HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESPONSE - RFQ - REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION - 8494 FLOOD WARNING SYSTEM MAINTENANCESubmitted to:
City of Fort Collins, CO
Purchasing Division
215 N. Mason St. 2nd Floor
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80524
RFP 8494
Flood Warning System
Maintenance
Proposal: Flood Warning System Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. i June 2, 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................... - 1 -
B. COMPANY INFORMATION ...................................................................................................................................... - 1 -
B.1 WET’s Business and Background ........................................................................................................................ - 1 -
B.2 WET’s Number of Years in the Business ............................................................................................................ - 2 -
B.3 WET’s Ownership ................................................................................................................................................... - 3 -
B.4 WET’s Services and Qualifications ...................................................................................................................... - 3 -
B.5 WET’s Size .............................................................................................................................................................. - 3 -
B.6 WET’s Location and Office Resources ................................................................................................................ - 3 -
B.7 Primary Contact ...................................................................................................................................................... - 5 -
C. MINIMUM MANDATORY QUALIFICATIONS ......................................................................................................... - 6 -
D. SCOPE OF WORK ..................................................................................................................................................... - 6 -
D.1 Narrative of the Services Proposed ..................................................................................................................... - 6 -
D.2 Project Management and Responsibility for Timely and Professional Completion .................................... - 13 -
D.3 Field Personnel Recommended to Complete the Work .................................................................................. - 13 -
E. ASSIGNED PERSONNEL ....................................................................................................................................... - 13 -
E.1 List of Project Personnel ...................................................................................................................................... - 13 -
E.2 Project Manager Resume .................................................................................................................................... - 14 -
E.3 Qualifications and Experience for the Proposed Project Personnel ............................................................. - 14 -
E.4 Availability of Project Personnel ......................................................................................................................... - 14 -
E.5 References ............................................................................................................................................................ - 16 -
F. AVAILABILITY ........................................................................................................................................................... - 16 -
F.1 Qualified Personnel Are Available to Assist in Meeting the Project Schedule if Required ........................ - 16 -
F.2 WET Schedule for Completing Tasks ................................................................................................................ - 16 -
F.3 Methods and Timeline of Communication between WET and the City’s Project Manager and Other
Parties .................................................................................................................................................................... - 16 -
F.4 Ability to Respond to Failures Within the Timeframes Stated for Unscheduled Service Calls ................. - 16 -
G. COST AND WORK HOURS .................................................................................................................................... - 16 -
G.1 Estimated Hours by Task for B.2, B.3 and B.4 ................................................................................................. - 17 -
G.2 Price for Additional Services/Deliverables (B.4, B.5, B.6 and B.7) ............................................................... - 17 -
G.3 Schedule of Rates ................................................................................................................................................ - 17 -
H. FIRM CAPABILITY ................................................................................................................................................... - 18 -
H.1 WET’s Organizational Chart/Proposed Project Team ..................................................................................... - 18 -
H.2 WET’s Qualifications and Experience to Perform the Services Described .................................................. - 18 -
H.3 Similar Projects in the Last Three Years ........................................................................................................... - 20 -
I. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................. - 21 -
I.1 Discharge Measurements ................................................................................................................................... - 21 -
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No.8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. ii June 2, 2017
I.2 ALERT Data Analysis .......................................................................................................................................... - 22 -
I.3 Rating Analysis and Development of Hydraulic Ratings................................................................................. - 23 -
I.4 Flood Hazard Inventory Tool (FHIT) .................................................................................................................. - 24 -
I.5 Base Station Management and Migration ......................................................................................................... - 25 -
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No.8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 1 - June 2, 2017
A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. (WET) is pleased to submit this proposal to the City of Fort Collins (City) in
response to the City’s RFP 8494: Flood Warning System Maintenance. WET is well-qualified to provide these
services to the City, and the work required to maintain the City’s ALERT system this summer is an opportunity for
WET to apply our expertise to a significant Flood Warning System (FWS) project in our own community.
WET is capable of planning and performing a program of comprehensive system maintenance for the 2017 flood
season as described in the RFP and in cooperation and close communication with City personnel. WET has
been providing similar maintenance services to other clients for as long as fourteen years. WET will inspect,
maintain, test, calibrate and clean rainfall, streamflow and weather instrument sensors, test and maintain
transmitters and associated equipment, and operate the system to provide timely flood detection and reliable
hydrometeorological data. WET has experience maintaining equipment from all of the major manufacturers of
FWS components and will recommend equipment that is in the City’s best interest, as WET has no ties to any
manufacturer that would result in a conflict of interest. As an engineering firm WET is also able to provide
comprehensive system support, including hydrologic and hydraulic analyses, should additional services become
necessary. Maintenance services will be conducted by qualified field technicians under the directon of WET’s
proposed Project Manager, Mr. Rob Niedenzu. Mr. Markus Ritsch will act as the Principal-in-Charge. Including
up to four unscheduled repair visits, WET’s total cost estimate for the work described here and in the RFP is
$43,500.
WET is available to participate in an interview/demonstration with City personnel as requested. WET proposes no
exceptions to the City Agreement provided as Exhibit C in the RFP.
B. COMPANY INFORMATION
WET is a water resources engineering and environmental consulting company that specializes in providing
engineering consulting and field maintenance services for ALERT/ALERT2 flood warning and environmental
monitoring networks. We are familiar with most of the 65 gauging stations/repeaters operated by the City of Fort
Collins and have worked with the City on specific monitoring projects since 2010, including the water quality
sampler at Manners Bridge and the Lake Canal camera.
We design, fabricate, procure, repair and install environmental monitoring station components, both hardware and
software, available through every major manufacturer of ALERT system equipment, including High Sierra,
HydroLynx and Campbell Scientific. WET conducts radio path modeling, evaluates and mitigates data loss due to
transmission issues, sites and equips repeaters and base stations, and independently monitors data collection
from systems. We provide event notification on a variety of platforms. We provide emergency repairs and
replacement for ALERT equipment. We provide data analysis and reporting for many of our clients. We can
develop empirical or theoretical ratings for stage gages and conduct forensic hydraulic investigation. WET is able
to recommend equipment and siting if an FWS system needs to be expanded to accommodate development or to
provide additional capabilities or improved lead time for emergency response.
B.1 WET’s Business and Background
WET is an engineering firm specializing in the design, installation, operation and maintenance of real-time
environmental monitoring systems. WET provides comprehensive services both domestically and internationally
for environmental monitoring, including data acquisition, real-time telemetry, data management, data hosting,
website development and hosting for data visualization, data analysis and reporting, and GIS.
WET’s founder and President, Mr. Richard Spotts, P.E., has more than 35 years experience in consulting and
private industry. His career includes university research, management of all water-related activities as an
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No.8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 2 - June 2, 2017
environmental engineer for Public Service Company of New Mexico, and more than 30 years in private
consulting. Mr. Spotts managed a group of approximately 30 professionals for a major international
multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm for six years prior to starting a water resource engineering and
environmental consulting business in 1985. He expanded that business to approximately 50 employees prior to
its acquisition in 1997 and the founding of WET.
WET’s Vice President, Mr. Markus Ritsch, P.E., joined WET as a full partner in November of 2003, but he and Mr.
Spotts have worked together since 1993. Mr. Ritsch has more than 23 years of consulting experience in
hydrology, environmental data collection and flood warning. Mr. Ritsch brings specific expertise in the planning,
design, construction, trouble-shooting and maintenance of ALERT/ALERT2-based flood detection networks,
supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA), and radio and satellite telemetry solutions. He has
managed many projects relevant to the work required by the City, for both public agencies and private sector
clients. Mr. Ritsch has designed, installed and maintains real-time environmental monitoring systems using a
variety of telemetry protocols and data acquisition hardware for applications in water resources and flood warning.
Mr. Ritsch is intimately familiar with issues and opportunities related to FWS networks, their radio telemetry
architectures and base station systems. Mr. Ritsch has a strong working relationship with HydroLynx Systems,
Inc., High Sierra Electronics, Inc. and Campbell Scientific, Inc. He has attended training courses conducted by
HydroLynx and Campbell Scientific and is familiar with their technological innovations. Mr. Ritsch would be the
principal-in-charge for the City maintenance project. He can be reached as follows:
Markus L. Ritsch, P.E.
1225 Red Cedar Circle, Ste A
Fort Collins, CO 80524
Tel: 970-225-6080 extension 2
mlritsch@water-and-earth.com
Together, Mr. Spotts and Mr. Ritsch are dedicated to growing a company that can provide quality engineering and
field services to those public and private entities that operate flood early warning and environmental monitoring
programs. WET has made it a priority to remain at the forefront of the flood detection and warning industry. We
actively participate in the ALERT user community, attending regional and national conferences such as the
National Hydrologic Warning Council Conference and the Southwestern Association of ALERT Systems
conference. WET is dedicated to keeping our staff members abreast of the technologies, methodologies and
techniques that allow efficient and accurate completion of all field and engineering services we provide. This is
particularly true with respect to the ALERT protocol and the emerging ALERT2 protocol. We attend specialized
training courses related to the ALERT/2 protocol and flood warning whenever possible. Relevant training courses
completed by WET staff include:
• MSHA Health and Safety Training
• HydroLynx Systems Training - 5096 ALERT transmitter
• HydroLynx Systems Training - 50386 ALERT transmitter/repeater
• Campbell Scientific Training - CR10X programming
• Campbell Scientific Training – LoggerNet Radio telemetry
WET provides comprehensive support for entities responsible for developing and operating FWS networks and
informing emergency response to flood events, including the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD),
Larimer and Douglas Counties in Colorado, Ventura, Orange and San Bernardino Counties in California, and
many Cities in Colorado and nationally. WET also supports environmental monitoring conducted by mining
clients both domestically and internationally. WET is expertly qualified to support the City of Fort Collins through
the 2017 flood monitoring season with maintenance and monitoring of the City’s Flood Warning System (FWS).
WET’s in-depth knowledge of the issues involved with every aspect of remote environmental data collection and
the use of those data for flood detection as well as engineering and regulatory purposes informs our approach to
every project. As an engineering firm, WET is able to provide comprehensive services in support of FWS
networks.
