Cleaning of lift stations at water utilities locations

Palm Beach County, Florida, through its Purchasing Department, issued Invitation for Bid #17-078/ZG on September 12, 2017, seeking a term contract for cleaning and maintenance services at lift stations operated by the county's Water Utilities division. The procurement is divided into three geographical lots: Lot #1 (North County), Lot #2 (South County), and Lot #3 (West County/Glades area), with an estimated 500 cleanings annually across approximately 250 lift stations cleaned twice per year. Services include cleaning, material disposal, and all associated labor, equipment, fuel, travel, mobilization, and demobilization costs, with work typically completed within two hours per lift station and scheduled a minimum of two weeks in advance during normal business hours. Bidders must submit firm, fixed hourly rates for their respective lot(s), with estimated hours of 320 for Lot #1, 460 for Lot #2, and 180 for Lot #3, and rates must remain firm throughout the initial twelve-month contract term and any subsequent renewal periods. Required qualifications include Commercial General Liability Insurance ($500,000 minimum), Business Auto Liability Insurance ($500,000 minimum), Workers' Compensation Insurance in compliance with Florida Statute Chapter 440, Criminal History Records Check compliance, Local Preference eligibility documentation, Drug-Free Workplace Certification, Non-Discrimination Policy compliance, and three professional references demonstrating similar services performed within the past three years. A mandatory site inspection was scheduled for September 14, 2017, at 10:00 A.M. at Operation and Maintenance, 8100 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33413, with bidder attendance required for bid qualification, and bid submissions were due September 28, 2017, by 4:00 P.M. The contract term is twelve months with four optional twelve-month renewal periods under mutual written agreement with original terms and pricing maintained.

Palm Beach County established a minimum 15 percent Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal, with evaluated preference given to responsive SBE bidders within specified bid thresholds, thereby creating a set-aside designation that encourages participation from disadvantaged enterprises. The solicitation documents do not identify any incumbent vendors or current contractors, nor do they reference existing infrastructure or technology requiring integration beyond standard lift station cleaning protocols and scheduling procedures. The bid tabulation summary document reflects the competitive bidding process and identifies the apparent low bidder based on the established evaluation criteria; however, specific award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the available procurement materials, with final contract pricing dependent on the hourly rates submitted by selected bidders for each geographical lot.