BL076-26, Purchase of Solids Dewatering and Thickening Polymer on an Annual Contract

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is soliciting competitive sealed bids for solids dewatering and thickening polymer on an annual contract for the Department of Water Resources, with bids due July 30, 2026 at 2:50 p.m. Firms currently on the Gwinnett County ineligible source list are not eligible to bid.

The polymer will be applied at three locations: dewatering waste activated sludge via belt filter press at Crooked Creek Water Reclamation Facility, thickening combined sludge via rotary drum thickener at F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center, and dewatering anaerobically digested sludge via centrifugation at F. Wayne Hill. The pre-approved product is Polydyne Clarifloc SE-1748. All other suppliers must complete mandatory bench-scale and full-scale performance testing by July 22, 2026. Bench testing samples are available for pickup July 10. Full-scale trials are scheduled on a first-request, first-scheduled basis. Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder based on total cost per dry ton of sludge dewatered and polymer effectiveness meeting minimum performance requirements.

The contract term is four years beginning October 19, 2026, or upon Board approval, with four optional one-year renewal periods. Pricing must remain firm for the initial four-year term; vendors must specify any increases or decreases for renewal options. Suppliers must provide full-scale testing polymer samples at no charge and are responsible for supplying necessary make-up and feed equipment if their product is incompatible with existing equipment. Contractors must furnish general liability insurance ($2 million aggregate), automobile liability ($1 million combined single limit), and workers' compensation at Georgia statutory limits, with Gwinnett County named as additional insured.

Suppliers are required to maintain lab samples and provide certificates of analysis with each shipment verifying total solids, active solids, and viscosity specifications. The County retains the right to conduct independent laboratory analysis on all deliveries. Sealed bids will be publicly opened at 3:00 p.m. on July 30, 2026.