B.2 WET’s Number of Years in the Business
Environmental monitoring has been a focus of WET’s business since its founding twenty years ago. Providing
services specifically relevant to operators of FWS networks has been an integral part of WET’s business for
fourteen years.
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No.8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 3 - June 2, 2017
B.3 WET’s Ownership
WET is a partnership owned by Richard Spotts, P.E. and Markus Ritsch, P.E.
B.4 WET’s Services and Qualifications
WET plans, designs, installs, operates and maintains automated environmental monitoring networks, including
both ALERT/ALERT2, satellite and cellular telemetry-based monitoring systems. WET designs and installs real-
time video camera systems. WET installs, troubleshoots and maintains base station software and provides
training and support. WET provides emergency response support related to flood warning systems and conducts
post-event analyses including estimating peak flow from high water marks. WET analyzes and reports
hydrometeorological data, including providing QA/QC for rainfall and streamflow data. WET conducts hydrologic
analyses to explore watershed response and rainfall/runoff relationships. WET develops stage-discharge ratings
for gage sites based upon both field measurements of discharge and theoretical hydraulic modeling developed
from stream reach-and-cross-section surveys.
Relevant and local projects that demonstrate our experience with maintaining an ALERT monitoring system
include:
• Douglas County, CO: Design, installation and annual maintenance of ALERT-based network in the
Hayman Burn area and on East and West Plum Creeks. Watershed response study was used to
recommend additional gages on a flood-vulnerable tributary to East Plum Creek (Sellers Gulch) for which
stations were designed and installed, and are maintained, by WET.
• Larimer County, CO: Design, installation and annual maintenance of ALERT-based network in the High
Park burn area immediately west of Fort Collins. WET has more recently been contracted to design, build
and maintain FWS networks on the Big Thompson and Little Thompson Rivers, including data hosting
and base station support and development of stream stage-discharge ratings.
• UDFCD, CO: Design, installation and annual maintenance of stations in ALERT/ALERT2-based network.
Maintenance and management of base station software. Discharge measurements and development of
stream stage-discharge ratings. Data analysis and reporting, including QA/QC on rain and streamflow
data. Assistance with ALERT2 planning and gradual transition.
• City of Fort Collins, CO: Design and installation of water quality and remote camera monitoring stations.
• City of Loveland, CO: Design, installation and annual maintenance of an ALERT-based flood detection
and warning system. Discharge measurements and analysis of stream stage-discharge ratings.
• City of Greeley, CO: Design, installation and annual maintenance of the 59th Avenue RADAR stream
gage, including stage/discharge rating development and data hosting. Telemetry is presently by cellular
modem but will ultimately be incorporated into a County-wide ALERT FWS.
• Town of Windsor, CO: Design, installation and annual maintenance of an ALERT-based flood detection
and warning system. Discharge measurements to evaluate and calibrate stage/discharge ratings.
More information about our work for three of these clients is included in Section G.5. In addition to Colorado
entities, WET has completed FWS projects for clients including Fairfax County, VA; Clark County, NV; Hays
County, TX; California Counties including Placer, Orange, Ventura and San Bernardino; Arizona Counties
including Yavapai and Maricopa, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, NC; the Cities of Fort Wayne, IN,
Flagstaff, AZ and Grand Prairie, TX, and the National Park Service. With respect to the maintenance of ALERT
systems, WET has a proven track record of completing projects in a detail-oriented and cost-effective manner.
B.5 WET’s Size
WET employs a staff of twelve well-trained, knowledgeable and dedicated technical people. Resumes can be
provided upon request. This staff includes 8 engineers (6 P.E.s registered in the State of Colorado, and two
E.I.s), a geographer/GIS specialist and three field technicians (Watershed Management graduates).
B.6 WET’s Location and Office Resources
WET’s office is located in Fort Collins, just north of Old Town. This office at 1225 Red Cedar Circle, Unit A
will be the office for work conducted for the City of Fort Collins.
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No.8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 4 - June 2, 2017
. WET’s 4,000 square foot facility (Figure 1) houses both our offices and a heated warehouse with workbenches
(Figure 2). The workbenches are used to test and configure monitoring instrumentation and to fabricate those
elements of monitoring systems that are made in-house. Space in our heated garage is also dedicated to the
storage of ALERT equipment for our annual maintenance clients without independent storage
WET owns everything required to install and maintain
remote monitoring stations and to complete
environmental monitoring projects, as well as the
hardware and software tools required for automated
system architecture / database management, radio
path studies, data analysis and reporting, engineering
analysis (including hydrologic, hydraulic and water
quality modeling), GIS, GPS and engineering
surveying, including equipment for hydrographic
measurements and water quality sampling. Table 1
summarizes our relevant hardware and software
resources, including our inventory of streamflow and
water quality measurement instrumentation (current
meters and pH, conductivity, DO, and temperature
meters). We also maintain sufficient computer
resources, including printers and plotters, to produce
the highest quality analyses, reports and design plans.
Figure 1. WET Office in Fort Collins
Figure 2. Workbenches in our Heated Warehouse Space
Figure 3 shows one of our specially-outfitted maintenance trucks, which are four-wheel drive trucks equipped with
overhead racks, a mobile work station and a VHF receiving antenna. These vehicles transport the equipment
required for maintenance work. WET personnel are well-equipped and accustomed to the rigors of installation
and maintaining remote monitoring equipment.
WET owns and will provide testing and calibration equipment needed for the City’s FWS maintenance project.
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 5 - June 2, 2017
Table 1. WET Hardware and Software Resources
GIS/GPS/AutoCAD Surveying/Sampling Hydrography Station Maintenance Hydrology
Hydraulics
ArcGIS 10.0 Altus Survey-Grade
GPS
Pontoon boat-
mounted Acoustic
Doppler Current
Profiler (ADCP)
MicroPath and RadioMobile
radio path analysis software HEC-HMS
AutoCAD 2011 SECO automatic
level (DS32)
Sontek portable
flow meter Four wattmeters (TW, Bird)
HEC-RAS,
HEC-
GeoRAS
AutoCAD Civil 3-D 2x tripods
Marsh-McBirney
portable flow
meter
Eight volt meters (Greenlee
and Fluke) HEC-1
Carlson 2007 25, 16 and 14-foot
leveling rods Top setting rod Rain gage calibrators SEDCAD 4.0
Natural Regrade
with GeoFluvTM 4x 300-ft tape
Kemmerer water
sampler Two PT pressure testers RUSLE 1.06
Trimble GPS
Software Spectra laser level ImHoff cone ELK battery life tester SWMM
Trimble
GeoExplorer GPS Digital Cameras
Ekman and
Bottom dredge
In-line RF attenuator kit for
fade margin testing
Xcel and
Access
Water
Balance/
Water Quality
Models
Garmin GPS Hand sediment corer
YSI handheld
water quality
sonde
5096, 3206, 3306 and 50386
ALERT/ALERT2 transmitters
Depth integrating
sediment sampler
B.7 Primary Contact
For the City FWS Maintenance Project (Project), WET proposes that Rob Niedenzu serve as Project Manager
and primary contact. Markus Ritsch will act as Principal-in-Charge. Contact information for both is provided.
Project Manager and Primary Contact
Rob Niedenzu
GIS Specialist and Monitoring Field Manager
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 6 - June 2, 2017
Figure 3. One of WET’s specially equipped installation/maintenance trucks
Exhibit A, the Proposal Acknowledgement, is attached as the final page of this proposal.
C. MINIMUM MANDATORY QUALIFICATIONS
WET’s experience with operating, maintaining and repairing FWS networks far exceeds the minimum required
three (3) years of experience working on similar systems. WET is beginning the 14th year of maintaining FWS
networks for both the Town of Windsor and the City of Loveland. WET has provided remote station maintenance
services (as well as a variety of related engineering services, including base station support and the development
of stage/discharge ratings) to the UDFCD for the past twelve years.
WET has more than three years’ experience with the City of Fort Collins FWS specifically, either working directly
on specific City projects or providing more informal assistance with issues that have occurred as the City has
developed its FWS and in-house expertise over the recent past.
WET has experience with operating, maintaining, repairing, upgrading systems using all the various equipment
manufacturers and models that are present in the City network. WET is not exclusively associated with any one
equipment manufacturer and is accustomed to working on equipment manufactured by all the major vendors of
monitoring equipment. WET is extremely well-qualified to undertake maintenance of the City FWS, considering
both our length and breadth of experience.
D. SCOPE OF WORK
D.1 Narrative of the Services Proposed
WET understands that the City needs to outsource the maintenance of its FWS network (normally completed by
City personnel) beginning in June or July (as soon as possible after a contract is executed) and ending November
15, 2017. The objective is to avoid any interruption to the City’s acquisition of timely and reliable data for flood
detection and warning throughout the 2017 flood season.
WET has prepared the following Scope of Work to include the task descriptions provided in the RFP and to
demonstrate our understanding and competence in the activities required to provide comprehensive FWS
maintenance for the City. Our typical approach to each sub task provided in the RFP is described, although we
will tailor our approach and the specific tasks included in our services to accommodate the City’s preferences. As
the FWS maintenance contractor for the City, we would expect to coordinate closely with City personnel to ensure
that our efforts reflect the City’s concerns and priorities.
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 7 - June 2, 2017
Our goal in providing services to the City would be to ensure not only that ALERT system components are
working, but that they provide the most value possible to the City. At a minimum, any ALERT system should
support efficient emergency response. In our experience, it is also frequently desirable to ensure that the data
collected has practical and engineering value and can be used to understand and mitigate hydrologic and
hydraulic vulnerabilities. We support the use of system data, where appropriate, to assist with effective
emergency planning and preparation. Our approach to projects is practical and value-driven, even as we avail
ourselves of cutting-edge tools and approaches. We work to support the potential of the FWS to provide timely,
valuable and reliable data for the City’s flood preparedness and emergency response functions, and allow the
data collected to inform sound decision-making by City personnel throughout the year as well as during the
monsoon season.
