Solicitation of Interest # 18737 - Drinking Water Fluoridation – 2021 Round 1

I.  Overview

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Division of Family Health (DFH), Bureau of Child Health (BCH) announces the availability of funding through this Solicitation of Interest (SOI) to maintain and expand New York State (NYS) residents’ access to optimally fluoridated water. The purpose of this solicitation is to identify eligible NYS municipalities that want to work with NYS to increase the number of communities with access to fluoridated water. The key characteristic of a successful applicant is the ability to document a proposed NYS municipal drinking water fluoridation project utilizing the documents provided. There are two components available in this funding opportunity. Component 1 is for eligible municipalities seeking to develop an Engineering Report to determine the feasibility of starting community water fluoridation or upgrade/modify an existing fluoridation system. Component 2 is for eligible municipalities looking to purchase, upgrade, replace or repair water fluoridation equipment* to initiate or maintain community water fluoridation.

Funding for this project is contingent on the availability of State funds and the number of eligible projects in response to this advertisement. Available funding to support this initiative will be limited to the amount(s) appropriate in the enacted State Fiscal Year (SFY) budgets for this purpose. This advertisement is not a guarantee or promise of funding.

NYSDOH reserves the right to withdraw this solicitation and/or issue a competitive procurement for this project if the number of interested and eligible municipalities exceed that which can be reasonably accommodated by available funds.

II.  Eligibility

An eligible municipality must be a:

• NYS county, city, town, village or public authority (municipality) that owns both its public water system and the water supply for the system; AND
• Community water system* or sell water wholesale* to one or more community water systems.

A component 1 eligible municipality must also meet ONE of the following criteria:

• Serve at least 5,000 people (includes people served directly through service connections* and/or indirectly through wholesale* purchase); OR,
• Currently be fluoridating the public water supply; OR,
• Have the necessary approvals in place to fluoridate the public water supply in accordance with New York State Public Health Law §1100-a. (Click on Laws at top bar; choose Laws of New York; scroll down to PHL – Public Health Law; enter 1100-a in search box and click “Search”.)

A component 2 eligible municipality must also meet ONE of the following criteria:

• Currently be fluoridating the public water supply; OR,
• Have the necessary approvals in place to fluoridate the public water supply in accordance with New York State Public Health Law §1100-a. (Click on Laws at top bar; choose Laws of New York; scroll down to PHL – Public Health Law; enter 1100-a in search box and click “Search”.)

Please note: Federal Government, Native American, private, and state-owned water systems are not eligible for this funding.

Terms marked with *Asterisk are further defined in the attached Definitions Document.

III.  Program Overview

Component 1 - Planning and Feasibility Projects support the development of an Engineering Report to:

• Study the feasibility (technical and economical) of starting fluoridation; OR,
• Develop a technical plan for initiating fluoridation; OR,
• Upgrade an existing fluoridation system, including projects that have structural, chemical, or process modifications, that requires professional design

Awards through Component 1 are to support the technical and administrative costs associated with the planning and design of fluoridation systems in accordance with Section 1.1 of Recommended Standards for Water Works, 2018 Edition.

This Component is targeted to both non-fluoridating and fluoridating municipalities. Any non-fluoridated municipality, which meets the eligibility criteria, interested in learning more about the feasibility of initiating water fluoridation is strongly encouraged to apply.

This Component also includes the development of an Engineering Report for currently fluoridating water systems. If a municipality requires professional design services for a large-scale upgrade to their fluoridation system (costs >$50,000) or the fluoride system is undergoing a structural, chemical or process modification, the municipality is eligible and encouraged to submit an application.

Please Note: Funding from this Component may be used to develop the Engineering Report required for certain types of projects outlined in Component 2 of this SOI.

Component 2 - Implementation and Maintenance Projects support all the following:

• Purchase/repair and installation of fluoride equipment including equipment used for fluoride feed, personal operator safety and laboratory/analysis; AND/OR
• Construction/modification of building for the storage of fluoride additive and/or equipment; AND/OR
• Upgrade of building and/or fluoridation equipment to address/meet the codes and standards outlined in the Recommended Standards for Water Works, 2018 Edition (Ten State Standards).

Awards through Component 2 are to support the technical and administrative costs associated with the start-up and/or maintenance of community water fluoridation in drinking water facilities including costs associated with construction, installation, repair, replacement, and upgrade of existing fluoridation equipment or purchase of new fluoridation equipment.

Please Note: For both components, where fluoridation system implementation or improvements/upgrades are part of a larger project, only the costs associated with the fluoridation component of a project will be eligible for funding under this SOI.

