Yell water treatment chemicals FY27

The National Park Service, through the Department of the Interior Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, issued a Notice of Intent to sole-source a purchase order to Hawkins, Inc. for proprietary potable water and wastewater treatment chemicals for Yellowstone National Park, with responses due by June 11, 2026. The anticipated award is July 2026. Hawkins has developed customized, proprietary treatment formulations uniquely compatible with Yellowstone's water chemistry, infrastructure, treatment processes, and discharge requirements through long-term operational experience and site-specific performance testing. Although base raw chemicals are commercially available from multiple manufacturers, the specific percentages, proprietary blends, and polymer combinations are unique to Hawkins. Market research identified several regional chemical distributors and water treatment suppliers, but none produce or distribute the proprietary formulations currently used in Yellowstone's systems. Substitution with alternative products would require extensive reengineering, compatibility testing, pilot studies, operational adjustments, regulatory validation, and personnel retraining, creating unacceptable operational risk to public health and environmental compliance. The justification rests on 41 U.S.C. 3304(a)(1), which permits other than full and open competition when there is only one responsible source. Despite the sole-source intent, any firm believing itself capable of meeting the requirement may submit a capability statement or quotation by 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time on June 11, 2026, to Contracting Officer Jennifer Moreci at Jennifer_moreci@ios.doi.gov, referencing notice ID 140PS126Q0017. The acquisition falls under NAICS 325998 and PSC 6810.