IFB Drinking Water Testing in Shasta, Siskiyou, Lassen, Plumas, and Tehama Counties

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Procurement and Contracts, is requesting bids for drinking water testing services across five Northern California counties under IFB 02A2525, with bids due October 15, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The contractor must be located within a 50-mile radius of 1657 Riverside Drive, Redding, California 96001 (verified via Google Maps) and hold a valid and current Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) Certification for Laboratory Testing and Analysis Services—both are mandatory qualifications.

The scope covers analytical sampling and testing at 14 Safety Roadside Rest Areas and three Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facilities in Shasta, Siskiyou, Lassen, Plumas, and Tehama Counties. Testing comprises ten constituents: Colilert Present/Absent, Quanti-Tray Most Probable Number, Nitrite, Nitrate, Chlorine Residual, Perchlorate, Lead, Copper, Regulated Volatile Organic Contaminants (VOC), and Regulated Synthetic Organic Contaminants (SOC). Estimated bid quantities include 1,011 Colilert/Chlorine tests, 323 Quanti-Tray tests, 48 Nitrite tests, 63 Nitrate tests, 2 Perchlorate tests, 15 Copper tests, 20 Lead tests, 2 VOC tests, and 2 SOC tests. Caltrans collects and transports water samples; the contractor provides all labor, testing equipment, materials, tools, supplies, travel, and incidentals. Routine services run Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; non-routine services are available outside normal hours and on state holidays. No subcontracting is permitted.

The agreement term is November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2029. A five percent Small Business or Micro Business preference applies to certified contractors, capped at $50,000. A five percent Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise incentive applies to bids with 100 percent verified DVBE participation, with a combined incentive and preference dollar cap of $100,000. The contractor must maintain $1 million per-occurrence/$2 million aggregate commercial general liability, $1 million combined-single-limit automobile liability, and workers' compensation coverage. Written questions are due October 8, 2026; bid opening follows at 2:30 p.m. on October 15; the estimated award date is October 22, 2026.