Bacteriological Water Testing and Analysis Services

The California Department of Water Resources, San Luis Field Division (SLFD), is soliciting bids for bacteriological water testing and analysis services under IFB 10220166, with bids due September 3, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. and public bid opening September 8, 2026. A mandatory minimum 3% Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation commitment is required, with incentive calculations ranging from 3% to 5% based on participation level; a 5% Small Business preference applies to certified SB firms, or 5% preference to non-SB bidders subcontracting at least 25% to certified SB firms.

The contractor must hold current certification from the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) or National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP), and a valid California Business License. The contractor's facility must be located within a 65-mile radius of SLFD in Gustine, California.

Scope includes monthly drinking water testing (10 samples per month), 12 annual heterotrophic plate count (HPC) microbiological tests, 12 months of retesting (4 samples monthly), 12 months of raw water analysis (4 samples monthly), 25 annual additional samples, and 10 emergency analyses annually. Testing must be completed within 24 hours of sample collection; samples must be received and analyzed between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

The contract term is three years with an anticipated start date of January 1, 2027. The contractor must maintain general liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate, statutory workers compensation, and automobile liability insurance of $1 million combined single limits. The contractor bears costs for sample collection containers, preservatives, shipping containers, labels, custody seals, and chain-of-custody forms. Payment is due within 45 days of invoice approval. Technical questions are due August 12, 2026. Award goes to the lowest responsible bidder meeting specifications.