TDCJ-Sampling Water and Analysis Services

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is seeking a vendor to provide comprehensive water sampling and analysis services for the Powledge Unit Wastewater Treatment Plant located in Palestine, Texas. The contract, solicited through Invitation for Bids (IFB) IW223591-A, requires a qualified environmental testing laboratory to conduct extensive water and sludge testing, including influent testing (28 times per year), aeration testing (56 times per year), effluent testing (56 times per week and 12 times per month), E. coli testing (12 times per year), and annual sludge analysis. The successful vendor must be National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) accredited and capable of performing detailed process control and regulatory permit analysis to meet Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) requirements. Vendors must provide comprehensive reporting, maintain strict security protocols for working in a correctional facility, and be prepared to conduct work during normal business hours (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday). The initial contract period runs from September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026, with potential renewals for up to four additional one-year periods, and the bid is due on August 15, 2025, at 3:00 PM.

The solicitation does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises. Vendors must meet significant insurance requirements, including $1,000,000 in liability insurance, $500,000 in auto insurance, and statutory worker's compensation coverage. All bidding vendors must certify they are not on federal terrorism watch lists and agree to potential offset of contract payments against state debts. Bidders will be subject to rigorous background checks and must comply with detailed security procedures, including tool inventories and specific restrictions on interactions within the correctional facility. While a specific contract value is not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the testing services and the potential for four one-year renewals suggests a substantial multi-year contract opportunity. Electronic bid submissions are preferred via email to bids@tdcj.texas.gov, with a 10 MB attachment limit, and hard copy submissions are also accepted. The TDCJ reserves the right to increase, decrease, change, or cancel the order, providing flexibility in the contract's scope and implementation.