Prior to beginning-of-season maintenance, WET proposes a kick-off meeting with City personnel to understand
site-specific requirements for completing the work. WET will need to understand how to access keys and acquire
padlock combinations for some sites, and the City should provide any helpful information about access
agreements, land use permits or varying field conditions that impact specific sites. In addition, WET will need to
understand which sites are shut down for the off-season and how specific Pressure Tranducers (PTs) are
winterized prior to the End-of-Season Maintenance cycle. A map book will be created with directions to each
station including access requirements (keys, authorization required, check in with guard, etc.) and specific
concerns or procedures relevant to specific sites, and maintained in our station maintenance vehicles.
WET would like to have a City employee with knowledge of the system, including how to access sites, available
via cell phone at all times during maintenance visits. The effort required to service or repair equipment that is not
functioning properly can be minimized if City personnel can authorize minor repair work while our technicians are
at remote stations. If replacement equipment is not available at the time of maintenance, the problem will be
documented and the need for additional servicing will be brought to the City’s attention. At this point, the City will
take responsibility for determining how to proceed with additional service work. Equipment that is not easily
repaired in the field will be removed and replaced with functional equipment from the equipment inventory.
Sometimes equipment that cannot be repaired in the field can be repaired in the shop or by the lab/manufacturer
and returned to the spare equipment inventory.
Record-keeping and communication with the City are important components of the Project to ensure that the City
is aware of the status of the network, the completion of tasks and the status of the City inventory of spare parts.
WET owns and typically uses three different maintenance tracking software applications to track our clients’
hardware inventory and to document our field work, be it routine start-up or maintenance, emergency repair or
investigation of problems detected by database monitoring. The software applications we have used include
FastField, Maintenance Tracker and Maintenance Pro. These applications document all maintenance and
installation activities and automatically track hardware inventory.
All field work, testing, calibration, and troubleshooting results in the field will be documented on-site. WET
technicians use a phone-based app (FastField) to record each maintenance visit while in the field. The app
automatically sends an email documenting maintenance activities at each station to the field manager at the WET
office. If desired, City personnel can be included in the email distribution list for station maintenance visits and
receive these records automatically, as they are filed in the field.
In addition, WET will more formally document maintenance activities in our own software or using software that
will be provided by the City. Typically we use Maintenance Tracker/Maintenance Pro, and deliver the database to
our maintenance clients at the end of each maintenance season, along with a memorandum that summarizes the
maintenance and calibration activities. Individual site maintenance reports are generated and can be submitted
with the memorandum. These are numbered sequentially so that future maintenance activities can be added and
tracked in hard-copy format, if desired. The final memo provides recommendations for system improvements.
The maintenance software is used to document:
• Technician(s) performing work
• Time of arrival/departure from site
• Issues encountered and resolved
• Work performed
• Transmitter/datalogger configuration settings
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 8 - June 2, 2017
• Make, model and serial number of each piece of hardware installed
• Final testing, checks and data transmissions
• Follow-up activities recommended for the next visit to the site
At the end of each day, all fieldwork performed and hardware installed is recorded in a single Microsoft Access
database (both Maintenance Tracker and Maintenance Pro use Access) from which hardcopy reports can be
generated. The software provided by the City is likely to be similar to these, if not one of these. Maintenance
reports form a definitive and consistent paper trail that documents all maintenance work, as well as detailed
information regarding the construction and configuration of each field station, repeater and base station.
For this Project, maintenance of the FWS base stations is not anticipated, and if required, shall be limited to radio
equipment, data decoders and connecting cables. As indicated in the RFP, WET does not expect to be
responsible for:
• Maintenance of base station computer equipment or peripheral components
• Major repairs or replacements of major electronic components
The Scope of Work has been divided into seven work items:
1. Beginning-of-Season Radio Maintenance, Electronic Testing, Field Installations, System
Activation and Radio Station Licensing
WET understands that spring start-up for City stations may be partially complete and should be completed as
soon as possible. WET will coordinate with the City to prioritize and schedule start-up given the City’s knowledge
and preferences.
Spring start-up returns each station to a functional state by re-installing the transmitter and battery (if they were
removed for the winter) and deploying the PT. Required maintenance activities specified in the RFP include:
a. WET will inspect and test all equipment pertinent to remote gaging station operation including radio
transmitters, shaft encoders/PTs, weather sensors, rain gages, solar charging systems, RADARs and
batteries. Wet will prepare a punch list of any deficiencies observed and, where appropriate,
recommend additional equipment and services not included in the Scope of Services described in the
RFP.
b. WET will perform preliminary equipment preparation necessary to assure complete operation of each
gaging station, including: battery charging, battery replacement as needed, calibration checks, and
other electronic adjustments as needed.
c. WET will test all electronics packages and perform minor adjustments as needed in accordance with
manufacturer’s RF specifications and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements.
d. WET will install/maintain required hardware at each FWS gaging station, including: installing
electronics packages (serial numbers will be recorded), connecting antenna and battery cables,
leveling and calibrating tipping buckets, painting standpipes, weather housings and other parts
subject to corrosion, physical securing of the site including antenna mounts, clamps, cables, conduits
and sensors, general cleaning of station components including funnel, screen and PT orifices,
replacement or repair of defective PTs and signal conditioning boards, re-installing radar sensors,
and any other items deemed necessary to meet the terms of existing license agreements, land use
permits or varying field conditions. Station IDs, RF turn-on times, analog event and time mode
switches and other station configuration programming will be set per specifications approved by the
City and as required to assure proper repeater operation. Test transmissions will demonstrate that
that gage transmitters are operating according to factory specifications and the repeaters are are
receiving and re-transmitting signals. Watt meter readings will be recorded in the station
maintenance documentation. Minor RF adjustments and field calibrations will be made as needed.
Full service inspection of rain gages will be performed during flood season startup as follows:
WET will ensure that standpipes and appurtenances are in sound condition and free from damage
and inspect antennas and connecting cables. Rain sections, if present, will be serviced by removing
the top section of each FWS rain gage standpipe assembly to clean the screen, funnel and tipping
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 9 - June 2, 2017
bucket. Tipping buckets will be leveled, standpipes and other appurtenances will be painted to
protect against corrosion and vandalism, antenna mounts, clamps, cables, conduits and sensors will
be physically secured; sites will be generally cleaned as needed. Any other actions deemed
necessary to meet the terms of existing license agreements or respond to varying field conditions will
be completed.
Test transmissions will be performed to assure that gage reports are being received by FWS base
stations. PT orifices and protective housings will be checked and maintained free of mud and debris.
Pressure tests will be performed on all accessible PTs. Transmitted data will be recorded and
compared with calibration data. Defective PTs or signal conditioning boards will be repaired or
replaced as needed using available spare parts. Calibration adjustments will be made as needed.
RADARs will be assessed for proper operation. Weather station sensors will be evaluated for good
physical condition and reporting confirmed. If sensors are damaged or not reporting, WET will make
recommendation to the Floodwarning Engineer regarding repair or replacement.
e. WET will complete minor adjustments and testing of the Cobb Lake Repeater, including maintaining
all power supplies including solar panel, voltage regulator and battery. (Exhibit B from the RFP,
Maintenance Locations, indicates that the Poudre Park Repeater will receive no maintenance unless
it fails during the Project timeframe).
f. WET will provide services necessary to assure proper radio and data decoder operation at FWS base
stations, including testing radio receivers and data decoders and verifying data collection by the base
station computer. WET will not be responsible for maintenance or repair of computer hardware or
software, but antennas, connectors and cables will be inspected and repaired as needed. WET
understands that prior to major repairs or replacement of major electronic components, City approval
will be required.
WET’s typical start-up station maintenance checklist includes the following items:
Power System Checks
• Check the battery to ensure it is being charged by the solar panel.
• Check the battery terminals for signs of corrosion or loose connections.
• Check the voltage from the solar panel at inputs to the voltage regulator to verify that the solar panel
is functioning properly.
• Check the voltage regulator to verify it is functioning properly.
• Clean the face of the solar panel.
Antenna System Checks
• Check the forward and reflected power of the antenna system using a wattmeter.
• Inspect the antenna cables for signs of deterioration.
• Inspect the antenna cable connectors for signs of corrosion.
• Inspect the antenna for missing or broken elements.
• Inspect the lightning arrestor for signs of corrosion or visible damage
• Check the reflected power with a wattmeter.
Rain Gage Checks
• Perform a dynamic calibration test on each tipping bucket using 400 milliliters of water and a rainfall
rate of 6 inches per hour.
• Adjust tipping buckets if the dynamic calibration shows a deviation of more than 5 percent.
• Clean the funnels, screens, and tipping bucket mechanism.
• Re-level the rain gage.
• Verify the recording and transmission of each tip by the transmitter.
Stage Gage Checks
• Remove PTs from their protective conduits and clean.
• Flush conduits with water to remove silt and sand that has accumulated inside the conduit.
• Perform a 5-point calibration of each PT using a pressure tester.
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 10 - June 2, 2017
• Replace desiccant packs in all signal conditioning boxes.
• Check RADAR sensor for accurate measurement of water level.
Transmitter Checks
• Check the sensor connections to the transmitter to ensure there are no loose or broken connectors or
wires.
• Check the radio output power with a wattmeter.
• Replace desiccant packs.
• Verify that rain tips and water levels are being recorded correctly.
Base Station
• Check the forward and reflected power of the antenna system using a wattmeter.
• Inspect the antenna cables for signs of deterioration.
• Inspect the antenna cable connectors for signs of corrosion.
• Inspect the antenna for missing or broken elements.
• Inspect the lightning arrestor for signs of corrosion or visible damage.
• Configure new stage sensor calibration and reference level parameters.
• Verify that data transmissions are being received on the base station computer.
General Site Maintenance
• Visually inspect the standpipe for signs of vandalism.
• Fill any holes found in the standpipe with a silicone sealant.
2. Scheduled Routine Inspections and Data Analysis (typically performed July 1st through Aug. 30th)
a. WET will conduct a physical inspection of all FWS gages. The mechanical functions of each gage will
be tested to assure proper operation. Minor mechanical and calibration adjustments will be made as
needed. Minor parts such as cables, connectors, mounting hardware and batteries will be replaced
as needed.
