Comprehensive Water and Wastewater Rate Studies

The City of Santa Barbara is seeking qualified professional consulting firms to conduct independent, comprehensive cost‑of‑service rate studies for its water and wastewater utilities and to develop ten‑year financial plans with recommended rate adjustments. The scope includes data analysis, benchmarking, rate‑structure design, compliance reviews, creation of user‑friendly rate‑modeling tools, and extensive public outreach. Proposals are evaluated on experience, references, work plan, cost, and value‑added services, with a mandatory submission deadline and optional pre‑submission meeting. • Conduct separate, detailed water‑utility and wastewater‑utility rate studies, including ten‑year financial plans and scenario modeling. • Deliver draft and final reports, rate‑modeling software, and provide staff training; ensure all digital deliverables meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. • Provide up to nine in‑person public meetings and two virtual sessions, preparing all presentation materials and coordinating with City staff. • Follow a defined timeline: pre‑bid meeting (Oct 8 2026), Q&A cutoff (Oct 15 2026), proposal deadline (Oct 28 2026), presentations/interviews (Nov 4 2026), and project start (Feb 2027) with completion before FY 2029 rate adoption (July 2028).