COMPREHENSIVE EVERGLADES RESTORATION PLAN (CERP) INDIAN RIVER LAGOON SOUTH (IRL-S) C-44 RESERVOIR AND STORMWATER TREATMENT AREA (C-44 RSTA) SEEPAGE MANAGEMENT FEATURE - RELIEF WELLS CONTRACT A, MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA

This announcement constitutes a Sources Sought Synopsis. This announcement seeks information from industry and will only be used for preliminary planning purposes. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS AND NO CONTRACT SHALL BE AWARDED FROM THIS SYNOPSIS. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District is seeking interest from prospective offerors for a potential fiscal year (FY) 2027 award of the aforementioned project.  The purpose of this sources sought is to gauge interest, capabilities, and qualifications of various members of the Construction Community, to include Small Businesses, as the Government must ensure there is adequate competition amongst the potential pool of responsible contractors.  There is no solicitation at this time. This request for capability information does not constitute a request for proposals and submission of any information in response to this notice is purely voluntary.

The proposed project will be a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract. The Jacksonville District anticipates the issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP). No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to said sources sought or any follow-up information requested.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The work is located on approximately 12,000 acres of land in Martin County, Florida directly north of Citrus Boulevard and the C-44 Canal (also known as the St. Lucie Canal), halfway between Lake Okeechobee and the Atlantic Ocean. For purposes of this construction contract, the anticipated location of site activities will occur throughout the current C-44 Reservoir site adjacent to the perimeter canal. The work consists of constructing groundwater pressure relief wells adjacent to the C-44 reservoir site. The wells will be constructed by typical means of water well construction and typical of USACE relief well construction, as prescribed in EM 1110-2-1914 Design, Construction and Maintenance of Relief Wells. The site where the relief wells will be constructed is relatively flat and grass covered with nearby access from existing gravel surfaced roads. There is an existing canal approximately 35 feet from the well locations and the groundwater level varies with reservoir stage and is generally higher than the canal water level. The canal water level varies (normally approximately EL 18.5 ft) and can increase up to 2 ft above normal stage during project operations. The reservoir pool varies and can be expected to be between EL 29.0 ft and EL 36 ft (3 ft to 10 ft pool) during the period of performance.

The work generally consists of:

• Construction of approximately 126 pre-designed relief wells at the prescribed locations.
• Documenting the construction, development, and pump testing of all wells.
• Well construction will require managing borehole wall stability for a variety of subsurface conditions that may consist of surficial clayey and silty sands, very loose uniform fine sands, dense sands having varying degrees of cementation, limestone/sandstone, and sand to cobble size shells. Groundwater conditions are likely to be slightly artesian at the well locations.
• Construction of surface protection, access, and discharge features for each relief well into the adjacent canal.

SPECIFIC PROJECT CHALLENGES:

The work includes construction of 126 relief wells approximately 60 ft deep. The relief well will have a 10-inch diameter stainless steel riser and high flow screen, constructed in an 18 to 24-inch diameter borehole. The anulus between the borehole and riser will be backfilled with a uniform and non-calcareous filter media commonly used in the water well industry and selected for compatibility with the encountered subsurface materials. Above the screen and filter media, the borehole will be sealed with bentonite and grout. All backfill materials will be placed by tremie method. The work also includes the construction of surface protection, access, and discharge features for each relief well. The surface and protection feature will be approximately 4 ft in diameter and will consist of a standard Florida Department of Transportation Manhole or similar structure. The discharge features will consist of a 12-inch pipe connected to the surface protection and access feature that will terminate at the canal water level within a concrete headwall.  Wells must be tested and accepted no more than 5 days after construction.  Each outfall construction must be completed no more than 14 days after excavation begins. Outfall construction must be completed no more than 60 days after well is completed.

The Estimated Magnitude of construction is between $25,000,000 and $50,000,000.

The anticipated period of performance for this project is 1060 calendar days from receipt of Notice to Proceed (NTP), and commencement of work would begin within 60 calendar days of receipt of the NTP.

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement is 237990, Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction.

The Small Business Size Standard for this project is $45.0 million.

