Opening the Conversation: Your Current Priorities

• How would you summarize your top priority for water or wastewater performance this year? Options: Permit compliance, Capacity and peak flow relief, Reducing annual O&M costs, Securing funding or grants, Infrastructure renewal and replacement, Other
• In one sentence, what regulatory deadline is closest for your system?
• Who on your team owns permit compliance and capital planning? Options: Utility Director, Chief Engineer, Operations Manager, Finance Manager/CFO, External consultant, Other
• What recent project did you complete that felt successful, and why?
• When you think about your ratepayers and customers, which service risk concerns you most? Options: Interruption of service, Drinking water contamination, Sewer overflows or backups, Sharp rate increases, Permit violations or fines, Other

Where the System Really Strains

• What single operational failure would force you to declare an emergency today?
• Describe the most frequent cause of permit excursions at your facility in the past 24 months.
• How often do peak wet-weather flows exceed measured or modeled capacity? Options: Daily during storms, Weekly in wet season, Occasionally, Rarely, Never, Unknown
• Who first notices odor events, overflows, or critical alarms, and how is that communicated to the rest of the team? Options: On-duty operator via SCADA alarm, Field crew reports to supervisor, Customer calls to office, Automated on-call notification, Multiple of the above, Other
• If that failure repeats during next winter, what would the likely public and regulatory reaction be? Options: Immediate media attention, Council inquiries and formal complaints, Minor local complaints, Regulatory notice or fine, No visible reaction, Unknown

What Funding or Approval Roadblocks Stop Momentum

• Which permit or funding approval do you expect will be the longest lead item for this project? Options: NPDES permit modification, State drinking water permit, SRF loan approval, WIFIA concurrence, Easement or right-of-way, Local governing body approval, Other
• Tell the story of the last time a funding deadline slipped, what caused that delay, and what you learned?
• Estimate the number of active grants or loans you are managing that will interact with this project Options: 0, 1-2, 3-4, 5 or more, Unsure
• Name the position in your organization that must sign to commit matching funds or loan guarantees for SRF or WIFIA. Options: Utility Director, Finance Director/CFO, City Manager/County Administrator, Board Chair, Other
• Identify the approval or document whose absence would prevent you from starting design on your target schedule.

The Alternatives You're Quietly Considering

• List the external firms or internal teams you have evaluated so far, including the incumbent if applicable.
• Under what conditions would you choose to stay with your current approach instead of engaging an outside engineering partner? Options: Cost constraints, Sufficient internal capacity, Pending grant or loan conditions, Satisfactory incumbent performance, No immediate regulatory pressure, Other
• Which internal team has proposed solving this without an external vendor, and what resource gaps would block them from delivering?
• Rate how satisfied you are with the incumbent's responsiveness and technical recommendations Options: Very satisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Neutral, Somewhat dissatisfied, Very dissatisfied
• Describe the single change to the current approach that would keep you from switching vendors.

Where Site and Data Reality Might Gate the Project

• If critical datasets or site access are missing, how quickly could you provide them? Options: Immediately, within days, Within 2 weeks, Within 1 month, 1 to 3 months, Longer than 3 months, Unknown
• List the systems that must integrate with a new SCADA or asset management module and the internal owner for each.
• Assess the completeness of your asset records for GIS, as-built drawings, and O&M logs. Options: Complete and current, Mostly complete with gaps, Fragmented across formats, Poor or missing, Unknown
• Identify the contact who can provide utility coordination and easement documents on short notice. Options: Engineering manager, Operations manager, Permitting coordinator, Legal or city attorney, No single contact, Other
• Specify the missing site condition or permit status that would halt construction mobilization.

