Corona Seeks Design Firm for Grand Quadrant Waterline Replacement

Corona is seeking an engineering consultant to design a possible waterline replacement project in the southeast quadrant of downtown. The first procurement deadline is today, Wednesday, August 5, 2026, when firms must RSVP for a mandatory virtual pre-proposal meeting.

The city’s RFP No. 27-006SB, issued July 20, covers approximately 15,000 linear feet of water-distribution mains under the Grand Quadrant Waterline Replacement project. The city has not awarded a design contract or a construction contract through this solicitation.

Consultant proposals are due Aug. 25

Interested firms must RSVP by 4 p.m. Wednesday, August 5, for the mandatory meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, August 6, through Microsoft Teams. Proposals must be submitted electronically by 2 p.m. Tuesday, August 25, through the city’s PlanetBids vendor portal.

The RFP also lists Aug. 11 as the deadline for written consultant questions and Aug. 17 as the date the city expects to issue responses. The tentative schedule calls for proposal evaluation to be completed Sept. 9, possible consultant interviews Sept. 16, negotiations beginning Sept. 28 and consultant selection on or about Oct. 5. Those dates are subject to change through the procurement process.

If a consultant is selected, the RFP anticipates City Council consideration on Nov. 4 and a possible notice to proceed on Nov. 9. Issuing the RFP does not require the city to make an award.

City cites pipe age and size, not a hydraulic problem

The RFP describes the affected mains as either smaller than Corona’s current 8-inch design standard or beyond their expected useful life. It also states that the city has identified no hydraulic concerns in the downtown area.

Instead, the document cites compliance with requirements of the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water as a reason for pursuing replacement work. The RFP does not describe the existing lines as unsafe or failing.

Design work would prepare for a later construction decision

The requested consultant services include surveying, utility-conflict analysis, design memoranda, construction documents, pavement-restoration planning, and support for bidding and construction administration.

The city’s capital-improvement records identify the broader project as a downtown Grand Quadrant utility project. An earlier capital plan described the parent project as combining Grand Quadrant waterline work, with individual child projects to be requested as they become ready for construction. That record placed the project in the design phase rather than the construction phase.

The current RFP estimates future construction at approximately $12 million. That is a planning estimate for a possible later construction phase, not the price of an awarded design contract, an awarded construction contract or a confirmed final project cost.

According to the RFP, the city anticipates bidding and awarding a future construction contract in September 2027, followed by a targeted 12-month construction period ending in September 2028. Those are projected milestones, not guaranteed dates, and they depend on later design, funding, approvals and contracting decisions.

Specific street and traffic impacts are not yet established

Residents and downtown businesses could eventually see utility and pavement work if the project advances, but the current RFP does not establish specific streets, properties, closures, water outages, customer impacts or construction dates.

The city reserves the right to accept or reject proposals, withdraw or cancel the RFP, postpone the process or decide not to award a contract. Later city action will determine whether design services proceed and whether any waterline construction is ultimately authorized.

Sources

• Grand Quadrant Waterline Replacement RFP, RFP No. 27-006SB
• City of Corona FY 2024-2033 Capital Improvement Project Summary