Routine service inspections for rain gages will be performed for the summer maintenance visit, to be
scheduled approximately halfway through and no more than 90 days after the startup full service
inspections:
WET will ensure that standpipes and appurtenances are in sound condition and free from damages,
sensors are functioning, transmitters are properly reporting, and that radio and battery performance
are acceptable. Raingage buckets, screens and funnels will be cleaned of any debris. PT inlets will
be freed of obstruction and expired dessicants replaced. Cables and connections will be checked to
ensure that they are sound. Any problems will be noted and reported to the City Floodwarning
Engineer, whose approval will be obtained prior to undertaking more comprehensive repair or
replacement of components.
b. WET will conduct a general inspection of the Cobb Lake Repeater: test its battery to assure proper
performance and clean the solar panel and adjust the voltage regulator as needed. (Exhibit B from
the RFP, Maintenance Locations, indicates that the Poudre Park Repeater will receive no
maintenance unless it fails during the Project timeframe). Wet will report suspected problems to the
City immediately.
3. End-of-Season Maintenance (typically performed between October 1st and November 15th)
WET understands that each gauging site must be shut down in the fall before roads become impassable, with the
entire system shut down by November 15. Shut-down may include removing transmitters and/or batteries so that
the transmitters can be bench tested and/or the batteries can be stored indoors over the winter. PTs are raised or
freeze-protected for stream stage gages, and typically secured on-site with their associated cables and conduits.
WET will coordinate with the City to prioritize and schedule shut-down City knowledge about the relative
accessibility of sites.
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 11 - June 2, 2017
Fall shut-down winterizes each station. WET will cooperate with City efforts to safely secure and/or store
components for the winter to ensure equipment is ready for reinstallation/start-up in the spring of 2018. Required
maintenance activities specified in the RFP include:
a. WET will conduct a physical inspection of all FWS gages. The mechanical functions of each gage will
be tested to assure proper operation except that no calibration of rain gages is necessary. Minor
parts such as cables, connectors, mounting hardware and batteries will be replaced as needed. WET
will ensure that standpipes and appurtenances are in sound condition and free from damages,
sensors are functioning, transmitters are properly reporting, and that radio and battery performance
are acceptable. PT inlets will be freed of obstruction and expired dessicants replaced. Cables and
connections will be checked to ensure that they are sound. Any problems will be noted and reported
to the City Floodwarning Engineer, whose approval will be obtained prior to undertaking more
comprehensive repair or replacement of components.
b. WET will conduct a general inspection of the Cobb Lake Repeater, test its batter to assure proper
performance and clean the solar panel and adjust the voltage regulator as needed. (Exhibit B from
the RFP, Maintenance Locations, indicates that the Poudre Park Repeater will receive no
maintenance unless it fails during the Project timeframe). Wet will report suspected problems to the
City immediately.
c. PTs will be winterized by immersing the sensor membrane into clear vinegar or a suitable cleaner to
remove precipitates and calcification, then sealing the sensor with a balloon for winter OR, for certain
sites, installing City-provided bagged fiberglass insulation pillows to prevent freezing temperatures
from impacting re-installed and active PT sensors.
4. Unscheduled Service Calls
Beyond scheduled routine maintenance, additional site visits may be necessary to address damage to
stations or equipment failure. WET has seen stations damaged by automobile collisions, vandalism,
lightning, windstorms, and falling debris. WET is available to visit stations as required to repair faulty
equipment and to keep each station operational on a continuous basis. Typically WET provides
emergency repair services on a time and materials basis, rather than including them in an annual
maintenance contract amount. For this proposal we have included up to 4 additional site visits in the cost
quote.
WET is available twenty-four (24) hours-per-day, seven-days-per-week for on-call notification regarding
emergency conditions or ALERT system status issues. The cell phone numbers for Rob and Markus will
be provided to the City’s Floodwarning Engineer, as at least one of these individuals is always on call, so
that if Rob is out of town, for example, Markus will be available to the City for all communications and
response. Multiple WET personnel will receive the same notifications (though email and paging) as the
City Floodwarning Engineer, indicating that precipitation and/or streamflow alarm thresholds are
exceeded or that system functionality is compromised (i.e., low battery warnings and no report
notifications).
a. Upon notification by the City or detection of potential problems through data monitoring, WET will
make unscheduled service calls as necessary to assure full system operation during the flood
season.
b. WET will respond to the City’s request for service or to the detection of problems through data
monitoring within:
• Three (3) working days for a remote sensor or transmitter failure,
• Forty-eight (48) hours for repeater failure, and
• Twenty-four (24) hours for a radio related failure at an FWS base station
c. In the event of a minor part failure, WET will affect immediate field repairs and provide appropriate
minor replacement parts, using City inventory when possible. In the event of a major part failure,
WET will install available spare parts and return failed units to the lab or factory for repair. WET will
secure City approval prior to major repairs or the replacement of major electronic components. WET
will provide the City with monthly chronological summaries of field repairs.
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 12 - June 2, 2017
5. City FWS Equipment Inventory/Supplies and Testing Equipment
WET understands that the City’s standing inventory of replacement parts will be available to assist in
making efficient repairs. Equipment found to be faulty will be identified and documented as indicated
below.
a. WET understands that for the duration of the Project we will have access to the City’s inventory of
FWS components including transmitters, batteries, desiccant, lighting protection polyphasers, voltage
regulators and other small parts. Wet will utilize these components and supplies as maintenance
activities require. WET will communicate inventory needs to the City for ordering.
b. Wet will provide the testing and calibration equipment needed for maintenance activities. WET is
able to service/calibrate the following types and models of equipment:
• ALERT Transmitters: Hydrolynx 5096 and 50386, HSE 3206, 3210 and 3306
• ALERT2 Transmitters: Campbell Scientific AL200 and 210 (and ALERT2 Hydrolynx 5096s
and 50386s)
• ALERT/ALERT2 Repeaters: Hydrolynx 5052
• PTs including varying models made by Druck, Keller,and CS
• Rain Gage Sections made by Hydrolynx and HSE
• RADAR units made by Sutron and Campbell Scientific
• Hydrolynx Weather Stations
• High Sierra Rain and/or Flow Gages
c. WET will maintain the City’s written inventory of all FWS equipment and provide updated inventory
and installed equipment information to the City whenever changes are made. WET will notify the City
when spare equipment is placed in-service and when inventoried equipment is discarded or otherwise
determined to be inoperable.
6. Repair and Replacement of Equipment
a. WET will repair or replace failed equipment such as site antennas, cables, connectors, PTs, signal
conditioning boards, tipping buckets, housings, mountings, batteries and other items, preferentially
using equipment already available from the existing City inventory. Prior to field visits to stations,
WET’s maintenance truck will be stocked with a reasonable assortment of replacement items that will
be available for installation during scheduled maintenance visits. WET will proceed with
repairs/replacements requiring items valued at less than $100 during scheduled maintenance, but if
City personnel are unavailable to provide authorization, will wait for authorization to proceed with
repairs/replacements with more significant costs.
b. WET will provide minor repairs including cleaning, adjustments, calibration, tuning and replacement of
miscellaneous hardware parts on equipment such as transmitters, repeaters, PTs and sensors as
part of the regular preventive maintenance services.
c. WET will analyze failed equipment and make recommendations to the City concerning replacement
or repair of major components, supplier options and estimated costs. The City will be responsible for
the costs of repair or replacement of such equipment. On approval by the City, WET will oversee
repairs, including the return of equipment to the factory and testing of equipment after repair. WET
will provide the City with quotations for the repair of equipment by its manufacturer, and will submit
original receipts to the City for reimbursement of approved equipment repairs.
7. Base Stations and Data Management Software Administration During FWS Maintenance
a. WET will work with the City’s Floodwarning Engineer and Stormwater staff as assigned to manage
maintenance operations from the City’s base station Contrail data management software. WET will
work with the Floodwarning Engineer or other City Stormwater personnel as assigned to manage
sensors and alarm settings during FWS maintenance. WET will communicate at least daily with City
Stormwater staff regarding the expected maintenance schedule and progress, and communicate
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 13 - June 2, 2017
about issues with calibrations, testing, installations, etc. City staff are welcome to receive all daily
field work maintenance reports via FastFIeld email.
b. WET understands from the RFP that the City will require that we monitor the system and
communicate regarding its status on a daily basis between the contract start date and system shut-
down. As part of our work with the County, we are already monitoring City gages. If we were
providing maintenance to the City, our additional responsibility would be to inform the City’s Point of
Contact daily and determine how to proceed to correct any issues detected by our monitoring.
D.2 Project Management and Responsibility for Timely and Professional Completion
WET’s ALERT system Director of Field Operations is Mr. Rob Niedenzu. Rob coordinates and directs the
activities of the field crew that conducts system start-up, shut-down, repair and maintenance on ALERT systems,
and monitors datalogger/ALERT transmitter programming and database management. Mr. Niedenzu would be
ultimately responsible for the timely completion of all work tasks within budget, and for preparing the overall scope
of work to maximizing economies of scale and efficiency of effort.
Effective project management means more than tracking costs or scheduling tasks. At WET, it means a
commitment to understanding each client’s specific needs and objectives. It means organizing a project in the
most cost-effective manner and performing to meet critical deadlines, as well as matching professional skills to
project tasks. It calls for a continued awareness of the project so the job is done right the first time. WET’s
management philosophy emphasizes service, responsiveness, and accountability to our clients. Our successful
project management system is based on maintaining close coordination between our experienced technical
specialists and Senior Project Managers using well-established communication procedures and reliable project
tracking methods. The system has proven to be an excellent method for ensuring that:
• Our clients stay completely informed,
• All reports, designs, and specifications reflect WET’s standard of excellence,
• Project milestones and deliverables are met, and
• All work is completed within the specified budget.
Mr. Niedenzu and other members of WET’s staff will be available as necessary to best facilitate discussions
related to the maintenance program and to participate in meetings requested by the City as required, either in
person, by telephone or using Go-To-Meeting technology. Adequate communications with the City’s Point of
Contact will be required to ensure that the vision for the maintenance program is held in common between WET
and the City, including both the overall scope of work and important details for when and how the work should be
accomplished
Day-to-day field operations and maintenance services will be the responsibility of our team of maintenance
technicians including Eric Hess, Stephen Small, Keller Smith and Zac Novak.
