Hauling and Disposal of Sludge

The City of Temple, Texas, issued an Invitation to Bid (ITB) on May 15, 2026, for an annual contract to haul and dispose of sludge from two water treatment plants located at 4820 Parkside Drive and 7296 Charter Oak Loop. The solicitation, designated as Bid #51-01-27, seeks to establish a single comprehensive contract with one contractor responsible for all sludge hauling and disposal operations. The estimated annual quantity is 4,500,000 gallons of sludge; however, the City does not guarantee a minimum spend and services will be obtained on an as-needed basis. Bidders must submit unit pricing per gallon on the provided Pricing Form, with all costs including labor, insurance, overhead, profit, travel time, and mileage incorporated into the quoted price. Qualified contractors must possess all applicable local, state, and federal permits, licenses, authorizations, and certifications for sludge hauling and must maintain a tanker truck with a minimum 8,000-gallon capacity with manifest documentation for each load. Hauling operations are limited to 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with 24-hour notice required before pickup and a 48-hour removal deadline. Bid submissions were due June 10, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. through the Bonfire e-procurement portal or via sealed paper delivery, with a virtual public bid opening scheduled immediately thereafter via Microsoft Teams; the deadline for questions was June 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., and the anticipated award date is October 2026. The initial contract term runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, with the City retaining the right to extend the agreement for up to four additional one-year renewal periods subject to mutual written agreement and satisfactory contractor performance.

Award selection will be made to the lowest responsible bidder or the bidder providing the best value to the City, considering evaluation criteria including price, reputation, quality, and past performance. The City provides a local preference designation under Texas Local Government Code sections 271.905 and 271.9051, allowing City Council to award a local bidder if their bid is within 5% of the lowest non-local bid for goods or services under $500,000; to qualify, the bidder's principal place of business must be located within the City of Temple limits. Historically underutilized business preferences are also considered in the award decision. Required insurance coverage includes workers' compensation insurance with $100,000 employer's liability, $500,000 commercial liability, and $500,000 comprehensive automobile liability coverage, with the City named as an additional insured. All bidders must complete multiple compliance documents including the Bidder Information Form, Conflict of Interest Questionnaire Form, Federal Vendor Certification Form, and Local Preference Declaration Form if applicable, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations including non-collusion certifications, child support obligation verifications, debarment and suspension status certifications, and various federal compliance requirements such as Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements and EPA regulations. The specific contract value or budget range is not explicitly stated in the solicitation documents, though it will be calculated by multiplying the unit price per gallon by the estimated annual quantity of 4,500,000 gallons with pricing remaining firm throughout the contract period with no price increases allowed.