Reverse Osmosis Water Equipment for South Water Treatment

The City of Lubbock is soliciting competitive sealed bids for the furnishing, installation, startup, and testing of a complete reverse osmosis water treatment system for the South Water Treatment Plant under Invitation to Bid 26-19356-SR, with a deadline of March 5, 2026, at 3:00 P.M. The procured system shall consist of one twin alternating water softener, one prefilter, one carbon filter, and two reverse osmosis units (one serving as redundant backup) capable of producing 4 gallons per minute of reagent-grade water Type III in accordance with Standard Methods for the Examination of Wastewater. The system must achieve a sustained flow rate of 4,000 gallons per day with conductivity of less than 10 microohms per centimeter and neutral pH, with all necessary pumps, valves, piping, safety devices, controls, and appurtenances included for a complete operating system. Required deliverables include one day of field support (minimum eight hours excluding travel) for installation inspection, troubleshooting, startup assistance, and operator training (minimum four hours of instruction), as well as one year of ongoing service and maintenance at no additional cost, during which the supplier furnishes and installs all replacement filters and performs reverse osmosis clean-in-place procedures. Qualified suppliers must demonstrate equipment from a manufacturer with at least ten U.S. installations of the proposed type, each with minimum five years of satisfactory service, or alternatively provide a five-year extended warranty; acceptable manufacturers include Axeon and AWS for reverse osmosis units. Suppliers must also evidence spare parts inventory and repair service capability within a 500-mile radius with forty-eight-hour availability, and provide three current customer references verifying service quality on similar projects. Bid prices must be firm for a minimum of sixty days and guaranteed for six months upon City approval, with F.O.B. delivered pricing including all delivery and packaging costs, and suppliers must indicate delivery timeframe in calendar days (minimum five days).

The procurement does not appear to include specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though the City of Lubbock offers local preference consideration under Texas Local Government Code 271.9051, permitting award to a local bidder whose principal place of business is within city limits if their bid is within five percent of the lowest bid received from a non-resident bidder, provided the governing body determines the local bidder offers the best combination of contract price and additional economic development opportunities. All bidders are required to submit several mandatory compliance documents, including a Non-Collusion Affidavit (notarized), a Conflict of Interest Questionnaire disclosing any employment or business relationships with Lubbock municipal officials resulting in taxable income exceeding $2,500 during the preceding 12 months, an Insurance Affidavit certifying review of all insurance requirements with submission of a valid insurance certificate and required endorsements within ten business days of award notification, an Affidavit of Eligibility for local location consideration, and a designated Contact Person Form identifying the primary liaison for contract duration. No specific funding amount or contract value is disclosed in the solicitation documents. Bids must be submitted electronically through Bonfire or in hard copy to Marta Alvarez, Director of Purchasing and Contract Management, at 1314 Avenue K, Floor 9, Lubbock, TX 79401, with bids to be opened via teleconference. Tax should not be included in bid pricing as the City is exempt from Federal Excise, State Sales, and Transportation taxes.