WET’s mission is to provide high quality, professional consulting services, through an experienced, senior-level
management team committed to delivering personal attention and rapid response. For the City ALERT system
maintenance work, Mr. Markus Ritsch would be the principal-in-charge. He will be a resource for directing the
work conducted by WET and ensure that work task scoping, personnel assignments, budgeting, documentation
and communication with the City meet WET’s internal expectations as well as the City’s needs.
D.3 Field Personnel Recommended to Complete the Work
Two-man crews will typically be sent out to accomplish field maintenance tasks for the City, especially for start-up
and while the team is becoming familiar with the City stations. Maintenance visits by a single technician may
become more efficient at the routine and end-of-season maintenance. Depending upon availability, maintenance
tasks will be performed by Eric Hess, Stephen Small, Zac Novak and Keller Smith. All technical work associated
with this Project will be performed by these qualified technicians.
E. ASSIGNED PERSONNEL
E.1 List of Project Personnel
The following WET professionals will have roles on the City FWS Maintenance Project, as described:
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 14 - June 2, 2017
Markus Ritsch P.E. / M.S. Civil Engineering Principal-in-Charge
Rob Niedenzu GIS / B.A. Geography Project Manager; Troubleshooting/Repair; Inventory and
Base Station Support
Erik Carlson E.I.T. / B.S. Civil Engineering Troubleshooting/Repair
Eric Hess E.I.T. pending / B.S. Civil Engineering Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Repair
Stephen Small Watershed Management Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Repair
Zac Novak Watershed Management Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Repair
Keller Smith Watershed Management Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Repair
The proposed contact person with primary responsibility for this Project is Rob Niedenzu.
E.2 Project Manager Resume
A one-page resume for Rob Niedenzu is included (Figure 4) as requested in the RFP. Resumes for the
remaining proposed personnel are available upon request.
E.3 Qualifications and Experience for the Proposed Project Personnel
Rob Niedenzu will direct the progress of the Project as Project Manager. Mr. Niedenzu will also configure the
base stations for data, calibration, validation and alarm notification as authorized by the City’s Floodwarning
Engineer. He is fully trained in datalogger/ALERT2 transmitter programming and manages WET’s equipment
procurement, bench testing, fabrication and field installation team. Mr. Niedenzu is also WET’s geographic
information systems (GIS) manager and applies GIS technology to environmental monitoring, hydrologic modeling
and decision support tool development, including WET’s web-based flood data visualization tool, WETMap. He
conducts field maintenance activities as well as managing, supervising and training the younger/newer
technicians.
Mr. Carlson designs station installations and prepares site-specific construction documents, as well as managing
and manning the installation crew. He has extensive experience with determining the cause and addressing
issues at stations.
Maintenance services are conducted by certified field technicians. WET has hired several CSU Watershed
Science graduates over the past several years and provided them with training both from equipment vendors and
with WET’s more senior staff. They are experienced in all aspects of hydrometeorological data collection and
analysis as well as hydrologic modeling. Their responsibilities at Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. include
installation and maintenance of remote weather stations, stream gauging stations including water quality
monitoring sites, hydrometry, hydrography, surveying and preparation of technical documents and training
manuals. They make surface and groundwater measurements, including discharge measurements with an
ADCP, perform reach and cross-section surveying, characterize stream morphology, and analyze water balances.
They collect samples for laboratory water quality testing and conduct water quality testing in field conditions.
Mr. Small, Mr. Hess, Mr. Novak and Mr. Smith perform annual maintenance inspections for networks of flood
detection stations operated by the City of Loveland, the City of Windsor, Larimer County and the UDFCD in
Douglas County, including testing and calibrating tipping buckets, testing and calibrating water level sensors,
testing solar panel input and output voltages, testing battery voltages and radio transmission, and datalogger and
transmitter programming. They troubleshoot and correctly repair or install new devices, including antenna masts,
tipping buckets, solar panels, batteries, PTs, antennas, transmitters, standpipes, riser pipes and conduit, when
tests reveal that a component is not working correctly.
E.4 Availability of Project Personnel
WET is currently installing a major ALERT system upgrade/expansion in Hays County, Texas. The maintenance
technicians are sent to Texas on a rotating bi-weekly schedule, but (at least) a pair of technicians will always be
available in Fort Collins to complete work on the City Project.
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 15 - June 2, 2017
Figure 4. Resume for Project Manager Rob Niedenzu
Proposal: FWS Maintenance Proposal No. 8494
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 16 - June 2, 2017
E.5 References
Please contact the following references, who are familiar with our work for Douglas County, the UDFCD and the
City of Loveland, respectively:
• Garth Englund, Douglas County, Department of Public Works, 100 Third St., Castle Rock, CO 80104
(303-660-7490)
• Kevin Stewart, Urban Drainage and Flood Control District, Information Services and Flood Warning
Program, 2480 W. 26th Ave., Suite 156-B, Denver, CO 80211 (303-455-6277)
• Kevin Gingery, City of Loveland, Public Works Department, 410 E. Fifth St., Loveland, CO 80537 (970-
962-2771)
F. AVAILABILITY
WET personnel are available on normal business days between 8:00 and 5:00 p.m. at the office phone number,
(970) 225-6080. In addition, if we are providing annual maintenance to the City, the City will have cell phone
numbers for two redundant WET professionals; Markus Ritsch and Rob Niedenzu, for 24-hour per day, 7-day per
week response. Whenever the City reports a problem with the ALERT system, WET personnel will look at the
data stream and the maintenance records to determine a course of action and contact our Point of Contact at the
City within one business day, prepared to discuss the problem and suggest a recommended course of action to
either further our diagnosis of the issue or correct the issue. Specifically:
F.1 Qualified Personnel Are Available to Assist in Meeting the Project Schedule if Required
Nearly every person on WET’s professional staff is ready and able to maintain or winterize stations if necessary to
meet Project schedules, including Markus Ritsch, Rob Niedenzu, Erik Carlson, Blair Hanna, Kate Malers, and
Ryan Wade.
F.2 WET Schedule for Completing Tasks
WET’s proposed schedule is very simple. Start-up activities will begin immediately upon contract execution.
Routine maintenance visits will be scheduled for the week that is closest to the mid-point of the flood warning
season, depending upon when contract execution is complete and using Nov. 15 as the deadline for system
winterization. Winterization will begin, depending upon weather, no earlier than the final week of October and be
complete by November 15.
F.3 Methods and Timeline of Communication between WET and the City’s Project Manager and Other
Parties
WET has proposed making field maintenance forms automatically available to City staff when they are filed each
day, if desired by the City. In addition, WET will provide daily network status updates via email during the
maintenance season. In response to issues identified in the field or through system monitoring, WET will call the
appropriate City contact to discuss response.
F.4 Ability to Respond to Failures Within the Timeframes Stated for Unscheduled Service Calls
WET is able to respond for repairs within the timeframes indicated in the RFP:
• Three (3) working days for a remote sensor or transmitter failure,
• Forty-eight (48) hours for repeater failure, and
• Twenty-four (24) hours for a radio related failure at an FWS base station
WET understands that our services must be proportionate with the severity and impact of problems on the ALERT
system, given its critical role.
G. COST AND WORK HOURS
WET understands that reasonable expenses will be reimbursable under Fort Collins Expense Guidelines. WET
will provide original receipts to the City for all reimbursable expenses.
Tables 2 and 3 show WET’s estimated hours and not-to-exceed costs broken down by task. As requested in the
RFP, estimates for scheduled maintenance work items (B.2, B.3 and B.4; Table 2) include estimated hours of
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Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 17 - June 2, 2017
maintenance for a two-man crew for each type of gage and costs broken down by potion, number of personnel
and number of hours. All additional services/deliverables are priced separately (Table 3).
G.1 Estimated Hours by Task for B.2, B.3 and B.4
Table 2. Estimated Hours by Task; Including Estimated Hours of Maintenance for Each Type of Gage and
for Each Type of Scheduled Maintenance
G.2 Price for Additional Services/Deliverables (B.4, B.5, B.6 and B.7)
The fixed-price cost to perform the work described in the RFP is $43,500, which includes up to 4 unscheduled
repair visits to the field. In the event of additional unscheduled repair or maintenance visits, the hourly rate,
materials markup and travel costs are provided to describe the rates charged for work performed on a time and
material basis (WET’s 2017 rate sheet is included as a separate 11X17 sheet). These are also the rates used in
providing the fixed-cost estimate. The actual rate would depend upon the specific personnel assigned to the task.
Additional meetings will be billed at the hourly rate for the personnel involved.
Table 3. Separate Pricing for Additional Services/Deliverables
G.3 Schedule of Rates
WET’s 2017 rate sheet is included as a separate 11X17 sheet on the following page.
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. Time and Materials Rate Sheet
Page 1
TIME AND MATERIALS RATE SHEET
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. (WET)
Effective January 1, 2017
BILLING RATES
Charges for work performed, including office and field time, will be calculated and billed on the basis of the fully loaded staff category rates
shown below in U.S. currency.
Classification Category Fully Loaded Rate/Hour
Program Manager/Officer M2 $160.00
Managing Professional/Scientist/Engineer M1 $150.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P9 $140.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P8 $130.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P7 $125.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P6 $120.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P5 $115.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P4 $110.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P3 $105.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P2 $100.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P1 $ 95.00
Professional/Scientist/Engineer P0 $ 90.00
Technician/Project Support T4 $ 80.00
Technician/Project Support T3 $ 75.00
Technician/Project Support T2 $ 70.00
Technician/Project Support T1 $ 65.00
Technician/Project Support T0 $ 55.00
Overtime required and approved by the client for non-salary (hourly) positions will be billed at the stated rate times 1.50.
EXPERT TESTIMONY
A surcharge of 50 percent shall be added for expert witness testimony or participation at hearings or depositions.
OTHER DIRECT COSTS (Reimbursable Expenses)
Charges for other direct costs and facilities furnished by WET are computed on the basis of actual costs. WET will not charge a markup.
