Sulfuric Acid and Caustic Water Storage Tanks

Palm Beach County Purchasing Department issued Invitation for Bid (IFB) #19-033/MB for cleaning, removal, and disposal services of sulfuric acid and caustic water storage tanks at various county Water Treatment Plants. The procurement is divided into two lots: Lot #1 covers countywide locations excluding the Glades area and includes sulfuric acid tanks at WTP #3 (two 30,000-gallon tanks) and WTP #9 (two 25,000-gallon tanks), plus caustic tanks at WTP #3 (one 30,000-gallon and one 14,000-gallon tank) and WTP #9 (two 20,000-gallon tanks); Lot #2 covers the Glades area with sulfuric acid tanks at WTP #11 (two 12,000-gallon tanks) and caustic tanks (two 6,000-gallon tanks). The successful bidder must provide services including removal of at least 93 percent of residual sludge, decontamination and neutralization using mild caustic solution, confined space entry permits compliant with OSHA standards, personal protective equipment provision, and removal and disposal of all waste materials in manifested totes. The bid submission deadline was April 18, 2019, at 4:00 p.m., with a mandatory site inspection held on March 27, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at WTP #9 in Boca Raton. The contract term is twelve months or until the estimated amount is expended, with an option to renew for four additional twelve-month periods upon mutual written agreement. Pricing must be submitted on a per-tank basis with firm, fixed unit prices remaining constant throughout the initial term and any renewals, and the successful bidder must meet with Water Utilities representatives within five days of award notification. Required qualifications include evidence of at least three references with similar work performed within the past three years, acknowledgment of qualifications and criminal history records check requirements, and maintenance of Commercial General Liability Insurance of at least $500,000, Business Auto Liability Insurance of $500,000, and Workers' Compensation Insurance, with all certificates provided within two working days of request.

Successful bidders must achieve a minimum 15 percent Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal, with provisions allowing non-responsive bidders to be awarded if their bid does not exceed the low responsive bid by more than ten percent for contracts under one million dollars. The County reserves the right to add or delete tank locations during the contract term, with pricing for additional locations based on similar-sized tanks offered in the bid response. No specific incumbent vendors or budget values are identified in the available solicitation documents. The procurement does not indicate existing infrastructure or technology integration requirements beyond standard OSHA compliance and manifested waste disposal procedures. The evaluation criteria emphasize cost competitiveness, Small Business Enterprise participation, bidder qualifications, and insurance coverage adequacy to ensure compliance with environmental and safety regulations for handling hazardous materials at water treatment facilities.