Trust approves RFP process for wastewater operations, cites major facility upgrades

The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust on Feb. 24 authorized staff to advertise a request for proposals for operation and maintenance of the city’s wastewater facilities and solids management program, replacing reliance on the remaining renewal options in the current contract.

Jesse Carr, wastewater quality superintendent, told trustees the 2017 contract no longer reflects recent investments and operational changes, including near-completion upgrades at the South Canadian plant, improvements to solids handling, a move away from land application of biosolids and installation of on-site hypochlorite generation. Carr said the new solicitation is intended to capture those changes and modernize performance requirements.

Trustees discussed timing and contract structure. Staff said the new contract is planned to start Jan. 1, 2027, with the first contract year structured as an 18-month period to align future renewals with the city’s fiscal year. The current contract term and any interim extension will be handled to allow for an orderly transition. Staff also provided the current annual operations-and-management figure for context: $15,700,000 per year.

Carr said the RFP will reflect the system’s increased operational complexity and safety improvements and will align contract years with the city's budgeting cycle to improve oversight and fiscal planning.

The Trust approved the motion to proceed with competitive procurement and to structure the future contract to accommodate mobilization and transition needs.

Next steps: staff will finalize the solicitation documents and publish the RFP; trustees did not identify any immediate legal or budgetary obstacles in the meeting record.