Examples of such items that are directly attributable to the project include: travel and travel-related expenses; equipment purchased for the
project; shipping charges; outside printing, out-of-office facsimile transmission and duplication; special fees; permits; special insurance and
licenses; subcontracts; and miscellaneous materials.
The unit costs for printing completed at WET are:
Paper and Misc Items Price
Regular 8.5 x 11 $0.10 per page
Regular 11 x 17 $0.15 per page
Reinforced Hole Punched 8.5 x 11 $0.20 per page
Map $1.60 per sq. ft.
Map Pockets $0.20 per pocket
CD $0.50
CD Pocket $0.50
Copies and facsimile transmissions made at WET’s office are charged at the following rates:
Copies: $0.10 per page,
Facsimile Transmissions……(long distance sent): $1.00 per page,
……(local call; long distance received): $0.25 per page.
Company and employee vehicle mileage is charged at the IRS standard rate per mile for passenger cars and $0.75 per mile for 4-wheel drive
vehicles. The rate for a combined company or employee truck and trailer is $0.85 per mile.
ESTIMATED COST
WET will devote its best efforts to perform the work and accomplish the objectives defined within the estimated costs and schedule proposed.
The estimated costs and schedule proposed are based upon our best judgment of the requirement shown at the time of the proposal.
Successful completion within cost and schedule limits can be influenced, favorably or adversely, by changes in work scope and schedule as
dictated by client’s needs and by presently unforeseen circumstances. WET will notify the client in advance if the schedule or costs are
expected to exceed the estimate.
INVOICING AND PAYMENT
Invoice statements will be issued monthly itemizing the staff categories worked and other direct costs incurred in the performance of the
project. Payments shall be sent to the address appearing on the invoice. All payments are due within thirty (60) days of the invoice date.
Invoices not paid within sixty days shall be subject to interest from the 61st day at the rate of 1.5 percent per month.
PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES
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H. FIRM CAPABILITY
H.1 WET’s Organizational Chart/Proposed Project Team
The organizational chart for the proposed Project personnel is provided as Figure 5.
Figure 5. Proposed Project Team Organizational Chart
H.2 WET’s Qualifications and Experience to Perform the Services Described
WET has the specific technical expertise to advise and serve the City as described in the RFP, and experience
developed over more than a decade of assisting public entities (towns, cities, counties and flood control districts)
working to detect developing weather-related hazards, automate appropriate notifications, and use data to assess
and respond appropriately. Data from a well-designed network that is well-functioning truly contribute to decision
support, both during severe weather events and between events, when critical decisions about allocating
resources and developing infrastructure are made. WET doesn’t just build or maintain stations, we provide
expertise and experience relevant to the broader goals of remote environmental monitoring. WET integrates the
components as required to achieve data-driven flood monitoring, notification, and response programs. WET’s
services are comprehensive and tailored to each client’s needs.
WET designs remote monitoring networks and sites, installs and maintains equipment and software to monitor
rainfall, streamflow, weather and water quality and even remote still/video imaging. WET provides technical
solutions that support data sharing between local, state and federal entities to leverage the value of various efforts
to quantify water resources. WET conducts theoretical and physical radio path modeling. WET develops system
telemetry based upon the ALERT/ALERT2 protocol or a variety of alternatives including satellite, cellular and
network data transmission. WET measures discharge in the field, conducts reach and cross-section surveys,
develops gage-specific hydraulic models to determine rating curves, and correlates gage data with floodplain
mapping studies. WET installs, trouble-shoots and configures base station software and provides training and
support in its use. WET develops and customizes web and mobile-friendly interfaces for making data accessible
to support the broader assessment of the likelihood and severity of developing hazards. WET analyzes data to
determine peak flows and travel times and assess watershed response.
Figure 6 is a letter written by Mr. Garth Englund of Douglas County recommending WET’s services.
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Figure 6. Letter of Recommendation for WET Written by Douglas County’s Garth Englund, P.E.
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H.3 Similar Projects in the Last Three Years
1. Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD)
The UDFCD has contracted with WET annually since 2004 to provide services for the UDFCD, which operates a
FWS network including over 300 sensors. WET is responsible for installing new stations that are integrated into
the existing network as well as maintaining stations that transmit information using both the ALERT and ALERT2
radio telemetry protocols. WET is currently assisting the District with a transition to ALERT2. WET also provides
support for the UDFCD’s dual-node NovaStar5 base station software system, including its redundant backup, to
ensure that notifications are reliably provided to affected cities and counties within the District in the event of a
developing flood threat.
WET has developed several web tools for the District including a map-based “Public” webpage to help convey
information to the responding entities served. The “Public” webpage is a Google-map-based display of real-time
data from the remote monitoring system that can simultaneously display radar images, NWS watches and
warnings, and other relevant information for assessing flood threat and initiating response. The UDFCD calls the
page GMap and encourages public works and emergency response personnel to use the site during events
(available online at: http://alert5.udfcd.org/LDAD/gmapV3.html). WET has also developed a spatially-linked
inventory tool, the FHIT (for Flood Hazard Inventory Tool) that helps the UDFCD quickly identify flood-vulnerable
structures and conveyance infrastructure associated with flow events of a given return period.
In addition to field and software support, WET also provides a wide range of engineering support services to the
District as they fulfill their mission. WET conducts stream and cross-section surveys and conducts hydraulic
modeling to develop stream ratings that convert measured stage at UDFCD gages to estimates of stream flow.
WET performs monthly QA/QC on data collected by the system to detect problems with sensors, calibrations or
ratings and improve the accuracy and usability of data. WET performs discharge measurements to field-check
theoretical rating relationships. WET measures high water marks in the field and estimates peak flow after flood
events. WET has performed hydrologic frequency-duration analyses to inform the design flows used by the
District for capital projects. This year WET will be enabling the Sacramento Soil Moisture Account model within
NovaStar5 for one of the UDFCD’s basins, in a demonstration project intended to explore the viability of using that
method to quantify watershed response and forecast flood threats in the smaller basins that are the UDFCD’s
responsibility. WET updates the District’s Flood Response Plans for seven of these basins to ensure that the
information provided to responders is up-to-date.
WET has assisted the District in determining alarm threshold criteria and E-19 values (stage values specific to
individual stream gages) associated with the NWS definitions for Bankful, Action, Flood, Moderate Flood and
Major Flood conditions. WET maintains a database of current E-19 values that are also displayed on the
UDFCD’s GMap flow hydrographs as a visual aid in interpreting the significance of real-time stage data. The flow
hydrographs also include elevation data for significant physical features at the gage site, for example, spillway
elevations for stage gages sited at dams.
WET’s work with the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (2480 W. 26th Ave. Ste. 156-SB, Denver, CO
80211) is overseen by Kevin Stewart, 303-749-5417, kstewart@udfcd.org.
2. City of Loveland, Colorado
WET has provided flood warning support services to the City of Loveland since 2004. WET maintains a network
of twelve remote monitoring stations consisting of rainfall and stream level sites with a couple of full weather
stations. The network is based upon the legacy ALERT telemetry protocol.
In 2014 the City expressed a desire to upgrade their base station software. In 2015, WET installed NovaStar5 at
the new City engineering building on a dedicated desktop workstation. WET also developed a “Public” webpage
for City staff to conveniently access and display critical information. The webpage was customized to convey
relevant content to the City’s emergency response personnel. A series of two alarm levels (low and high) at
critical monitoring locations are used to initiate emergency response actions within the City. These levels are
conveniently displayed on hydrograph plots available from the “Public” webpage that update in real-time.
WET has also worked with Loveland to evaluate the accuracy of theoretical stage/discharge ratings at their
stream gage located on the Big Thompson River near Glade Park (ID 3570) by making discharge measurements
at a variety of flows and comparing those flow values with the rated values. WET is able to make instantaneous
discharge measurements in the field by wading the river with a Marsh-McBirney flow meter (during low flows) and
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Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 21 - June 2, 2017
by ferrying an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) boat across the river during high flows. Due to the
redistribution of material deposited during the 2013 flood, the cross section at the Glade Park gage is changing
over time, and in 2015 Loveland implemented a rating adjusted for the site based upon WET’s recommendation
after a series of discharge measurements.
WET’s work with the City of Loveland (Stormwater Engineering Office at 2525 W. 1st Street, Loveland, CO 80537)
is overseen by Kevin Gingery, 970-962-2771, Kevin.Gingery@cityof.loveland.org
3. Larimer County
Anticipating the increase in flood vulnerability that would result from the June 2012 High Park Fire that burned
over 87,000 acres in watersheds west of Fort Collins, Larimer County contracted WET to site, design, install and
maintain four rain/stage monitoring stations. Data from the stations is received and managed by WET at the
NovaStar5 base station at our office in Fort Collins, and made accessible to the County through a map-based web
application, WETMap. WET developed stage/discharge ratings to estimate discharge for the stream stations,
using discharge measurements to calibrate the theoretical hydraulic ratings whenever possible. Significant flood
events occurred in both 2012 and 2013. In response to these events, WET assessed stream geometry changes
to determine if rating revisions were needed and develop those revisions, helped establish and confirm alarm
criteria to ensure that warnings were correlated with the desired level of flood risk, estimated peak flows from high
water marks after flood events, and estimated velocities during flooding to determine travel times. WET replaced
the Buckhorn Canyon station after the culvert where it was located failed during the September, 2013 flood.
Larimer County also desired two emergency roadway flashers that would activate automatically in response to
relevant Flash Flood Warnings or Watches from the NWS. WET developed a proprietary system to accomplish
that functionality and installed the flashers at the mouths of Rist Canyon and Buckhorn Canyon in 2012.
WET’s work with Larimer County (Engineering Department at 200 W. Oak Street, Suite 3000, Fort Collins, CO
80521) is overseen by Eric Tracy, 970-498-5700, tracyel@co.larimer.co.us.
I. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
As an engineering firm, WET is able to offer additional services related to the maintenance of ALERT systems
that may be of use to the City. Some of these are described in this proposal, including our expertise in hydrology
and hydraulic engineering (including the siting of precipitation and stage gages, hydrologic and watershed
response modeling, and the development of hydraulic ratings to relate measured stream stage to discharge). We
have experience with installing monitoring equipment and tailoring installations to the specific site to be
monitored. Particularly for stream gages, it is imperative to find ways to locate equipment that allow the
installations to survive flood conditions without sustaining damage. We fabricate standpipes and station
components as needed to provide long-term stability for monitoring equipment and make use of existing structural
or natural stability. We have expertise in surface water quality, including fluvial geomorphology, dissolved and
suspended contaminants and erosion and sediment control, and if the City is interested in including water quality
monitoring or sampling at any stream gage sites we can assist with that. The value added services that are most
likely to be of interest to the City of Fort Collins are described here.
I.1 Discharge Measurements
WET can measure the instantaneous flow rate for stream stage stations and survey the associated water surface
elevation at the City’s request. The resulting water surface elevation / direct flow measurement pairs are
documented and used to verify or adjust the mathematical rating relationships that estimate stream discharge
from measured stage, or water surface elevation. Over time a series of observed discharge-stage pairs forms a
valuable empirical data set to verify and substantiate the rating relationships. WET measures instantaneous
discharge using a Sonek portable flow meter and top-setting rod using the midsection method for estimating flow
when streams can be waded. For larger rivers/higher flows, WET uses an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
(ADCP) unit mounted on a small pontoon boat that is ferried across the river using a temporary system of cables
(Figure 7). The field work, data reduction, and documentation methodology we typically employ complies with
standard hydrometry protocols described by the United States Geological Survey (USGS):
• Measurement and Computation of Streamflow: Volume 1. Measurement of Stage and Discharge, U.S.
Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2175
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Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 22 - June 2, 2017
Figure 7. WET’s Boat-Mounted ADCP Unit for Measuring Discharge 4/27/2016
I.2 ALERT Data Analysis
Our ALERT System Data Analysis evaluation service quantifies the performance of both individual monitoring
stations and the telemetry system as a whole. We extract data from the FWS database and use a set of MS
Excel Macros written specifically for the analysis of ALERT data to ascertain the accuracy of data transmissions
from individual stations. We can provide this analysis service on a one-time, monthly or daily basis to identify
problems in the network or to examine system performance for a storm event of interest. The result of the
analysis process is a concise written report summarizing any findings concerning sensor, transmission and
telemetry performance.
Our ALERT data analysis services include:
• General System Analysis
• Rain Timer Performance Analysis
• Rain Event Performance Analysis
• Unknown Device Analysis
• Radio Traffic Loading and Frequency Saturation Analysis
• Creation of report summarizing findings
• Delivery of the summary report via email as PDF files
• Availability to answer questions regarding the data analysis results
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Our ALERT Data Analysis service is a method of identifying system maintenance issues. Due to the random,
event-based reporting characteristics of ALERT systems, it is sometimes difficult to ascertain how well individual
stations or the overall telemetry system are performing on a month-to-month basis. As the system expands and
new gages are added, the potential for data degradation due to collision and through frequency saturation also
increases. Armed with an understanding of the ALERT protocol and the radio transmission telemetry
architecture, it is possible to proactively quantify the performance of individual sensors. WET has developed a set
of ALERT data analysis tools that can be used to generate concise reports summarizing the health and
performance of individual stations and the telemetry network in general. The strategic value of this analysis is the
ability to quickly review a concise report and ascertain the accuracy of data transmissions from individual stations
within the network, and to identify issues and prioritize the use of field maintenance resources to address
transmission and telemetry problems within the system before they become an issue. The report minimizes the
time required to review data, and the reports generated form a paper trail that demonstrates a commitment to
proactively maintaining the flood detection network and to performing quality control on the data resulting from the
system.
The service includes a general system analysis, rain timer performance analysis, rain event performance
analysis, unknown device analysis, and heavy radio traffic loading analysis.
The unknown device analysis compares all device IDs received from the decoder to the list of device IDs defined
within the base station database. Those device IDs that are not defined by the base station are considered to be
“unknown” IDs. A table is generated that quantifies the reception of “unknown” device reports, including the total
number of data reports from unknown device IDs, unknown IDs with only a single report (suggesting a potential
noise problem), and unknown IDs with multiple reports in the analysis period (which may not be a result of noise
but a miss-configured transmitter or a marginal radio path causing bit-flip errors). In addition, the “unknown”
device reports will be analyzed temporally to understand when they are received during the day. The goal of this
analysis is to determine a pattern of occurrence that may correspond to a source of noise in the system, such as
radio interference or the activation of a wireless microphone nearby.
The heavy radio traffic loading analysis detects any erosion of channel capacity. The analysis quantifies the
performance of the system when it is at its maximum loading (i.e. when many reports are being generated due to
heavy, widespread rain). Rain gage sequences will be evaluated during peak hours to specifically identify those
instances where 2, 3, or more sequential messages were lost from a single sensor. The loss of 3 or more
sequential data reports suggests a level of data degradation that could cause a serious problem in the evaluation
of alarm threshold conditions in a timely manner to support the flood mitigation needs of emergency responders.
This information will help the City to identify and document the channel capacity and suggest the likelihood that
future expansion may be required.
WET provides monthly ALERT data analysis reporting for a fixed-price flat monthly fee for the UDFCD. ALERT
data analysis reports are generated for each month of the year, January through December. A similar service
could be established for the City.
I.3 Rating Analysis and Development of Hydraulic Ratings
At the City’s request WET can provide engineering services related to the development and maintenance of
stream stage/discharge ratings for stream gauging stations. The typical project scope for this work includes
maintaining the necessary metadata to compute accurate stream flow rates from stage measurements. The
metadata includes field survey information; hydraulic model data and results; and rating tables. The metadata
must be well-documented to show how flow rates are derived from stage measurements.
Field survey information is required to physically characterize the channel reach that includes the gaged cross
section so that hydraulic modeling can be used to estimate how flow velocity changes over a broad range of
discharges. Generally, a one-day survey using a two-person crew with expertise in hydraulics is sufficient to
provide the required survey information for a well-sited gage. Gages sited at locations that are difficult to
characterize hydraulically may require a greater effort. Ideally, monitoring stations are located with hydraulic
structures or controls that can be easily rated to determine the relationship between stream stage and discharge.
The majority of the existing stations in the Front Range, however, are located in stream channels with natural
controls. A theoretical step-backwater technique using the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) HEC-RAS
computer model is typically used to develop ratings for these sites. The modeling requires a minimum of 3 to 6
cross-sections at each site, depending on stream longitudinal profiles and gradients. The survey is conducted
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relative to an arbitrary benchmark elevation that is assigned to a location that will not be damaged or moved so
that future survey data can be tied to the that same elevation. Benchmarks and the endpoints of each cross-
section are documented with GPS so that they can be easily located in the future. Endpoints can be marked with
stakes that are driven flush with the ground surface, depending upon landowner consent. A self-leveling level,
tape and survey rod are used to measure significant points in the cross-section, and streambed and water-surface
cross-section elevations are related to the benchmark elevation. The elevation and GPS coordinates for the top
of the housing or riser pipe containing the stage sensor are also determined, along with the fillstage of each water
sampling device installed at the site. Variations in channel roughness (Manning’s n value) are determined for
each cross-section, in both the main channel and overbank areas. Cross-section location selection, spacing, and
orientation; surveying techniques; roughness parameter selection (Manning’s n values); and photographic and
methods documentation will comply with the standard protocols prescribed in the following references:
• Techniques for Water-Resources Investigations of the United States Geological Survey, Book 3 Chapter A1 –
General Field and Office Procedures for Indirect Discharge Measurements, and Book 3, Chapter A2 –
Measurement of Peak Discharge by the Slope-Area Method
• U.S. Department of Agriculture General Technical Report RM-245 - Stream Channel Reference Sites: An
Illustrated Guide to Field Technique
• U.S. Department of the Interior, Prepared under the sponsorship of the Office of Water Data Coordination,
Geological Survey – National Handbook of Recommended Methods for Water-Data Acquisition, Chapter 1,
Surface Water
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hydraulic Engineering Center – HEC-RAS River Analysis System Hydraulic
Reference Manual, User’s Manual, and Applications Guide
• U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1849 – Roughness Characteristics of Natural Channels
The USACOE HEC-RAS computer model is typically used to analyze the field data and develop rating
relationships. The steady state flow water-surface profile component of the modeling system is used to calculate
water surface profiles and elevations for a wide range of flows, from very low flow to flood flows. The basic
computational procedure is based on the solution of a one-dimensional energy equation. Energy losses are
evaluated by friction (Manning’s equation) and contraction/expansion (coefficient multiplied by the change in
velocity head). The momentum equation is utilized in situations where the water surface profile is rapidly varied.
These situations include mixed flow regime calculations (i.e. hydraulic jumps), and hydraulics of bridges. The
effects of various obstructions such as bridges, pipelines across the channel, weirs, and other structures can be
considered in the model computations.
Graphics produced as part of this modeling effort include X-Y plots of each stream reach, cross-sections within
each reach, water-surface profiles, hydrographs, and other hydraulic variables. Both input and output data are
summarized in tables. Rating tables, graphical plots, and equations are typically produced to show the estimated
rating relationships for each rated stream gage. Ratings can be related to either water surface elevation (the City
can dictate the datum elevation, if preferred) and to the depth of water over the sensor. For natural stream
channels with normal depth hydraulic control, the rating relationship produced by hydraulic modeling typically fits
a regression equation from the power law family, and plots on a log-log chart as a nearly straight line, sometimes
with a slope break associated with the discharge at which flow overtops a low-flow channel and expands into an
overbank area. In these cases WET can provide a relatively simple equation for calculating discharge from any
value of stage. WET also typically provides rating tables that can be entered into ALERT base station software.
For many of our clients, WET is responsible for entering new or altered ratings into the ALERT base station
software and monitoring the resulting data to assess the validity of discharge estimates based upon rating
relationships. For our rating efforts, WET typically provides documentation of field data collection, surveying
notes, model input and output, and photo documentation.
