Bid Ref. #26-013 Water System Valve Exercising

The City of Albany, Georgia Procurement Division issued Bid Reference #26-013 for a Water System Valve Exercising project, with sealed bids due on October 8, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at 222 Pine Avenue, Suite 260, Albany, Georgia 31701. This procurement requires the contractor to locate, access, and exercise approximately 2,000 water distribution system valves ranging from 6 to 12 inches in diameter, with each valve operated fully open and fully closed at least three times. Key deliverables include recording torque required for operation, depth to operating nut, number of turns, and valve position before and after exercising for each valve, with all data inputted into an ArcGIS App for documentation and mapping purposes. Additional work encompasses raising valve boxes in asphalt areas (estimated 100 units) and grass/soil areas (estimated 100 units), as well as valve box excavation and relocation services on an as-needed basis. The contractor must be licensed by the State of Georgia with a utility contractor license and/or State of Georgia Water Distribution License, comply with all AWWA manual standards for valve operations, provide three references from similar projects, and participate in E-Verify. Required insurance includes Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000, Automobile/Vehicle Liability of $500,000, and Workers' Compensation at statutory Georgia limits with Employers' Liability of $100,000, along with submission of a 5% bid bond and execution of 100% Performance and Labor/Materials Payment Bonds before work commences. The project is awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder submitting the lowest unit and hourly costs, with a contract term of one calendar year commencing upon issuance of the Notice to Proceed at a mutually agreed upon start date. A Pre-Bid Conference was held on September 15, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., and liquidated damages of $75 per calendar day apply for failure to complete within the stipulated timeframe, with payment terms at Net 30.

The City of Albany encourages Small Business and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation in this procurement. Five contractors submitted bids, with H2O Techs, LLC identified as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder at $115,525.00, followed by Core & Main at $266,450.00, Mack Jones Enterprises, Inc. at $299,830.00, Popco, Inc. at $365,710.00, and Xylem Dewatering Solutions at $471,250.00. The City of Albany will provide all materials for raising valve boxes, including risers, valve box top sections, lids, and cold patch, with concrete potentially required on heavy traffic roads, as well as topsoil and GPS coordinate recording for valves not yet in the system. A City representative will be on-site throughout the project duration to address mapping errors, assist with locating buried valves, and provide traffic control assistance on busy streets as needed. The water distribution system is mapped in GIS with limited but generally available information on pipe sizes and materials, with most valves in the system being 20 years old or older. The contract award was pending approvals at the time of bid tabulation, and all work must be completed within the one-year contract period with weekly work summaries and data collection required throughout the project duration.