Governance: Who Decides and How Quickly

• Estimate how many approval layers a cross-department decision must pass before contracts can be signed. Options: One layer or person, Two layers, Three layers, Four or more, Varies by contract
• Name the single point of contact for contract and scope negotiations. Options: Utility Director, Procurement Officer, Project Manager, External legal counsel, Other
• State how often your governing board meets and the earliest meeting you could present for approval. Options: Monthly, Biweekly, Quarterly, Semi-annually, Ad hoc or special meeting
• Please point to the procurement rules or municipal ordinances that will affect contracting structure.
• Specify the governance constraint that would prevent approval of a mutual commitment this quarter. Options: Budget not approved, Reserve or debt policy, Procurement timeline, Public referendum required, Other

Scope Trade-offs That Drive Lifecycle Costs

• Tell us which lifecycle cost trade-off you find hardest to justify to your board.
• Assess how operations and energy costs tilt your preference between conventional and advanced treatment options. Options: Favor conventional to reduce capex, Favor advanced to reduce O&M, Neutral, evaluate on case basis, Depends on available grant requirements, Other
• Please rank the following scope elements by how much they would affect your annual O&M budget Options: Chemical dosing and storage, Aeration and blower systems, Solids handling and disposal, Advanced process controls and SCADA, Disinfection and residuals, Other
• Count the backup power or redundancy upgrades you require to meet your reliability standard Options: None, N+1 for critical systems, Full facility generator capacity, Partial critical loads only, Unsure
• Point to the equipment or scope omission that would cause permit noncompliance.

Stakeholders and Political Lines You'll Need to Cross

• State who holds the final political authority to pause or cancel this project, and why.
• When was the last time a similar project faced public opposition, and what triggered it?
• Provide the roles of technical reviewers who must sign off on design and the evidence they expect.
• Choose how you prefer to involve the public Options: Public hearings, Advisory committee, Mail and online notices, Targeted stakeholder meetings, Combination of methods, Other
• Explain the threshold at which you would accept a stakeholder demand to remove a proposed treatment element.

Acceptance Criteria and Success Measures

• Point to the permit metric or KPI that, if missed in the first year, would trigger a formal remediation plan.
• Rate the relative importance of compliance, lifecycle cost, schedule, and community impact Options: Compliance, Lifecycle cost, Schedule, Community impact
• Provide the documentation you require at closeout to release final payment and accept the project Options: As-built drawings, Operation and maintenance manual, Commissioning report with test results, Regulatory sign-off or permit amendment, Final invoice and lien waivers, Other
• Enter the number of months of performance data you expect in the post-implementation monitoring plan Options: 3, 6, 12, 24, Other
• Declare the single acceptance criterion that would cause you to withhold final acceptance and payment.

Timing and Next Steps That Speed or Stall Decisions

• Indicate the scheduling obstacle that, if removed, would shorten your path to a mutual commit the most.
• Enter the earliest date you expect budget authority or rate-setting approval to fund design and construction
• Would a successful pilot that proves performance under anticipated loads shorten your decision timeline? Options: Yes, significantly, Yes, somewhat, No change, Unsure
• Enumerate the roles that must be present at a final mutual-commit meeting to sign off
• Explain the internal obstacle that could still prevent you from signing within 30 days even if a pilot proves performance.

• Solution Experience: Treatment, Conveyance, and Funding Scenarios

• Establish current operational baseline
• You confirm which scenario achieves permit compliance at peak flows within acceptable lifecycle cost trade-offs.
• Deliver a comparative lifecycle cost model for the top two treatment and conveyance scenarios, showing projected rate impacts and a three-decade O&M projection before the follow-up decision review.
• You agree that the selected scenario materially reduces near-term risk of permit exceedance and limits emergency repair exposure.
• Quantify the consequences
• Prepare a calibrated scenario run using the provided peak flow and loading data for the follow-up session.
• Scenario walkthrough — Treatment technology proof
• Provide the most recent 12 months of influent flow and loading data, current permit effluent limits, and recent asset condition reports.
• You identify the remaining evidence and approvals required to move the selected scenario into detailed design and funding application.
• Scenario walkthrough — Conveyance and storage sequencing
• Confirm the internal decision timeline and list of stakeholders who must approve permits, funding applications, and construction contracts.
• Funding and delivery impacts
• Validate the preferred scenario
• Confirm next evidence and decision steps

