Sulfuric acid & caustic water storage tanks, cleaning service

Palm Beach County's Board of County Commissioners Purchasing Department issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for cleaning services of sulfuric acid and caustic water storage tanks at two Water Treatment Plants: WTP #3 in Delray Beach and WTP #11 in Belle Glade. The procurement seeks qualified vendors to provide interior tank cleaning, residual sludge removal and disposal, decontamination and neutralization using mild caustic solution, and proper containerization and manifesting of waste materials for five tank categories: 12,000-gallon sulfuric acid tanks, 30,000-gallon sulfuric acid tanks, 6,000-gallon caustic tanks, 14,000-gallon caustic tanks, and 30,000-gallon caustic tanks on a rotational, as-needed basis across both locations. Bidders must submit firm, fixed unit prices per tank for each of the five tank categories, with pricing remaining firm for the initial term and any renewal periods, and all pricing must include labor, equipment, materials, mobilization, demobilization, personal protective equipment, confined space entry equipment, and waste disposal with no additional compensation permitted. The RFQ submission deadline was February 9, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time (faxed or emailed responses acceptable), with a non-mandatory site inspection scheduled for February 4, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at WTP #11. The successful bidder will receive a 12-month initial term contract with the option to renew for four additional 12-month periods under mutual written agreement, and must provide evidence of commercial general liability insurance ($500,000 minimum), business auto liability insurance ($500,000 combined single limit), and workers' compensation insurance; maintain compliance with the Criminal History Records Check Ordinance for critical facility access; and submit proof of non-discrimination policy compliance. Award will be made on an all-or-none basis to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with failure to bid on every item resulting in non-responsiveness.

Palm Beach County's Small Business Enterprise (SBE) program allows certified SBE vendors within 10 percent of the lowest bid to receive award consideration. Local preference ordinances provide a five-percent price reduction for quoters with permanent places of business in Palm Beach County or the Glades. No incumbent vendors or current contractors were identified in the RFQ documentation, and the procurement does not reference existing infrastructure or technology requiring integration. The contract represents a service-based procurement with pricing to be determined through competitive bidding; specific budget allocations or award values were not disclosed in the RFQ. Post-award meetings must occur within five days of notification of award, establishing the timeline for contract initiation and mobilization of cleaning services across the two treatment plant locations.