NIGP 96873: Storm Drain Cleaning, Repair, and Sludge Removal Services

NIGP 96873 Storm Drain Cleaning, Repair, and Sludge Removal Services is an Item code under which state and local governments solicit routine cleaning, maintenance, and emergency repair of stormwater drainage infrastructure—catch basins, storm pipes, detention ponds, ditches, swales, and related structures—as well as sludge dredging and removal from treatment ponds and retention basins. The scope spans vacuum-truck operations, jet-rodding and hydro-blasting of pipes and drainage lines, confined-space entry and CCTV inspections, detention pond and retention-basin dredging and desludging, aquatic weed control, and erosion repair following storm damage. Issuing bodies include city public works departments, county departments of transportation and watershed management, regional water authorities, wastewater treatment utilities, school districts, and county solid waste authorities. Cities and counties pursuing stormwater compliance and maintenance post frequently; repeat buyers appear among large municipalities in Florida (Orlando, Miami-Dade region), Georgia (DeKalb County, City of Atlanta), and California (Orange County, City of San Francisco Bay Area systems). Recent activity spans the full continental United States and Hawaii with concentration in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Michigan, California, and Colorado. Representative recent opportunities include the City of Orlando water-reclamation facility improvement contracts (IFB26-0370 blower system, IFB26-0435 compressed air mixing, IFB26-0520 equalization pump station), DeKalb County's three-year sanitary sewer cleaning and maintenance solicitation with local small business and First Source Jobs Ordinance set-asides (PE64400NONST2027000000287, bids due November 9, 2026), Greenville County South Carolina's Suffolk Drive drainage improvements (IFB27023, bids due October 21, 2026), the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority pond dredging at Orlando International Airport (IFB26-995, bids due October 23, 2026), and the City of Phoenix's five-year vactor-services requirements contract (IFB27-0462, offers due October 19, 2026 with DBE compliance).

State and local procurement activity under this code is steady and recurring. Jurisdictions issue annual and multiyear term contracts for routine cleaning and emergency response, as well as project-specific IFBs and RFPs for one-time remediation, pond rehabilitation, and pipe restoration. Liquidated-damage provisions are standard in construction-focused solicitations; responses commonly run 60 to 120 calendar days to substantial completion. Set-asides and preferences vary by jurisdiction—DeKalb County applies LSBE and First Source Jobs Ordinance requirements; Florida and California projects frequently incorporate prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon Act compliance; City of Phoenix applies DBE-N scoring; Orange County Florida and other Florida utilities use local-vendor preferences. Insurance requirements cluster at $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate for general liability, with workers' compensation at statutory levels and pollution or umbrella liability required on higher-value projects. The code sees active vendor competition in most markets; pre-bid meetings, site visits, and addenda cycles are typical. Bonds—both bid security (5 to 10 percent) and performance/payment bonds (100 percent)—are nearly universal for construction and remediation work, though pure services (vactoring, cleaning) sometimes omit bid bonds. Current market momentum favors vendors with multi-unit equipment fleets, confined-space and OSHA training credentials, CCTV and inspection capability, and experience in water-quality and biosolids compliance. COVID-era operational pressures on municipal budgets have eased; funding through American Rescue Plan Act and CDBG-Disaster Recovery programs is energizing stormwater resilience and post-hurricane remediation work in Gulf and Atlantic coastal zones.