UNSPSC 12161700: Buffers

UNSPSC 12161700 Buffers (Class) encompasses water quality testing and calibration chemicals that state and local governments procure to maintain laboratory and field monitoring equipment. The City of Austin recently solicited buffer solutions, conductivity standards, pH reference solutions, redox buffers, and sensor storage solutions under IFB 6300BYS1059 — chemicals used to calibrate and maintain Hydrolab and In-Situ Sondes for monitoring pH, turbidity, conductivity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen in water systems. The scope includes specified chemical items such as pH buffers (7.00, 10.00, and 4.01), ultra-pure deionized water, and sensor storage solutions, with pricing structured all-inclusive of shipping to the customer region, administrative overhead, and labor. This code covers the consumable chemical supplies that water utilities, environmental agencies, and municipal water-quality monitoring programs purchase on an as-needed basis to keep field and laboratory instruments in calibration.

Water and wastewater departments across multiple jurisdictions drive demand under this code. The City of Austin's August 2026 due date represents current activity; Austin applied both a Small Business Preference program offering full incentives to Small Business Primes and partial preference to non-Small Business offerors including certified Small Business subcontractors at 5% or more of contract value, and a Local Business Preference for entities headquartered in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area (Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties). Mandatory insurance requirements include Workers' Compensation and Employers' Liability ($100,000 per accident / $500,000 by disease), Commercial General Liability ($500,000 per occurrence), and Business Automobile Liability ($500,000 combined single limit) underwritten by A.M. Best B+VII or better. Delivery is FOB destination, prepaid. The procurement specialist is Brenita Wilkison.