Cationic polymer

The City of Austin seeks to establish a contract for the supply of cationic polymer solution with 40% active polyDADMAC concentration to be used in the treatment of potable water, with the contract potentially extended to other City departments. The procurement is being conducted through an Invitation for Bids (IFB 2200 CSH1059), with the initial contract term commencing upon execution for 24 months, with optional extensions available for up to three additional 12-month periods at the City's sole discretion. Acceptable products include Magnafloc LT-7995 (BASF Corporation) or CLARIFLOC C-318 (SNF Polydyne Inc.), and all materials must meet American Water Works Association (AWWA) B451 standards and NSF/ANSI Standard 60 certification for drinking water treatment chemicals. Bidders must conduct a mandatory pre-offer site visit on May 13, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. CT at Davis Water Treatment Plant to verify delivery conditions, submit written questions by May 18, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CT, and submit offers by June 2, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. CT with opening at 3:00 p.m. CT. Deliveries are required to three water treatment facilities (Ullrich, Davis, and Handcox Water Treatment Plants) with bulk deliveries of minimum 4,500-gallon truck loads scheduled Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. local time, with standard delivery within 14 calendar days of order placement and emergency delivery capability within 24 hours. Contractors must be manufacturers, authorized dealers/resellers, or suppliers and must submit affidavits confirming AWWA B451 compliance, NSF/ANSI Standard 60 certification documentation, certificates of analysis, Safety Data Sheets, product technical data sheets, and written certification of authorized manufacturer representation prior to bidding or within five business days of request, and must maintain a Single Point of Contact available 24/7 with at least three years of experience in cationic polymer delivery.

No minority business enterprise or women-owned business enterprise subcontracting goals apply to this contract due to insufficient subcontracting opportunities and limited availability of certified firms; however, any contractor using subcontractors must comply with the City's M/WBE Program requirements regardless of goal assignment and must demonstrate good faith efforts to utilize certified M/WBE firms if using non-certified subcontractors. Participation in the optional Local Business Preference Program and Small Business Preference Program is voluntary and not required to submit a responsive bid; local business preference eligibility requires headquarters location within the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area (Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties), while small business preference requires recognized SBA certification. All contractors must comply with multiple City of Austin certifications including wage theft ordinance requirements, debarment status, conflict of interest disclosures, and various statutory requirements related to boycotts, prohibited business relationships, and residency status. Pricing is submitted on a fixed basis for the initial 12 calendar months with potential price adjustments thereafter based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index for other basic inorganic chemical manufacturing, not to exceed 25 percent for any single line item, and payment is calculated based on pounds of delivered chemical with an assumed 40% active polyDADMAC content. The contract pricing structure includes Category 1 for 40% Cationic Polymer with an estimated annual quantity of 500,000 pounds, Category 2 for labor rates at an estimated 5,000 hours annually, and Category 3 for a maximum percentage markup to costs for additional products, with all pricing on an FOB Destination, Prepaid basis inclusive of all administrative fees, overhead, and transportation costs to the Austin area.