Membrane Based Landfill Leachate Treatment Services

Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners is issuing a competitive sealed Request for Proposals (RFP-26-00156) for Membrane Based Landfill Leachate Treatment Services to treat leachate generated at the Southeast County Landfill located at 15960 County Road 672, Lithia, Florida. The County seeks experienced and qualified firms to design, install, commission, operate, and maintain a membrane-based leachate treatment system capable of processing an average of 101,000 gallons per day with scalability to 360,000 gallons per day within 60 days of notification. The proposed contract includes a one-year Demonstration Period to validate system performance and obtain regulatory permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, followed by a five-year Contract Period with two optional five-year renewal periods at the County's sole discretion. Deliverables include design and engineering services, system installation and mobilization, startup and commissioning, ongoing operation and maintenance throughout the contract term, electricity procurement, and demobilization upon contract termination. Key objectives include reliable, consistently high-quality, and cost-effective treatment of leachate containing highly variable contaminants including total dissolved solids, ammonia, biological oxygen demand, total suspended solids, heavy metals, and other compounds documented in historical water quality monitoring data spanning January 2020 through May 2025. Qualified proposers must demonstrate substantial experience in leachate treatment system design and operation, provide relevant project references, and submit detailed proposals addressing their qualifications and experience (35 points), project approach and schedule (20 points), and leachate treatment fees (45 points). The proposal submission deadline is April 15, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time through the County's electronic bidding system (Euna Procurement), and questions or requests for interpretation must be submitted no later than 14 calendar days after solicitation issuance, site visit, or pre-bid conference, whichever occurs later.

The solicitation includes compliance requirements restricting participation to firms not owned by, controlled by, or organized under the laws of designated Foreign Countries of Concern as defined by Florida Statutes Section 287.138, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria. All proposers must submit completed affidavits certifying compliance with these foreign ownership restrictions, drug-free workplace certifications per Florida Statute 287.087, Substitute W-9 tax forms, and direct deposit authorization forms if applicable. Contractors must provide a $25,000 proposal bond and comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability of $500,000 to $2,000,000, Automobile Liability of $300,000 to $1,000,000, Workers' Compensation, Professional Liability of $1,000,000, Pollution Liability of $1,000,000, Cyber Liability of $1,000,000, and Employee Dishonesty/Fidelity Bond of $1,000,000, with all policies naming Hillsborough County as an additional insured. The County retains responsibility for site preparation, leachate storage and delivery, permitting and regulatory compliance oversight, permeate and brine management infrastructure, and emergency hauling agreements as backup, while the contractor assumes all operational and maintenance costs and compliance with E-Verify employment eligibility requirements. No incumbent vendor information is provided; however, the existing Industrial Pretreatment Permit issued by Hillsborough County Public Utilities Department establishes current discharge parameters including authorization for Outfall 001 (raw leachate at 200,000 gallons per day maximum) and Outfall 002 (treated effluent at 60,000 gallons per day maximum), as well as an existing contract capacity of 118,000 gallons per day for off-site hauling to approved disposal locations. The estimated total project value is $26,600,000.00, with pricing submitted as lump-sum costs for design, mobilization, installation, startup and commissioning, plus unit costs (dollars per gallon) for the Demonstration Period and five-year Contract Period based on processing an estimated 184,325,000 gallons during the contract term, with annual price adjustments permitted after the first contract year based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).