Siphon Cleaning Services at the Winnipesaukee River Basin

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Winnipesaukee River Basin Program (WRBP) has issued a Request for Proposal for siphon cleaning services at the Franklin Wastewater Treatment Plant and related facilities serving ten communities in the Lakes Region. The procurement encompasses semi-annual cleaning of two inverted siphons (6 to 12 inch pipe diameters), grit removal from septage receiving tanks, cleaning of stormwater catch basins, and cleaning of dual influent channels at the Winnisquam Pump Station in Laconia, with a one-time cleaning of ten catch basins at the Franklin facility in October 2026, plus provision for unscheduled maintenance services on an as-needed basis. All scheduled cleanings must be performed during standard business hours (Monday-Friday, 7:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.) over a three-fiscal-year contract period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, with semi-annual services scheduled for May and October of each fiscal year. Qualified contractors must possess OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910 confined space certification, carry commercial general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, maintain Workers' Compensation coverage, and be registered in good standing with the New Hampshire Secretary of State. Award will be based on the lowest total price from a qualified bidder, calculated as the sum of scheduled service costs for all three fiscal years plus one unscheduled service call per fiscal year at overtime rates plus a $5,000 annual contingency fund per fiscal year for additional unscheduled services. Proposals must be received by April 17, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., and contractors are strongly encouraged to conduct site visits prior to bid submission.

The RFP does not indicate any specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions on organizational types eligible to respond. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the procurement documents. The contractor must provide comprehensive documentation of its confined space program and furnish a certification statement of compliance with OSHA confined space regulations prior to work commencement, with a WRBP staff member to accompany the contractor at all work locations. All materials removed during cleaning operations will be transported to the Franklin Wastewater Treatment Plant for disposal at the state's responsibility. While no explicit budget range or award value is disclosed in the available documents, the total contract price limitation encompasses all scheduled and unscheduled service costs across the three fiscal years plus contingency funds, with payment due within thirty days of invoice submission following satisfactory work completion.