• Solution Experience: Treatment, Conveyance, and Funding Scenarios
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Pilot treatment system installation and operation
• 100% construction documents: plans, specs, cost estimate
• Detailed treatment process design and equipment selection
• Conveyance, pump and lift station final design
• SCADA, PLC and controls design and integration
• Permitting package preparation and submission
• Bidding assistance and contractor procurement support
• Resident construction observation and construction management
• Hydraulic model build and calibration for conveyance systems
• Pipeline rehabilitation and trenchless repair design
• Lead service line replacement design and phasing
• Lifecycle cost and O&M modeling for alternatives
• State and federal financing and grant application support

Pilot treatment system installation and operation

• Do you intend to site a pilot skid at an upstream influent manhole or at the plant headworks for side-by-side performance comparison? Options: Upstream manhole, Plant headworks, Both, Not yet decided
• Which pilot objectives do you prioritize (for example: onsite effluent turbidity reduction to <1 NTU, nitrate reduction to below permit limit, or solids loading reduction for downstream clarifiers)? Options: Effluent turbidity target, Nitrate or nutrient removal target, Solids/SS reduction, Process stability/operational data, Other
• How long do you expect the pilot run to be to capture seasonal variability and wet-weather events (examples: 4 weeks, 3 months, 12 months)? Options: 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, Other
• Who on your operations team will be the point of contact for pilot daily checks and sample custody for lab analyses?
• Describe required utility hookups and site constraints for the pilot such as 480 V power, process drains to an existing equalization basin, confined space access, or traffic control at the curb cut.
• Which acceptance criteria will confirm pilot treatment performance adequate to recommend full-scale equipment (for example: three consecutive composite samples meeting the NPDES limit at design influent concentrations and steady-state operation for 30 days)?

100% construction documents: plans, specs, cost estimate

• Which deliverables do you require in the 100% construction package: permit-ready stamped drawings, full technical specifications, bid forms, and a detailed engineer's cost estimate (EEC)? Options: Stamped plans and specs, Bid form and instructions, Engineer cost estimate (line-item), Special provisions, All of the above
• Do you require the cost estimate to include as-bid contingencies and escalation to midpoint of construction or to be a current-dollar estimate only? Options: Current-dollar estimate, Include escalation to midpoint, Include contingency only, Need guidance
• How many plan sheet sets and format do you need for permit submission and bidding (example: paper sets for agency submittal plus PDF/A for electronic plan review)? Options: Paper sets + PDF/A, PDF/A only, Paper only, Other
• When do you need the 100% package delivered relative to your target bid date and permit application milestones? Options: 6 weeks before bid, 4 weeks before bid, 2 weeks before bid, Custom schedule
• Provide out-of-scope boundaries for the fixed-fee 100% documents such as construction cost escalation during bidding, contractor change orders, commissioning labor beyond startup, or O&M staffing after turnover.
• What acceptance criteria will validate the 100% construction documents as 'permit and bid ready' (for example: agency completeness check list satisfied, EEC within +/-10% of the 60% estimate, and QA-checked quantity takeoffs attached)?

Detailed treatment process design and equipment selection

• Which treatment trains are you evaluating for the project (examples: conventional activated sludge, membrane bioreactor, granular activated carbon polishing, UV disinfection, chemical precipitation)? Options: Activated sludge / extended aeration, Membrane bioreactor (MBR), GAC polishing, UV disinfection, Chemical precipitation (P removal), Other
• Do you require detailed OEM equipment data sheets and vendor pump curves for major rotating equipment in the deliverable set? Options: Yes, No, Partial (pumps only)
• How many operating scenarios should be sized in the design (example: average day, peak hourly, 10-year wet weather peak, and emergency bypass)? Options: 2 scenarios, 3 scenarios, 4+ scenarios, Other
• Who will approve performance parameters such as design MLSS (mixed liquor suspended solids), SRT (solids retention time), or CT (contact time) for disinfection?
• Identify required deliverables for equipment selection: spare parts list, lubrication schedule, vendor factory acceptance test (FAT) criteria, and recommended vendor shortlist.
• Are there regulatory constraints or permit-driven numerical targets we must design to such as effluent total nitrogen limit (mg/L), phosphorus limit, or minimum UV log removal credits? Options: Yes - nitrogen limit, Yes - phosphorus limit, Yes - UV log removal, No numeric constraints known