Also, costs and expenses associated with the operation of the fluoridation system, including cost of fluoride additives and water operator(s) salary, are not eligible under this SOI.

Eligible Municipalities may only submit an application for one Component (either Component 1 or 2) in each issuance of this SOI. If both Components are required for a municipality’s project, it is advised that the eligible municipality submit an application for Component 1 (Planning and Feasibility Projects) first. Once a successful eligible municipality has completed its Component 1 project (Engineering Report developed and final voucher and progress report submitted to NYSDOH), an eligible municipality may then submit a separate application for Component 2 (Implementation and Maintenance Projects) funding in a later issuance of the SOI.

Please Note: Successful projects cannot begin work or start incurring costs until after a contract has been awarded and executed by the Office of the New York State Comptroller. Any work conducted prior to this time is not eligible for reimbursement.

Please note: NYSDOH reserves the right to negotiate with successful applicants within the scope of the SOI in the best interests of the State.

 IV.  Funding

This SOI is intended to be issued on a quarterly basis in the SFYs 2021 - 2026.  Submitted projects determined to not meet the requirements in one issuance will be encouraged to resubmit in the next issuance. The total funding available in this issuance for SFY 2021 allocation is: $5 million.

Contracts will be awarded for a 24-month term.

Up to $50,000 for the full contract term may be requested for Component 1 projects. Approximately $250,000 is available to award each SFY.

Up to $1 million for the full contract term may be requested for Component 2 projects. Approximately $4.75 million is available to award each SFY.

Please Note: To ensure that projects will be completed within the 24-month contract period, municipalities should consult with their local or state health department and initiate and/or obtain the necessary endorsements or approvals for their project scope/engineering report prior to submitting an application.

This funding is for “new” projects only, meaning any previously completed work, such as fluoridation system remodel in 2020, or work currently in progress, such as an Engineering Report in development, are not eligible for reimbursement under this SOI. In addition, funding may not be used to supplant funds for currently existing staff or other fluoridation activities.

NYSDOH staff will review applications in the order in which they are received. Eligible municipalities will be selected on a first-come first-served basis if their project is complete and meets the requirements of the SOI. When funding has been depleted to a level such that a project’s total requested funding amount cannot be met, the eligible municipality will be offered a reduced award amount. If the eligible municipality accepts that amount, no further awards will be made. If the eligible municipality declines that amount, the next eligible municipality will be offered an award until funds are completely exhausted. 

If available funding for a single state fiscal year is deemed deficient in size to properly make quarterly awards, NYSDOH reserves the right to not issue the quarterly SOI until the next SFY.

If funding becomes limited for any reason prior to the closing date of this SOI, the project will be suspended with adequate notice in the NYS Contract Reporter.

If the applicant meets the pass/fail review process, NYSDOH will issue a conditional award letter to the municipality indicating that they are recommended for an award. If NYSDOH staff finds that the application is missing information or if clarification is needed, the conditional award letter will instruct the municipality that they need to clarify the outstanding issues within a certain timeframe. If the municipality does not meet the criteria within the timeframe indicated in the letter, the award will be denied, and the municipality will have the option to reapply in the future.

Questions and Answers

Written questions will be accepted until 4:00 pm EST, September 13, 2021. All questions should be submitted electronically to DFHDWF@health.ny.gov. All questions should be submitted with the subject line “Drinking Water Fluoridation Grants”. If any updates and/or clarification of information are warranted, information will be posted in the Contract Reporter under the tab “Documents” for this announcement. Responses to questions received by 4:00 pm EST, September 13, 2021, will be posted continually on or about September 20, 2021.

V.    How to Apply:

Interested eligible municipalities must submit the following information (available under “Documents” tab):

• Document 1 - SOI Cover Sheet; AND
• Depending on project size or scope:
  1. Document 2 - Component 1 Technical Submittal; OR
  2. Document 3 – Component 2 Technical Submittal for Projects $50,000 or Less; OR
  3. Document 4 – Component 2 Technical Submittal for Projects $50,001 or More OR Projects Initiating Fluoridation.

If possible, submit all required documentation together in one pdf file. If you need to send separate documents, please make sure the name of the municipality, DWFSOI # 18737, and the document title, is listed in the header/name of each file. Please submit these documents via email to DFHDWF@health.ny.gov no later than 4:00 pm ET on October 4, 2021.

An internal pass/fail review will determine eligibility. All eligible municipalities will be included in the funding formula on a first-come first-served basis as funding allows. This SOI is not a guarantee or promise of funding.