Approximately 99% of the water customers’ connections are also sewer system. The remaining 1% has septic tanks or other privately-operated sewage disposal system. The City is currently constructing a new wastewater treatment plant with an initial Permitted Capacity of 6.0 MGD, permitted peak flow not to exceed 24.0 MGD. Water and Sewer Rates The City currently serves 31,848 water customers and 29,510 sewer customers. On October 1, 2011, the City implemented “Conservation Water Rates” to encourage water conservation for residential, sprinkler and commercial customers. The City also has a pass-through Lone Star Ground Water Conservation District fee at a cost of $0.06 per 1,000 gallons of water consumed for residential, sprinkler and commercial customers. Beginning in FY 09-10, the City implemented a surface water conversion fee as a part of the agreement with the San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) for the reduction of groundwater usage and transition to surface water as the primary source of water. For FY 25-26, the fee was set at $3.12 per 1,000 gallons consumed. In FY 15-16, the City implemented Lifeline rates for customers who are over age 65 and/or disabled. Detailed information regarding the City can be found on the City’s website at www.cityofconroe.org. Information regarding the City’s Water & Sewer Utility can be found in the City’s Operating Budget, Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Budget, Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), and Monthly Financial Summary Report. These documents can be found on the City’s website at https://cityofconroe.org/services/finance/financial_reports/index.php.

Attachments

• Acknowledgement_of_Terms_and_Conditions.docx

Contact

Email:

agibbs@cityofconroe.org

Phone:

(936)522-3049

Title:

CFO

Address:

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