RFQ-RFP FOR LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS COMPLIANCE SERVICES

The Town of Manchester seeks a qualified engineering firm/consultant to further develop and oversee a comprehensive Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) and Lead and Copper Rule Improvement (LCRI) Compliance Program. In general, the LCRR/LCRI Program will include review/evaluation of the initial lead service line inventory, development of lead service line replacement design, corrosion control evaluation, construction management for lead service line replacements, and development of public outreach and communications around the program. In addition, the program will include support to the Town with other aspects of the final LCRR and LCRI. This program is anticipated to last for an initial period of two years with the main focus on identification, and the potential to extend into the implementation/replacement phase of the project. A Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/P) is being used to select a firm who can develop such a program. This RFQ/P is a two-part request that will include submission of separate Statement of Qualifications and Cost Proposal to successfully accomplish the program goals. Submissions will be evaluated based on qualifications, then cost proposals of only qualified firms.

The Purchasing Agent will receive digital statements of qualifications and separate cost proposals for the Lead and Copper Rule Compliance Program at Town of Manchester Procurement Portal (opengov.com) , until 11:00 AM on December 12, 2025. The Town of Manchester’s OpenGov portal is the exclusive means by which all prospective bidders may obtain proposal packages, direct inquiries, request and receive addenda and supplemental information, and submit bids and proposals.

Any contract awarded under this request for qualifications or professional proposals is expected to be funded by a loan from the State of Connecticut Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and will be subject to requirements of Subsections (h), (i) and (o) of Section 22a-482-4 of the RCSA. The State of Connecticut will not be a party to this request or any resulting contract.

In January 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published the final LCRR with the goal of reducing risks from lead exposure in drinking water to children and families by requiring earlier action and increased transparency and communication around lead. In December 2023, USEPA published the proposed LCRI that built upon the LCRR and instituted additional requirements and schedule for completion of the Service Line Inventory (SLI), Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) programs, lead mitigation strategies, and increased customer outreach and education requirements. Manchester has maintained compliance with established lead and copper action levels in its water system, providing high quality drinking water to its customers. To continue to comply with and exceed the new regulations the Town is proactively advancing a program around lead service line education, inventory, and replacement.

In October 2024, Manchester submitted the initial service line inventory to the CT DPH, as required under the LCRR. This initial inventory contained approximately 11,000 unknowns. The majority of the unknowns are customer-side only services, with some utility-side only and both utility and customer-side services. Currently, the number of unknown service lines is estimated at 9600, with 4 lead service lines, and approximately 500 galvanized requiring replacement (GRR) service lines. With the adoption of the LCRI, the baseline SLI will need to be completed by November 2027. The Town has set a goal of identifying 85% of the remaining unknowns by this next SLI submittal. The number of unknowns will dictate the number of replacements that need to be completed annually, as required by the LCRI.

Preliminary calculations show that less than 15% of the service lines in Manchester are anticipated to be galvanized or lead, with the vast majority of these being galvanized. Lead pipes were laid most commonly between 1880 and 1920, with galvanized pipes being prevalent between 1940 and 1944. Of these, field investigations have mostly revealed copper goosenecks were used with cement-lined on the system side, leaving the customer side with galvanized pipe. The Water Department has a long-standing practice of removing non-copper materials whenever encountered and replacing with copper pipe. It would therefore be most helpful, to review the current inventory and solidify where non-lead materials exist, so that the Town could better prioritize finding and removing lead and galvanized materials where they still remain.

The Town has been in compliance with lead and copper limits under the Lead and Copper Rule as demonstrated through periodic water sampling and reporting in the Annual Water Quality Reports. Most recent lead and copper sampling was performed in 2023; the 90 ^th percentile concentration of lead was 3 ppb and copper was 0.18 ppm - both below the action levels. Manchester has not exceeded lead action limits under the Lead and Copper Rule since the optimization of corrosion control measures in 1993 and is not required to conduct full LSL replacements at this time. However, because Manchester has identified lead service lines and unknown service lines in its water system, a LSLR plan will be required by November 2027. Manchester will proactively implement this LSLR plan and begin the process of planning for replacing known lead service lines to improve water safety for its customers.

As part of the lead service line inventory and replacement program, Manchester will also provide appropriate education and outreach to its customers to provide both general information around lead and copper in water and specific information to property owners with lead service lines.