Boiler, Gas System, Preventative Maintenance and Repair Services

Charlotte Water, a department of the City of Charlotte in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, is soliciting proposals through Request for Proposals FY26-RFP-29 for boiler, gas system, preventative maintenance, and repair services at multiple water treatment plants and wastewater treatment plants throughout the county. The procurement seeks qualified contractors to perform inspections, preventative maintenance at quarterly, semi-annual, and annual intervals, and repair services for hot water boilers, sludge heaters, and associated equipment across six facilities: McDowell Creek WWTP, Mallard Creek WWTP, Irwin Creek WWTP, Lee S. Dukes WTP, McAlpine Creek WWTP, and Franklin WTP. The equipment inventory includes boilers manufactured by Cleaver-Brooks, ENVIREX, Weil-McLain, Smith Cast Iron, and Lochinvar, with some units dating from 1978 and others as recent as 2024, requiring contractor expertise across multiple manufacturers and equipment ages. Contractors must hold a North Carolina Heating Group 1-Class I (H1-I) license for preventative maintenance and general repairs, a National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors (NBBI) "R" Certificate for major repairs and alterations, and an NBBI "VR" Certificate for pressure relief valve repairs. Preventative maintenance services must comply with a detailed checklist that includes opening and cleaning waterside and fireside surfaces, inspecting for cracking and corrosion, reconditioning safety valves, checking combustion efficiency, and verifying compliance with North Carolina Department of Labor annual inspection requirements, with all work documented through written reports including combustion efficiency data. Pricing for repairs includes technician hourly rates, technician assistant hourly rates, service call fees capped at one per day, and parts markups not to exceed 15 percent above company cost, with all pricing stated in United States dollars and all costs being all-inclusive with no charges permitted for travel, mileage, meals, materials, or overtime unless explicitly listed in the price schedule. The Intent to Bid is due April 16, 2026, by 5:00 p.m.; questions are due April 17, 2026, by 2:00 p.m.; and proposals are due April 24, 2026, by 2:00 p.m. EST through the Bonfire City of Charlotte e-Procurement Portal. Evaluation criteria include qualifications and experience, project approach, cost effectiveness and value, and acceptance of contract terms, with contract award by City Council anticipated in May 2026 and services commencing June 1, 2026.

The City of Charlotte promotes the Charlotte Business INClusion Program and requires all proposing companies to submit an MWSBE (Minority/Woman-owned and Small Business Enterprise) Utilization Form as a condition of responsive proposals, with companies required to document outreach efforts to identify and include M/W/SBE subcontractors during both the proposal phase and throughout contract performance. Contractors must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability with a minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Automobile Liability, and Workers' Compensation meeting North Carolina statutory requirements, and must conduct background checks on all employees prior to work commencement and annually thereafter. The contract will be awarded to multiple companies with an initial term of two years and the City retaining the option to renew for three additional consecutive one-year terms; pricing rates shall remain firm for the initial two-year term, with price adjustments permissible only at renewal term effective dates and only when justified by legitimate, bona fide increases in material costs, subject to the City's sole discretion. The RFP does not identify incumbent vendors or specify an overall budget range, treating this as an indefinite quantity contract with no minimum purchase requirement, meaning the City has no financial obligation absent execution of a valid purchase order or contract addendum containing a pre-audit certificate. All proposals must be submitted through the Bonfire procurement portal at https://charlottenc.bonfirehub.com, with vendors advised to allow at least one week before the deadline to complete submissions and technical support available through Bonfire's help forum, email, or telephone at 1-800-354-8010.