NIGP 99287: Underground Leak Testing Services

NIGP 99287 Underground Leak Testing Services, an Item code, encompasses non-destructive detection and investigation of leaks in water lines, gas lines, sewers, drainage systems, and related underground utilities across state and local facilities. State and local governments are buying leak detection on an as-needed basis through service contracts that require specialized equipment such as acoustic detection, thermal imaging, ground penetrating radar, correlation technology, and tracer gas methods, with rapid turnaround reporting and emergency response capabilities. Issuing bodies include school districts, county utilities departments, and municipal water authorities. The Pinellas County School District (Florida) posted an ITB on September 1, 2026 for leak detection services across District-owned facilities with a mandatory pre-bid conference on September 16, 2026 and bids due September 29, 2026; the scope spans three service categories—domestic and chilled water detection, natural gas leak locating, and swimming pool leak detection—with an estimated annual value of approximately $75,000 and a requirement for 24/7 emergency response within one hour of notification. Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (Florida) issued an IFB in June 2026 for underground utility locating and bulk asset inventory collection services for county utilities with proposals due June 30, 2026, though detailed technical specifications and contract value were not enumerated in the available notice.

Recent activity concentrates in Florida, where school districts and county utilities departments are actively procuring these services. Qualification thresholds are demanding: the Pinellas County procurement requires Florida contractor certification, five years of continuous business operation under the same legal entity, documented experience on five comparable leak detection projects within five years, physical presence in the contracting county, and General Liability Insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence. Contractors must own professional-grade equipment or have immediate access to it and deliver comprehensive written reports in PDF format within one hour of service completion, including facility information, investigation methods, exact leak location with photographs, thermal images, site sketches, severity assessment, and recommended corrective actions. Personnel requiring school access must obtain Level 2 clearance under the Jessica Lunsford Act. The Great Lakes Water Authority (Michigan) is procuring emergency and urgent repair services for water transmission infrastructure through an on-call task order contract with a ceiling of $22,000,000, though this procurement focuses on repair execution rather than leak detection specifically and indicates broader geographic activity in the Midwest.