UNSPSC 47101536: Sludge collectors

UNSPSC 47101536 Sludge collectors (Commodity) describes equipment and services that state and local governments procure to transport and dispose of biosolids and liquid sludge generated at wastewater treatment plants. The code captures both the machinery used—closed, watertight tanker trucks with vacuum or pumping equipment—and the hauling and disposal services themselves. Issuing bodies soliciting under this code include state environmental agencies, county and municipal utilities, and water treatment authorities. Maryland Environmental Service has been a repeat buyer, posting multiple sealed-bid solicitations for liquid sludge hauling to wastewater treatment plants across multiple counties and facilities in 2026.

Recent activity centers in Maryland, where Maryland Environmental Service issued back-to-back competitive sealed-bid solicitations in April and May 2026 for liquid sludge hauling services at central-region wastewater treatment plants in Washington, Frederick, and Carroll Counties. The April 2026 solicitation (1262625, due May 26) covered hauling from six facilities totaling approximately 309,000 gallons annually on a per-gallon basis, with compensation structured in unit-price format for a one-year term plus four unilateral option years; the May 2026 solicitation (1262665, due June 29) covered four facilities with approximately 586,000 gallons annually and included a mandatory pre-bid conference on June 5 as a Small Business Reserve (SBR) procurement limited to certified small-business vendors under Maryland State Finance and Procurement Article 14-501 through 14-505. Both required contractors to hold five years of documented liquid waste hauling experience in Maryland, possess county liquid waste hauler permits, maintain vehicles approved by county health departments, and comply with COMAR 26.04.06 and 40 CFR Parts 257, 258, and 503. A third 2026 opportunity in Yuma County, Arizona (RFB26339, due August 6) addressed biosolids removal and disposal from a city wastewater treatment plant but provides limited procurement detail beyond the service category and response date.