Phase II - Effingham Regional Water Supply Facilities

Effingham County Board of Commissioners is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to provide Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) services for Phase II - Effingham Regional Water Supply Facilities . Pre-construction services include pre-construction planning, cost estimating, constructability review, subcontractor bidding, and GMP development.

Proposals must be submitted electronically through the County’s eProcurement Portal by 2:00 pm (Eastern Time) on Wednesday, January 14, 2026 . Only the names of submitting firms will be available until a contract is awarded.

The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive technicalities, and modify the project scope as needed. Detailed submission instructions are included in this RFP. If you do not intend to submit a proposal, please select no-bid.

Effingham County, Georgia, is pursuing the development of a regional water supply system to meet increasing demand from residential, commercial, and industrial growth. The County’s current water supply consists of approximately 95% surface water purchased from the City of Savannah and 5% groundwater sourced through temporary permits. Long-term groundwater withdrawals are restricted due to regional environmental constraints on the Floridan aquifer. As a result, the County has initiated the design and phased construction of a sustainable surface water system to support long-term regional growth and economic development.

In April 2024, the County engaged Goodwyn Mills and Cawood (GMC) to perform a feasibility study for a new regional surface water supply. Following detailed population projections, lifecycle cost analysis, and conceptual design, the County proceeded to preliminary engineering and secured funding across both phases through the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA), including a combination of State Direct Investment (SDI) and zero-interest loans.

Phase I of the Effingham Regional Water Supply Facilities project includes approximately 8.6 miles of 42-inch raw water main, 18 miles of 30- and 36-inch finished water main, a 1- million-gallon elevated storage tank, and a metered connection with Bryan County. Phase II of the Effingham Regional Water Supply Facilities project includes the construction of a raw water intake (RWI) on the Savannah River consisting of a powder activated carbon feed system and re-oxygenation system and a conventional water treatment plant (WTP) capable of treating 12 MGD, easily high-rated to 14 MGD, expandable to 24 MGD and 28 MGD with the addition of intermediate ozone and granular activated carbon (GAC) in the filters.

In accordance with Effingham County’s adopted Procurement Policy, the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project delivery method has been selected for this initiative to ensure early contractor involvement, budget control through Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) negotiations, and efficient coordination with the County’s design consultant. All procurement actions are being conducted in a transparent, competitive manner through the County’s eProcurement portal to ensure fairness, compliance with state and local requirements, and the selection of the most qualified contractor based on both qualifications and value.