Conveyance, pump and lift station final design

• What is the design peak inflow to the proposed pump station or force main (provide peak MGD or cfs and the design event such as 10-year storm)?
• Which controls and mechanical items do you require in the pump station drawings such as duplex pumps with VFDs, wet well level control method, and standby generator tie-in? Options: Duplex pumps with VFD, Level telemetry, Standby generator, Sump and dewatering provisions, Other
• How many hydraulic grade line (HGL) profiles and pump curves do you require to be included in the final submittal for force-main surge analysis? Options: HGL profile + curves, Only HGL profile, Only pump curves, Other
• Who on your team will coordinate utility relocations, easement acquisition, and access agreements for the pump station site?
• Describe site logistics constraints that must be incorporated in sequencing and temporary bypass design such as limited laydown area, confined space entry requirements, or traffic control at a state highway crossing.
• Which deliverable do you need for construction permitting: 30% and 100% erosion and sediment control plans, traffic control plan, and confined space plan? Options: Erosion and sediment control, Traffic control plan, Confined space plan, All listed

SCADA, PLC and controls design and integration

• How many I/O points and which field devices (flowmeter make/model, level transducer type, VFD analog input) must be included in the PLC tag list and SCADA graphics?
• Which communication methods should be supported for remote telemetry such as fiber optic, cellular VPN, or radio telemetry to the existing SCADA master station? Options: Fiber optic, Cellular VPN, Radio telemetry, Ethernet WAN
• Do you require development of sequence of operations, PLC ladder or function block logic, and FAT/SAT test scripts as part of the control deliverables? Options: Sequence of operations, PLC logic, FAT/SAT test scripts, All of the above
• When should integration testing be scheduled relative to equipment delivery and mechanical completion to allow for site acceptance testing? Options: Before mechanical completion, During mechanical completion, After mechanical completion, Need recommendation
• What acceptance criteria will validate SCADA and PLC integration (for example: successful Factory Acceptance Test, loop checks with field device calibration, and end-to-end alarm/ACK tests)?
• Are there cybersecurity or NIST-based requirements for control network segmentation, remote access, or VPN credentials that must be documented in the deliverables? Options: Yes - specify standard, No formal requirement, Need recommendation

Permitting package preparation and submission

• Which permits must be included in the package: NPDES modification, state construction permit, local grading permit, wetlands permit, or environmental review (CEQA/NEPA)? Options: NPDES modification, State construction permit, Local grading permit, Wetlands/401/404, CEQA/NEPA
• Do you have a current permit baseline such as an existing NPDES permit with numeric effluent limits and monitoring frequencies we must design to? Options: Yes - provide permit, No - need to request, Permit under renewal
• How many agency coordination meetings do you expect the permitting team to attend (for example: pre-application meeting, 60% review, final submittal meeting)? Options: One (pre-app), Two (pre-app + 60%), Three or more, TBD
• Which supporting studies should be packaged with the permit submittal such as mixing zone modeling, receiving water quality analysis, or hydraulic impact assessment? Options: Mixing zone modeling, Receiving water analysis, Hydraulic impact assessment, Biological assessment
• Who will provide agency contact names and prior submittal file numbers needed to accelerate review and avoid duplicate data requests?
• Are there targeted permit approval dates that drive the schedule such as SRF loan conditionality or consent decree milestones? Options: Yes - specify date, No fixed date, Conditional on funding

