Operation and maintenance of YDP, IDIQ

The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation is soliciting proposals for an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract to operate and maintain the Yuma Desalting Plant (YDP) and Water Quality Improvement Center, with proposals due October 14, 2026, at 12:00 PM PDT. This is a competitive 8(a) set-aside (sole source foreclosed) with a five-year ordering period anticipated to run February 1, 2027 through January 31, 2032.

Place of performance is Yuma, Arizona, encompassing the main YDP facility, the Water Quality Improvement Center (WQIC) designated as a National Center for Water Treatment Technology, Pilot System No. 1 (PS1), and the A-22 Waste Disposal Facility located 22 miles away. The contractor must furnish all management, personnel, engineering support, materials, chemicals, tools, and facilities to operate and maintain the 73-million-gallon-per-day reverse osmosis desalting facility on a 24-hour, 365-day-per-year basis.

All operations personnel must hold current Arizona-Certified Water Treatment Plant Operator licenses; the Operator of Record must hold a Grade 4 ADEQ Water Treatment License and Grade 3 Water Distribution License. Shift leads and management must hold minimum Grade 2 and Grade 4 licenses respectively. The contract structure includes twelve potential Contract Line Items per performance year with varying service levels, ranging from routine O&M services to full YDP operational capacity. CLINs X.1–X.6, X.11, and X.12 are firm-fixed-price; CLINs X.7 and X.10 use time-and-materials with fixed hourly labor rates; CLINs X.8 and X.9 are actual-cost reimbursement with no fee permitted. The IDIQ maximum contract value is $35,000,000 over five years with a $5,000 minimum guaranteed order. Staffing ranges from 26 to 65 full-time equivalents depending on the selected service level. Evaluation emphasizes technical capability (corporate experience, management approach, technical approach, staffing), past performance within the last five years, and price, with technical factors considered significantly more important than price. A mandatory site visit is scheduled for September 30, 2026. The NAICS code is 561210, Facilities Support Services. Amendment 0002, issued October 9, 2026, extended the deadline from October 7 and revised provisions, evaluation criteria, and pricing attachments.