Regional Wastewater System & Buffalo Creek Interceptor System
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Trinity East Fork Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility, Project No. 301-0678-25; Buffalo Creek Lift Station and Transfer Force Main Improvements, Project No. 507-0679-25; Owner Advisor Services Agreement
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SUBJECT
recommendation
Authorize funding in the amount of $7,466,000 to AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for an Owner Advisor services agreement for the Trinity East Fork Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility (RWRRF) and the Buffalo Creek Lift Station and Transfer Force Main Improvements projects.
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PURPOSE
A new Trinity East Fork RWRRF is needed to serve growth in the region beyond the capacity of the South Mesquite Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. An Owner Advisor with expertise to provide planning, technical, procurement, and management services related to a collaborative delivery project is needed for the successful delivery of the program.
RECOMMENDATION
The Executive Director and NTMWD staff recommend the Board of Directors authorize the Executive Director to execute an owner advisor services agreement as follows:
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Consultant: |
AECOM Technical Services, Inc. |
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Scope: |
Owner Advisor Services |
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Project: |
No. 301-0678-25, Trinity East Fork Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility No. 507-0679-25, Buffalo Creek Lift Station and Transfer Force Main Improvements |
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Amount: |
$7,130,000, Trinity East Fork Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility $336,000, Buffalo Creek Lift Station and Transfer Force Main Improvements |
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Committee: |
This will be an item on the December 17, 2025, Wastewater Committee meeting agenda |
DRIVER(S) FOR THIS PROJECT
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Strategic Objective: |
1.1 High Quality Services 1.4 Reliable and Resilient Systems |
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☐ Regulatory Compliance |
☐ Asset Condition |
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☒ Capacity |
☐ Redundancy/Resiliency |
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☐ Relocation or External Requests |
☐ Operational Efficiency |
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☐ Safety |
☐ Administrative |
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☐ Policy |
☐ Other _____________ |
BACKGROUND
The Lower East Fork Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility Conceptual Study, Project No. 301-0598-21, identified a location for a future wastewater treatment plant to meet the growth needs of the Regional Wastewater System beyond the capacity of the South Mesquite Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (RWWTP). The property has been acquired, and the facility has been renamed to Trinity East Fork RWRRF to align with the conventional discharge location naming convention. Flow projections indicate growth will exceed the existing annual average treatment capacity between 2031 and 2034.
PROJECT PURPOSE
• A new 12 million gallon per day (MGD) Trinity East Fork Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility is needed by 2031 to serve growth in the region beyond the capacity of the South Mesquite Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.
• Initial conveyance improvements are needed to divert flows from the Buffalo Creek Lift Station through a new Buffalo Creek Transfer Force Main to Trinity East Fork RWRRF. Ultimately flows from the Buffalo Creek Interceptor System, Forney Mustang Creek Interceptor System, and Lower East Fork Interceptor System will need to be redirected to the Trinity East Fork RWRRF to meet growth projections.
• The planning level estimated construction cost for the program exceeds $500 million.
OWNER ADVISOR SERVICES AGREEMENT
An Owner Advisor (OA) is recommended for this project due to its large scale, urgency, and limited staff resources. The OA will advise NTMWD on the Progressive Design Build collaborative delivery method and make recommendations to support the planning, technical, procurement and management of the program. The OA will provide the additional expertise needed to effectively manage the project delivery process, including design review, cost evaluation, and coordination between the Owner, Engineer, and Progressive Design Builder. NTMWD will rely on the OA to facilitate communication, track progress, and ensure the project team’s work aligns with project goals throughout design and construction of the project.
This collaboration helps maintain quality, minimize costs, and keep the project on schedule while allowing NTMWD to make informed decisions throughout each phase.
INITIAL OWNER ADVISOR SERVICES
Owner Advisor services prior to the procurement of the Progressive Design-Builder (PDB). The initial services expected for 2026 include:
• Project management support
o Owner advisor support, project administration, project management plan
o Project controls, Project Management Information System integration, & document controls management
o Public outreach, graphic support & technical writing
• Planning phase support
o Cost estimating & OPCC cost models
o State and federal funding support
• Progressive design-build procurement phase support
o Market sounding
o PDB procurement implementation plan and procurement services
o Develop PDB procurement documents, contracts, and agreements
o Agreement negotiation
• Engineering design support
o Project definition and criteria development
o Conceptual (10%) design submittals and workshops
• Regulatory and permitting support
o TCEQ permitting assistance
o Environmental, archaeological, cultural, hydrologic, & hydraulic services
• Special services
o Survey: LiDAR, topographic, boundary, tree, and stream cross sections
o Easement legal descriptions, platting, and acquisition support
o Subsurface utility engineering
o Geotechnical investigations and reports
o Independent cost estimator verification
o Design-Build Institute of America workshops and partnering workshops
AECOM Owner Advisor Services $5,007,300
Subconsulting Services $1,504,250
Contracted Services $954,450
Total Amount $7,466,000
There will be future amendments with the Owner Advisor to request funding for the pre-construction stage of the PDB services and the construction phase OA services.
FUNDING
Funding in the amount of $7,130,000 to AECOM Technical Services Inc. for Project No. 301-0678-25 is to be made available in the Regional Wastewater System Extendable Commercial Paper (ECP) Program as the appropriation source; issuance of ECP notes will occur as cash needs arise.
Funding in the amount of $336,000 to AECOM Technical Services Inc. for Project No. 507-0679-25 is to be made available in the Buffalo Creek Interceptor System Construction Funds.