Bidding assistance and contractor procurement support

• Which procurement path do you plan to use: design-bid-build, design-build, construction manager at risk, or a state procurement framework? Options: Design-bid-build, Design-build, CMAR, State framework
• Do you require pre-bid site visits and a pre-bid Q&A addenda process managed by the procurement team? Options: Yes, No
• How many bid packages do you prefer (for example: single prime general contractor, civil and mechanical separate, or specialty electrical and controls separate)? Options: Single prime, Two packages, Three or more, TBD
• Which contract forms and bonding requirements do you expect to use such as performance bond equal to 100% of contract, payment bond, and state-mandated contract clauses? Options: Performance bond 100%, Payment bond, Standard state clauses, Other
• What assistance level do you want during bid evaluation: review of low bidder responsiveness, reconciliation of as-bid quantities to EEC, and contractor reference checks? Options: Full assistance, Minimal review (responsiveness only), Bid tabulation only
• Are prequalification criteria required such as minimum experience on WWTP projects of similar size, bonding capacity, or prevailing wage compliance? Options: Yes - prequalification required, No - open bidding, Prefer but optional

Resident construction observation and construction management

• How many full-time resident observers do you require for the construction phase and for which work activities (electrical, concrete, mechanical, sanitary tie-ins)? Options: 1 FTE, 2 FTE, 3+ FTE, By activity
• Which construction administration deliverables must be produced: daily field reports, RFI management, submittal review turnaround time, and as-built redline compilation? Options: Daily field reports, RFI log and responses, Submittal reviews, As-built redline compilation
• When do you expect contract closeout activities to begin relative to substantial completion such as 30 days prior, at substantial completion, or after final punch list? Options: 30 days prior, At substantial completion, After punch list
• Who will coordinate construction safety plans, lockout/tagout procedures, and confined space entries during member inspections?
• What acceptance criteria will confirm resident observation and construction management work as complete (for example: approved as-built drawings, signed contractor certifications, final lien waivers, and verified punch list closure)?
• Do you want our team to manage warranty tracking and the 12-month post-acceptance observation period including punch-list verification and O&M training records? Options: Yes - include warranty tracking, No - buyer manages warranty

Hydraulic model build and calibration for conveyance systems

• Which hydraulic model platform do you require or prefer for sewers or stormwater (examples: EPA SWMM, InfoWorks ICM, or other)? Options: EPA SWMM, InfoWorks ICM, Other
• Do you have CCTV inspection reports, as-built pipe diameters, and recent flow monitor data to support model calibration to dry and wet weather conditions? Options: Yes - all available, Partial data available, No - need data collection
• How many flow monitoring locations and what duration of monitoring (e.g., 7-day diurnal, 6-month seasonal) do you plan to use for calibration? Options: 7-day diurnal, 30-day, 3-month, 6-month
• Which calibration targets do you require such as peak flow accuracy within 10%, diurnal shape match, and manhole overflow points matched to CCTV evidence? Options: Peak flow within 10%, Diurnal match, Overflow correlation, All listed
• Identify required outputs from the calibrated model: surcharge maps, HGL profiles at key sections, and pipe vulnerability index for prioritizing rehabilitation. Options: Surcharge maps, HGL profiles, Pipe vulnerability index, All listed
• Are regulatory targets driving the modeling such as consent decree infiltration and inflow (I&I) reduction metrics or a maximum allowable surcharge at critical manholes? Options: Yes - consent decree, Yes - permit-driven, No specific regulatory target

