May 17, 2011

CONTACT:

Farrell Sklerov / Michael Saucier (718) 595-6600

DEP Seeks Proposals to Increase Efficiency in Operations and Maintenance of Water and Wastewater System

Contractor to Examine All Aspects of Operations and Recommend Measures to Reduce Costs

Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway today announced that the Water Board issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide consulting services focused on improving DEP's operation and maintenance of the water and wastewater system by reducing costs through operational efficiencies. The contractor will be expected to review all aspects of agency operations for potential improvements, including labor productivity and processes; inventory management; chemical purchasing and usage; sludge digestion and disposal; and energy efficiency and management.

"Last week the Water Board adopted the first single-digit water rate increase in five years, made possible because DEP has tightened its belt through successive rounds of budget cuts and actions to make our operations more efficient," said Commissioner Holloway. "It's a good start, but we have to go further. This RFP seeks proposals from experts in the water and wastewater industry to help DEP operate more efficiently, and take advantage of best practices in the water and wastewater industries from around the country and the world. It's all part of our strategic plan to operate the safest, highest-performing water utility at the lowest possible cost."

DEP is an agency of nearly 6,000 employees that operates and maintains 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes; approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts; 7,400 miles of sewer lines; and 14 in-city wastewater treatment plants.  The selected contractor will examine ways to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure while maintaining or improving the current level of service. DEP will evaluate all recommendations made by the contractor to see which should be implemented. The main objectives of the Water Board in seeking consulting services are to solicit a contractor that will:

• Evaluate DEP's current operations and maintenance and review all aspects of DEP's current responsibilities for potential improvements with a particular focus on energy usage and production opportunities, chemical usage and pricing and labor efficiencies.
• Recommend measures DEP can implement to improve or streamline operations and maintenance and increase efficiencies and reduce cost.
• Support public outreach, legislative initiatives and other processes required to implement recommendations.
• Work with DEP staff to manage the implementation of the recommended initiatives.

The RFP is available on the Water Board's website at www.nyc.gov/nycwaterboard. 

Operational efficiency is a part of several goals outlined in Strategy 2011-2014, a far-reaching strategic plan that lays out 100 distinct initiatives to make DEP the safest, most efficient, cost-effective, and transparent water utility in the nation. The new plan, the product of nearly one year of analysis and outreach, builds on PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg's sustainability blueprint for New York City. The plan is available on DEP's website at www.nyc.gov/dep.

DEP manages the city's water supply, providing more than 1 billion gallons of water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8 million in New York City. New York City's water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, and comprises 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,400 miles of sewer lines take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/dep or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nycwater.