Responses to this Sources Sought shall be limited to 10 pages and shall include the following information:

1. Company/Contractor name, address, point of contact, phone number, Unique Entity ID (UEI), and e-mail address.
2. Company’s interest in submitting a proposal for the subject requirement when solicitation is issued.
3. Company’s capability to perform a contract of this magnitude and complexity (include company’s capability to execute comparable work performed within the past 10 years). Company should provide at least 3 examples which, at a minimum, include the following:

• Brief description of the project
• Customer name
• Customer satisfaction
• Timeliness of performance
• Dollar value of the completed projects
• Specify if the project was services or construction

    4. Company shall identify their Small Business classification and Small Business Size.

• Small Business
• Small Disadvantage Business
• 8(a) Small Business
• HUBZone
• SDVOSB
• WOSB

If your firm is a Small Business, be sure you understand the performance of work requirements for your specific socioeconomic category. i.e. SB, 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, or HUBZone.

       5. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, companies should address the structure of such arrangement include Joint Venture information, if applicable – existing and potential.

       6. Bonding Capacity (construction bonding level per contract and aggregate construction bonding level, both expressed in dollars) via letter from the bonding company.

      7. Responses to the following technical questions:

1. Innovation and Value Engineering:

Provide recommendations for any changes to the work or specifications that could enhance economy or accelerate the construction schedule. Describe any innovative construction techniques, materials, or project management approaches the government should consider.

2. Relevant Corporate Experience:

• Describe projects where you have constructed wells 8-to-12-inch diameter.
• Specifically detail any such projects completed in central or south Florida.

3. Drilling Methodology and Experience:

• Describe your firm's experience with reverse circulation (reverse rotary) drilling methods.
• Propose alternative drilling methods that may be applicable to this project's subsurface conditions and provide your rationale.

4. Schedule and Risk Mitigation:

• Do you believe that the construction duration is a concern given the number of wells and outfalls in the project.
• If you foresee schedule-related risks, describe them in detail and propose specific mitigation strategies (e.g., crew allocation, sequential vs. parallel operations, pre-fabrication).

5. Approach to Well Construction:

Explain your proposed approach for managing well construction and development/testing. State whether you anticipate using two or more separate drill rigs/crews and describe the number and roles of each crew.

6. Approach to Outfall System Construction:

Explain your proposed approach for constructing the outfall systems (manhole, pipe, and headwall). State whether you anticipate using two or more separate crews and describe their coordination.

7. Cofferdam and Dewatering Challenges:

Discuss anticipated challenges with cofferdam selection and dewatering for outfall construction, considering:

• Seasonal weather conditions in Florida.
• Variable reservoir and seepage canal levels throughout the period of performance.

8. Filter Material Installation:

Design details for some wells include one change in filter pack material and screen, and others may require two changes in filter pack material and screen. Please confirm if you consider this variation impactful to installation quality or production rates and explain why or why not.

9. Anticipated Project-Specific Problems:

Based on the information provided, identify potential problems or risks not covered in other questions (e.g., environmental, logistical, subsurface) and suggest preventative measures.

10. Material Procurement and Lead Times:

Estimate the lead time required for ordering and receiving critical materials, including well screens, risers, and specified filter material, based on current market conditions.

11. Geotechnical Challenges:

Do you have concerns regarding borehole stability or the management of potential artesian conditions during drilling? Describe your proposed methods for addressing these issues.

12. Water Source for Drilling Operations:

The use of water from the adjacent seepage canal for drilling, installation, or development of wells is prohibited. The Government anticipates that installed wells will serve as a water source for subsequent well installations. Please confirm if this approach poses any logistical or operational problems for subsequent well installations.

13. Filter Material Procurement:

Identify your proposed sources for procuring filter pack material compatible with No. 20, No. 40, No. 50, and No. 80 slot screens.

14. Material Logistics:

Describe your proposed methods for the delivery, storage, and handling of filter pack material to prevent contamination and segregation.

All responses to this Sources Sought will be evaluated and used in determining the acquisition strategy.

NOTES:

DO NOT SUBMIT PROPRIETARY AND/OR BUSINESS CONFIDENITAL DATA.

Submission Instructions:

Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the work associated with the subject requirement, are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice no later than 26 February 2026, at 2:00 PM, (EST). All responses under this Sources Sought Notice shall be sent to Ligaya M. Lowe, via email at ligaya.m.lowe@usace.army.mil and Martha G. Sequeira at martha.g.sequeira@usace.army.mil.

Prior Government contract work is not required for submitting a response under this sources sought synopsis. 

You must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), in order to be eligible to receive an award from any Government solicitation. To register, go to www.sam.gov. For additional information visit the website for the Federal Service Desk (www.FSD.gov) which supports SAM or contact them at 866-606-8220 for assistance.