Itron Water Monitoring Equipment

Sarasota County is pursuing a sole source procurement for Itron water monitoring equipment through United Systems & Software Inc., specifically targeting water meter monitoring technology for the Siesta Key CDP area. The procurement focuses on acquiring Itron water ERTs (radioendpoints), including 100W+ERT Encoder with Integral Connector and Antenna Connectors, and CRG-0151-404 Inline Connector 25' Extension Cables. Key objectives include leak detection, communication error tracking, cut cable flag identification, reverse flow detection, and comprehensive data logging capabilities for water meter infrastructure. The solicitation was released on November 1, 2023, with an electronic response deadline of November 6, 2023, at 5:00 pm through the ProcureNow portal. Notably, the county reserves the right to convert this sole source procurement to a competitive solicitation if other vendors can demonstrate the ability to supply comparable products or services. The procurement requires vendors to comply with various legal requirements, including employment eligibility verification and public records provisions.

United Systems & Software Inc. is identified as the exclusive authorized Itron Water Distributor in Florida and the only company authorized to sell specific Itron water ERTs for Sarasota County. The procurement stems from a 2013 franchise area purchase, with replacement of existing field equipment being cost-prohibitive. The estimated expenditure for this procurement is $50,000 for the fiscal/contract year, with a maximum potential expenditure not to exceed $150,000. No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned in the documentation. The procurement is specifically designed to maintain continuity of water meter reading devices in the former Aqua Utilities franchise area, utilizing Itron's Mobile Collector 3(MC3), Mobile Collector Lite, FC300's, and 100W+ automatic meter reading (AMR) devices and modules. The county is exempt from paying state and local taxes for direct payments, and the solicitation includes standard terms and conditions covering shipping, inspection, warranties, and potential contract termination.