Pipeline rehabilitation and trenchless repair design

• Which trenchless methods are under consideration for mains and laterals: cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), sliplining, pipe bursting, or point repairs with full-depth replacement? Options: CIPP, Sliplining, Pipe bursting, Point repairs/full replacement
• Do you have CCTV condition assessment ratings and invert/elevation verifications to support selection of rehabilitation method and to develop bid quantities? Options: Yes - full assessment, Partial CCTV, No CCTV available
• How many service reconnections and customer notifications must be planned for in the mobilization and contingency plans for trenchless work in residential streets? Options: None, 1-10, 11-50, 50+
• Who will handle temporary bypass pumping design approvals and wet-weather contingency if a main segment must be taken out of service?
• Describe any geotechnical constraints or surface restoration standards (examples: cobble streets, historic paving, or state DOT overlay requirements) that affect trenchless selection and final restoration scope.
• Are specific submittals required for trenchless vendors such as resin certification, factory test reports, or pressure testing to a defined psi for acceptance? Options: Yes - vendor submittals required, No - standard submittals only, Need recommendation

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Fee Schedule & Payment Milestone Agreement
• Permitting & Funding Dependency Confirmation
• Project Governance Charter
• Change Order Agreement
• Acceptance Criteria & Final Payment Trigger Matrix
• Insurance & Indemnity Exhibit
• Public Procurement & Security Rider (conditional)
• Performance and Payment Bond Agreement (conditional)
• Third-Party Consent & Utility Coordination Schedule
• Lien Waiver & Release Procedure

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Performance Measurement (weeks 4-10)
• 90-day Compliance and Warranty Review
• Quarterly Ongoing Success Review

• Publish the prioritized list of enhancement requests with estimated impact on compliance and cost for the next quarter.
• Restate operational targets from Solution Scope
• Confirm the 90-day permit exceedance count and percent of punch-list items closed against the targets recorded in Solution Scope.
• Ensure all safety- or compliance-critical warranty items have a remediation plan with committed dates.
• Verify the legacy system has been decommissioned or retained read-only with archived data and a closed fallback plan.
• Finalize decommissioning of the legacy control system or confirm read-only retention and archive location for historic data.
• Resolve remaining warranty claims that affect effluent quality and document evidence of remediation.
• Publish the 90-day performance summary and updated monitoring cadence for ongoing reviews.
• Quarterly performance dashboard
• Confirm quarterly permit exceedance events and SCADA alarm response times are within the SLAs recorded in Solution Scope or have agreed remediation plans.
• Prioritize persistent issues and enhancement requests that materially affect permit compliance or operating cost.
• Agree the schedule for planned maintenance and any temporary monitoring workarounds required during outages.
• Assign remediation tasks for any metric trending outside targets and set completion dates for each task.
• Update the SCADA alarm escalation matrix to improve response time and document the new SLA.
• Reconfirm success criteria and owners
• Confirm critical monitoring and control feeds are live and reporting as expected.
• Identify top 3 operational blockers with owners and committed resolution dates.
• Verify operator onboarding completion for all shifts or document remaining training tasks.
• Restore any missing permit monitoring telemetry to SCADA and verify continuous data ingestion for 48 hours.
• Complete remaining operator training modules and record competency confirmation in the training log.
• Publish the initial issue log with owners and target resolution dates for async tracking.
• Present first 30- to 60-day data vs Solution Scope targets
• Confirm whether permit exceedance events and average effluent total nitrogen are trending toward the targets recorded in Solution Scope.
• Document root cause for each metric gap and agree corrective actions with target dates.
• Reduce the prioritized punch-list items that affect performance, with dates to completion.
• Produce a root-cause analysis for each permit exceedance event and propose corrective process or control changes.
• Implement agreed SCADA setpoint or chemical dosing adjustments and log the before/after performance.
• Close or escalate the top 5 punch-list items that directly affect effluent quality within the agreed timeline.
• Deployment and system verification
• Persistent issue review and root-cause status
• Performance diagnosis for any metric gaps
• Present 90-day performance vs targets
• Punch-list and warranty item status
• Warranty and punch-list closure audit
• Enhancement and change requests channel
• Operator onboarding and early adoption signals
• Agree corrective actions and dates
• Blockers and open issues log
• Incumbent system decommissioning and data archiving
• Planned maintenance and upcoming windows
• Agree final remediation timeline and monitoring cadence
• Immediate remediation actions and short timeline