Invitation for Bid (IFB) Backflow Prevention Devices and Fire Hydrant Services

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is requesting bids for backflow prevention devices and fire hydrant services under IFB 250407, with sealed bids due July 15, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., a pre-bid conference scheduled for June 16 at OCTA Administrative Offices II (600 South Main Street, Orange, California), and written questions due June 26. This is a prevailing wage contract subject to California Labor Code Section 1720 and federal Davis-Bacon requirements; a DBE participation goal applies (percentage unspecified in source materials).

The scope encompasses on-call inspection, testing, servicing, and repair of backflow prevention devices and private fire hydrants at 21 OCTA facilities across Orange County, including transit centers, maintenance bases, and OC Streetcar locations. Work includes annual testing of backflow devices per California Code of Regulations Title 17 and local water district standards, annual fire hydrant inspections, and five-year flow testing per local fire department requirements. Services must be completed within seven calendar days of request; emergency repairs are prioritized for immediate completion. The contractor must maintain California C-16 Fire Protection Contractor License, California C-36 Plumbing Contractor License, and Orange County Backflow Tester Certification throughout the contract term. Personnel working near OC Streetcar facilities must complete mandatory OC Streetcar Roadway Worker Program training and renew annually. All work requires comprehensive documentation and an electronically accessible catalog of systems to be transferred to OCTA upon completion.

The estimated contract value is $135,000 for an initial three-year term (March 1, 2026 through February 28, 2029), with two optional one-year renewal periods available at OCTA's discretion. Pricing must be submitted as firm-fixed, fully-burdened hourly rates for approximately 80 backflow inspections, 30 fire hydrant inspections, 40 regular repair hours, and 4 overtime repair hours annually. Parts are invoiced at contractor cost plus markup; parts exceeding $500 require cost documentation. Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder using a weighted formula: parts markup at 10 percent, lump sum total price at 90 percent. Bid prices must remain firm for 120 days after closing. Contractors must guarantee pricing does not exceed rates offered to other local, state, or federal government entities for equal or lesser scope. Funding derives from Local Measure M and potential Federal CMAQ sources.