I.4 Flood Hazard Inventory Tool (FHIT)
Together with the UDFCD, WET has developed a Web-based Flood Hazard Inventory Tool (FHIT) that was
implemented and demonstrated for the Fourmile Creek watershed in 2011 to identify post-burn flooding
vulnerabilities. The FHIT utilizes ArcGIS and an open geo-database. The FHIT quantifies flood hazards within a
watershed to assist with emergency response and planning. The FHIT is a decision support tool that is used to
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Water & Earth Technologies, Inc. - 25 - June 2, 2017
identify areas of high risk and to develop flood mitigation measures and strategies. It also provides a convenient
framework to plan for monitoring network expansion.
WET could implement the FHIT for areas within the City. The software framework has already been developed,
and populating the database requires:
• A review of existing literature including Flood Hazard Area Delineation Reports, Floodplain Studies,
Hydraulic Studies, Bridge Design Reports and County/State Bridge Inspection Reports,
• A field survey to inventory bridges, culverts and structures in the floodplain including an assessment of
their associated flood risk,
• An evaluation of the existing ALERT monitoring network with recommendations for new monitoring
stations,
• Mapped flood extents for the 10-year, 100-year and 500-year flood profiles, and
• Web accessibility to the completed FHIT
WET has no concerns about maintaining objectivity in recommending the best solutions for the City of Fort Collins
Utilities under this contract. WET has close relationships with many equipment vendors and is not financially or
legally related to any manufacturer. WET’s Principal-in-Charge, Markus Ritsch, is an owner of TriLynx Systems,
the entity which purchased the NovaStar5 base station software from Hydrolynx Systems several years ago, but
the Project as described in the RFP and proposed by WET does not include the evaluation or recommendation of
base station software. WET does have experience with database management using the base station software
the City is using: OneRain’s Contrail system.
I.5 Base Station Management and Migration
WET is aware of issues that will impact the City’s ALERT system as equipment manufacturers move away from
some of the older base station platforms/software and towards the adoption of the ALERT 2 protocol. WET is
knowledgeable and able to assist with base station software evaluation, hardware configuration upgrades for
ALERT 2 compatibility and software migration.
Particularly if new stations are anticipated, our strong background in hydrology and hydraulics is beneficial in
ensuring that stream gages are maintainable over the long term and collect accurate stage information over a
broad range of flows. We select gage locations that are conducive to the development of stable stage-discharge
ratings, are adequate for radio communications and that provide the early warning information required by
emergency managers. We can address any radio telemetry or licensing aspects of a system expansion as well.
We have assembled and prepared all documents required for radio frequency license applications to the Federal
Interagency Hydrologic Radio Frequency Coordination Group and to the Federal Communications Commission.
WET is familiar with the federal process and paperwork required to request use of a new radio frequency in the
hydrologic band, and to update an existing license to include new transmitting stations.
WET’s Philosophy and Approach to Sustainability
WET strives to adopt sustainable practices as part of an overall commitment to minimizing the
environmental impacts associated with our core business activities. Sustainability
considerations are incorporated into decision-making processes, management practices and
day-to-day operations on a regular and on-going basis.
Materials and Equipment
WET strives to reduce/reuse and recycle materials by:
• Considering sustainability in purchasing decisions, including buying office products and
supplies in bulk to minimize packaging, purchasing supplies with recycled components
(including, when possible, recycled office paper), and utilizing local sources of materials
in both the office and in project settings. Life cycle considerations are incorporated into
purchasing decision—making. WET considers pre-owned options for obtaining needed
equipment and materials, and typically will sell or donate equipment and materials that
we no longer expect to use rather than disposing of them.
• Establishing office and fieldwork practices that encourage employees to minimize their
professional consumption of resources including paper and water. For example, the
duplex setting is the default for printing equipment, and profligate printing is discouraged.
Emails are consciously organized, archived and backed up so that they serve as digital
files, and typically do not need to be printed. WET maintains a digital library of
documents that are needed intermittently so that materials do not have to be printed if
they can be used electronically. Whenever possible, WET delivers project materials
digitally, either via email attachments, through ftp site exchanges, or on discs or jump
drives.
• Recycling materials including cardboard, aluminum, steel, copper, glass and office
paper. In the off-season, WET is also able to test and repair equipment (or salvage
usage parts from equipment) that is removed from operation, when possible. Some
material resources are shared amongst WET’s various clients, to permit economies of
scale and increase efficiency as well as to support sustainable use of materials by
buying in bulk while reducing packaging and waste.
• Training new employees and interns on WET’s procedures for reducing material
consumption and waste generation. Personnel are always welcome and encouraged to
propose more efficient and sustainable ways of doing any of their assigned work tasks.
• Discouraging the purchase and consumption of single-use water bottles and batteries.
WET employees typically use their own reusable water bottles for field assignments
rather than using single-use water bottles. The large water bottles for the office drinking
water supply are recycled, and employees have access to reusable glasses and mugs
for beverages consumed in the office.
Energy Consumption and the Emission of Greenhouse Gases
WET reduces energy consumption, combustion of fossil fuels and resulting emissions.
• WET worked with the owner of the building in which our offices are housed to retrofit
WET’s entire portion of the building with high efficiency T-8 lighting when WET first
occupied the space, including replacing low-efficiency sodium vapor lighting in the
warehouse/workshop area (adjacent to WET’s office space). The warehouse/workshop
space is also outfitted with skylights for diffuse ambient lighting that is adequate, on
many days, to render the use of the overhead lighting unnecessary. Task lighting is
provided in specific locations if and where brighter lighting is required. In addition, the
workshop is not air conditioned nor heated to office temperatures. Personnel working in
the warehouse typically dress to accommodate expected conditions in the warehouse
space. WET also maintains a 2,000 square-foot off-site cold storage space for items
that do not need to be in the heated warehouse/workshop.
• With the exception of low security lighting, WET routinely shuts off all of the office lights
at the end of each workday. Air conditioning is similarly off during non-working hours.
WET’s flood monitoring servers must operate 24-7, but employees are encouraged to
leave all other equipment and computers off or in power saving modes during non-
working hours. Office equipment as well as computers and laptops are equipped to
automatically revert to power saving “sleep” modes between uses. Computer monitors
automatically dim or turn off after a short period of inactivity.
• WET has purchased the most fuel-efficient vehicles that can meet our other
requirements for our fleet of trucks. WET utilizes a smaller, more fuel-efficient truck for
work tasks when its cargo capacity is adequate. WET purchases gasoline at stations
that sell locally sourced gasoline.
• WET encourages employees to consider alternatives to driving to work, as a means of
achieving multiple benefits. WET permits employees to telecommute in ways that
increase their efficiency and productivity. Secure bicycle parking is provided to
employees who commute to work by bicycle.
• When appropriate, WET encourages the use of alternative modes of transportation for
the conduct of work activities. Some of our professional activities, including assessing
stream channels for geomorphic stability, siting stream gages favorably, and conducting
inventories of flood vulnerabilities and conveyance infrastructure along stream channels,
are conducive to the use of alternative modes of transportation including walking, hiking
and bicycling.
• WET is well-practiced in the use of modern teleconferencing and digital sharing
applications that reduce the need for face-to-face meetings and technical progress
reviews with our clients.
• When site visits are integral to the work, WET encourages employees to organize tasks
to minimize drive time. WET employees routinely schedule multiple work activities that
can be completed with a single trip, even if that requires a longer work day or that
personnel stay in a remote work location overnight. WET employees also routinely
carpool with our collaborators as a means of minimizing redundant driving as well as to
obtain the safety advantages of having multiple drivers.
• For the past several years, WET has taken the lead in organizing a required session of
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) annual refresher training here in Fort
Collins, reducing the need for Fort Collins professionals to travel to Denver for the
training. WET schedules the session at our office and invites personnel from local firms
to attend so that the Fort Collins group is large enough to qualify for a visit from an
MSHA trainer.
8494 Flood Warning System Maintenance Page 12 of 20
EXHIBIT A
PROPOSAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Consultant hereby acknowledges receipt of the City of Fort Collins Utilities’ Request for Quotes
and acknowledges that it has read and agrees to be fully bound by all of the terms, conditions
and other provisions set forth in the RFQ. Additionally, the Consultant hereby makes the
following representations to Utilities:
a. All of the statements and representations made in this proposal are true to the best of
the Consultant’s knowledge and belief.
b. The Consultant has obtained all necessary authorizations and approvals that will enable
the Consultant to commit to the terms provided in this proposal.
c. This proposal is a firm and binding offer, for a period of 180 days from the date hereof.
d. I further agree that the method of award is acceptable to my company.
e. I also agree to complete the proposed Agreements with the City of Fort Collins within 30
days of notice of award.
f. If contract is not completed and signed within 30 days, City reserves the right to cancel
and award to the next highest rated firm.
g. I acknowledge receipt of addenda.
Consultant Firm Name:
Physical Address:
Remit to Address:
Phone:
Authorized Agent of Firm Name:
Signature of Authorized Agent:
Primary Contact for Project:
Title: Email Address:
Phone: Cell Phone:
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc.
1225 Red Cedar Circle, Unit A Fort Collins, CO
1225 Red Cedar Circle, Unit A Fort Collins, CO 80524
(970) 225-6080
Markus L. Ritsch, P.E.
Rob Niedenzu
Monitoring Field Manager rniedenzu@water-and-earth.com
(970) 225-6080 x 1 (970) 219-0611
N/A
Services supplied by WET will be performed in accordance with sound and generally accepted industry practice. WET will exercise
reasonable skill, care, and diligence in performing the services, including, if appropriate, the selection, collection, and evaluation of data and
the interpretation of technical or commercial information. In the event that a defect is found in work actually performed by WET, such work
will be replaced or rectified by WET at no charge to the client, if WET is notified by the client within 30 days of delivery of the work to the
client. WET will in no way be responsible for any errors, defects, or omissions in the work of others.
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc.
1225 Red Cedar Circle Unit A
Fort Collins, CO 80524
(970) 225-6080 x 1
rniedenzu@water-and-earth.com
Principal-in-Charge
Markus Ritsch, P.E.
Vice-President and Principal Engineer
Water & Earth Technologies, Inc.
1225 Red Cedar Circle Unit A
Fort Collins, CO 80524
(970) 225-6080 x 2
mlritsch@water-and-earth.com