BL141-23 Biosolids and Grit Hauling

Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners' Department of Water Resources issued a competitive sealed bid solicitation (BL141-23) for landfill disposal services involving biosolids and grit hauling on an annual contract with four optional 12-month renewal periods. The procurement encompasses transportation, equipment, labor, and disposal services for three primary waste streams: wastewater biosolids from F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center (70,000 tons annually) and Crooked Creek Water Reclamation Facility (17,000 tons annually); dewatered solids from Lanier Filter Plant (1,000 tons annually); and grit and screenings from Crooked Creek, Yellow River, and F. Wayne Hill facilities (4,050 tons combined annually). Contractors must provide minimum 30-foot rubber tire dump trailers for biosolids and roll-off containers for dewatered solids and grit/screenings, with dedicated equipment and drivers at specified facilities, and all waste materials must be disposed of in a lined Subtitle D landfill with at least five years of Georgia EPD permitted airspace. Required qualifications include an authorized commercial hauler designation for Gwinnett County, comprehensive insurance coverage (workers' compensation, commercial general liability of $500,000 to $1,000,000 per occurrence, auto liability of $500,000 to $1,000,000, and umbrella liability of $15,000,000, with all carriers maintaining A.M. Best ratings of A-5 or higher), three professional references for similar projects, a Code of Ethics affidavit, a Contractor Affidavit confirming E-Verify compliance, and an exit transition plan. Pricing was required on a per-ton unit price basis for each waste stream and facility, with payment based on actual tonnage as determined by landfill weight tickets. A pre-bid conference was held on September 5, 2023, at 10:00 A.M. at the F. Wayne Hill Water Resources Center, with sealed bids due by 2:50 P.M. on September 27, 2023, and public opening at 3:00 P.M., with the contract commencing January 1, 2024, or upon award.

No set-aside designations or restrictions on organizational types were specified in the solicitation documents. Waste Eliminator, Inc., located in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, was awarded the contract on November 14, 2023, following competitive sealed bidding. The contract award reflects a base bid total of $10,708,174.50 for the initial one-year term, with biosolids disposal bid at $115.89 per ton (totaling $10,082,430.00) and grit and screenings disposal bid at $125.89 per ton (totaling $509,854.50). The vendor committed to holding pricing firm through all four renewal options with a specified 10% increase allowance permitted for out-of-area disposal during renewal periods. The awarded contractor must maintain seven-day-per-week, 24-hour-per-day emergency service availability with minimum six-hour notice and is responsible for all operating, maintenance, and transportation costs, equipment cleaning and maintenance to near-new condition, and exit plan services at all four facilities at no additional cost upon contract completion.