Powder Activated Carbon

The City of Austin is issuing Invitation for Bid (IFB) 2200 JRN1038 to procure powder activated carbon for potable water treatment, with the primary deliverable being 600 tons of powder activated carbon annually that complies with American Water Works Association (AWWA) B600 standards and ANSI/NSF Standard 61 certification for drinking water applications. The product will be delivered to three water treatment facilities: Ullrich Water Treatment Plant (up to 20-ton loads), Davis Water Treatment Plant (up to 15-ton loads), and Handcox Water Treatment Plant (up to 20-ton loads), with standard deliveries required within fourteen calendar days of order placement and emergency deliveries within twenty-four hours. Qualified contractors must designate a 24/7 single point of contact, maintain valid Commercial Driver's Licenses with appropriate hazardous materials endorsements for all drivers, comply with federal safety regulations including OSHA and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR Part 383), and provide comprehensive insurance coverage including workers' compensation, commercial general liability, and business automobile liability policies. The initial contract term is twenty-four months with three optional one-year renewal periods at the City's discretion, with fixed pricing for the first six months and potential price adjustments thereafter based on the Producer Price Index for Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing, not to exceed the percentage change in the applicable index. Critical deadlines include a non-mandatory pre-offer meeting on February 9, 2026, at 1:00 PM CT, written questions due by February 13, 2026, at 5:00 PM CT, and sealed bid submissions due by February 26, 2026, at 2:00 PM CT with bids opening at 3:00 PM CT the same day. The City reserves the right to award contracts to primary and secondary vendors to ensure supply continuity and may award a single contract based on overall low cost or multiple awards based on individual line items deemed most advantageous.

There are no explicit M/WBE subcontracting goals for this solicitation due to insufficient subcontracting opportunities, though vendors intending to use subcontractors must comply with the City's M/WBE Procurement Program procedures and may utilize certified M/WBE subcontractors or demonstrate Good Faith Efforts when using non-certified subcontractors. Small business and local business preference discounts of up to five percent are available for contracts up to $500,000, with local businesses defined as entities with headquarters within the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area (Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties) and small businesses required to hold recognized US Small Business Administration certifications. All contractors must comply with the City of Austin's Wage Theft Ordinance, complete wage theft training within thirty days of contract award, and submit certifications confirming no adjudication for wage theft within five years prior to the posting date. Contractors must also obtain a Certificate of Insurance prior to contract execution and maintain policies issued by companies authorized to do business in Texas with A.M. Best ratings of B+VII or better, with the City named as an additional insured. The procurement documents do not identify incumbent vendors or specify budget ranges; however, all pricing submissions must be all-inclusive with no separate charges for administrative costs, overhead, shipping, fuel surcharges, or other ancillary fees.