EL PASO, TX – El Paso Water Company held a construction forum to discuss various capital improvement projects for the delivery of sustainable, high-quality water services and to provide information on opportunities for potential contractors, business partners and suppliers.
“We presented to our construction community an overview of our many upcoming infrastructure projects and the needs we have should they be interested in working on our projects,” said Irazema Rojas, Technical Director. “The ambitious 2024 capital improvement plan includes major facility renovations, upgrades and expansions, along with water and wastewater pipeline replacements, which are a staple for us.”
According to EPWater, by 2024 it has proposed a budget of $621 million in projects, so the forum was intended to have outreach with suppliers in the region.
The forum was held on Monday, January 22 at the TecH2O Learning Center and consisted of lunch and a general information session. In addition, it featured two breakout sessions to provide information and guidance on a new way EPWater is contracting construction work.
EPWater emphasized that even though numerous utilities in the United States have moved to multiple construction contracting practices, the company will continue to use the traditional three-phase design-bid-build model.
However, for its current and future larger projects, EPWater will use the Construction-Manager-At-Risk or CMAR method, in which the awarded construction management company oversees the entire project.
CMARs act as EPWater’s agents, ultimately contracting with trade partners for the specialized work needed to complete a given project.
“CMAR contracts involve the design firm and contractor collaborating from the design phase so the contractor can provide input on constructability,” says Robert Davidson, Contract Construction Manager.
The company noted that qualified local contractors are sought, so the goal of the work sessions was to help specialty firms navigate the bidding process.
“When the larger CMAR companies are ready to take the next step in terms of projects, we want to make sure our qualified and experienced local contractors are prepared for these opportunities,” Rojas said.
