Page 49 - Water and Wastewater Engineering Design Principles and Practice

1-20 WATER AND WASTEWATER ENGINEERING

In general this is the responsibility of the client because, as noted in the second canon of the
Code of Ethics, it falls outside of the area of competence of the engineer. The client hires some
combination of qualified and experienced people to do this work. A team may consist of a
registered land surveyor, attorney, and government official familiar with the community. The
engineer’s role is to provide guidance with respect to the requirements of the design. If neces-
sary, the engineer may also be called on to perform environmental site investigations to ensure
the site(s) are free of hazardous materials. Of course, this effort should be included in the scope
of work.
Options on the land to be purchased and freely given easements provide a means of expe-
diting the construction process without making an unalterable commitment before the detailed
design and bid estimate are completed. These are essential for the final design, and they also
provide cost information for the estimate of total funding of the project.
Once property bids have been accepted, final land acquisition can begin. For those not will-
ing to give or sell land for the treatment facility or easements for the water main or sewer, con-
demnation proceedings may be instituted. This may cause a substantial delay in the start and
completion of the project and should be anticipated in the bid documents.

Bid Letting
Bid documents may be disseminated in a variety of ways. Many municipalities have developed a
program of prequalification of bidders and an invitation to bid is sent only to qualified bidders.
At some reasonable time interval, after the bid package is disseminated to interested contrac-
tors, a prebid meeting is held to answer questions and clarify requirements of the bidders. This
meeting may be either mandatory or optional. The engineer and the owner’s contracting officer
are present at this meeting. Substantive questions are answered, in writing, to all participants by
issuing a bid document addendum.
When the bids are received, the engineer assists the owner in determining the lowest qualified
bidder. The bid must be responsive in that it meets the specifications without unacceptable substi-
tutions and agrees to meet the stated completion date. In addition, the bidder must have appropri-
ate licenses, bonding, and insurance. A qualified bidder must also be free of outstanding claims
and liens from previous work. Appropriately licensed personnel and people qualified to supervise
the work should also be included in consideration of whether or not the bidder is qualified.
This is a critical decision point in the project. First, the decision to proceed must be made.
Second, the decision(s) on the awardee(s) must be made. As at all the previous decision points,
the client must be given appropriate information to make informed decisions.

Construction
Before construction begins, a preconstruction meeting is held. All parties (engineer, owner, con-
tractor) meet to review the contractor’s schedule, special provisions, sequence of construction,
payment process, and progress meetings schedule.
During the construction process the engineer determines if the work is proceeding in accor-
dance with the contract documents. For large projects, a full-time resident project representa-
tive (RPR) is on site. For small projects, the engineer provides periodic inspection and special
inspection at critical construction milestones. Thus, for small projects it is imperative that critical