UNSPSC 76121603: Sludge disposal

UNSPSC 76121603 Sludge disposal (Commodity) encompasses the removal, hauling, transport, and disposal of accumulated sludge from wastewater treatment plants, water treatment facilities, lagoons, and retention ponds — work that state and local governments solicit regularly to maintain treatment infrastructure capacity and regulatory compliance. Recent opportunities show state and local jurisdictions procuring sludge removal via dredging, vacuum hauling, dewatering, land application, and landfill disposal across water utilities, wastewater authorities, county departments, and municipal public works offices. Issuing bodies span county water authorities, city utilities departments, state highway and turnpike authorities, municipal departments of watershed management and public works, special-purpose districts, and regional authorities. The mix reflects both routine maintenance contracts and emergency post-disaster projects; repeat buyers visible in the recent activity include municipal water reclamation facilities, county treatment plants, and state transportation authorities managing roadway drainage systems.

Recent activity is geographically distributed across the Southeast (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina), Midwest (Michigan, Ohio), Mid-Atlantic (Maryland, Connecticut), Southwest (Texas, Kansas), and West (California, Colorado), with significant concentration in Florida and Georgia. Representative opportunities include the Kansas Turnpike Authority's request for lagoon desludging at the Towanda Service Area (RFQ, bids due October 21, 2026, scope: 586 dry tons of sludge removal and land application), the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's master agreement for non-hazardous sludge removal at fourteen institutions statewide (bids due November 18, 2026, 25% small business participation required), the City of Waco sludge hauling contract from Bull Hide Creek WWTF to Central WWTF (bids due August 24, 2026, on an as-needed basis), and the Fitzgerald Water, Light and Bond Commission's storage pond sludge removal in Georgia (bids due October 8, 2026, completion by October 31, 2026). Contracts typically run one to three years with optional renewals; pricing structures combine lump-sum mobilization with unit rates per ton, cubic yard, or gallon, often bundled with transportation and disposal compliance. Bidders commonly face requirements for wastewater or biosolids handling certifications, TCEQ or state-equivalent registrations, confined space entry credentials, and environmental permitting responsibility, alongside standard bonding and insurance (general liability $1 million to $2 million per occurrence typical).