Arrow Utilities - Request for Proposal - 3826.01 Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Headworks Upgrades

ARROW Utilities (ARROW), formerly known as the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission, is requesting proposals from qualified engineering consulting firms who possess the required personnel, experience, and resources for the provision of design and construction management for upgrades required within the Headworks building, or Area 20 of the treatment plant. ARROW Utilities is a regional wastewater services Commission providing wastewater transmission and treatment services to nearly 400,000 people in 13 municipalities surrounding the City of Edmonton, including City of Spruce Grove, Town of Stony Plain, City of St. Albert, City of Fort Saskatchewan, Strathcona County, City of Leduc, Town of Bon Accord, Town of Gibbons, Town of Morinville, City of Beaumont, Parkland County, Sturgeon County, and Leduc County. ARROW’s state-of-the-art Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is in Strathcona County, north of Sherwood Park, Alberta. ARROW receives wastewater for preliminary treatment at Headworks or otherwise known as Area 20 at the WWTP. The purpose of Headworks is to screen large materials such as rags, wood, and plastic objects to prevent operational and maintenance problems that would be caused by plugging and/ or damage to the downstream mechanical equipment. Grit removal takes out heavy inorganics, some organic particulates, and minimizes abrasive wear on downstream equipment, further preventing accumulation and deposition of heavy, non-biodegradable material in downstream tanks such as the plant’s digesters. Grit removal by the grit tanks is pumped to the solids handling area where it is classified and dewatered prior to conveyance and discharge to collection hoppers. Within the Headworks facility, various high priority upgrades have been identified in the most recent Wastewater Utility Master Plan, (dated October 9, 2025) including but not limited to relocation of the screens bypass, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) inadequate air exchanges, electrical/ Motor Control Centre (MCC) system upgrades, grit classification, compactors, conveyance upgrades, along with general building code compliance. A considerable amount of the existing Headworks components is original, from plant opening (1985). Anticipated construction rehabilitation funding is expected over a 2-year period, beginning in 2027, therefore, and for the purposes of this RFP, Proponents should consider a design and construction staging plan that prioritizes the highest risk scope(s) and that can be accommodating to approved budgets for the Headworks facility in the most efficient and practical manner. The primary goal for this project is to upgrade the Headworks facility to enhance system and treatment components of the Headworks process/ Area 20 of the WWTP, where modifications or additions, where feasible, be designed to complement and integrate with one another, to promote coordination, efficiency, and overall system compatibility. The objectives for this project are to: a. Review relevant information b. Inspect and assess existing Headworks / Area 20, e.g. Surge Chamber, Isolation Gates, Inlet Channels, Primary Screens, Screens Bypass, Conveyors, Compactors, Grit Classifiers, HVAC and electrical systems c. Provide recommendations to modify, or replace system components, improve operations, and protection of downstream resources, ensuring code and regulatory compliance as well as performing cost benefit analysis, exploring temporary or permanent bypass options to enable safe and efficient future construction work