Transportation and Disposal of Dewatered Sewage Sludge - Contract 26-01

The Borough of Northampton, Pennsylvania, located in Northampton County, is seeking a qualified contractor to provide transportation and disposal services for dewatered sewage sludge generated at its wastewater treatment plant located at 2 Lerchenmiller Drive through sealed bid procurement. The services include collection, transportation, and disposal of dewatered sludge ("cake") produced by the facility's belt press system, with the borough currently generating approximately 330 loads per year or an estimated 2,300 wet tons annually using 10 cubic yard dumpsters picked up five to seven times weekly. The initial contract term is three years beginning May 1, 2026, with up to two optional one-year extensions at the borough's sole discretion, and potential facility upgrades that may transition to 20 cubic yard dumpsters during years four and five. Sealed proposals must be submitted electronically through the PennBid platform (www.PennBid.net) by 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, and site visits are available by contacting Scott Gillespie at (610) 262-6131. Award will be based on the total price for years one through three only, with years four and five optional pricing included for planning purposes. Bidders must submit a bid bond equal to ten percent of the total bid amount and a Consent of Surety from a Pennsylvania-licensed surety company committing to provide a performance bond equal to 100 percent of the contract price upon award. The contractor must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including general public liability of $2,000,000 per occurrence, automobile liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence, pollution insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and excess liability insurance of $5,000,000 per occurrence aggregate, and must submit copies of all required permits for disposal facilities and signed letters from disposal locations guaranteeing acceptance of the borough's sludge throughout the contract period.

The solicitation does not identify any set-aside designations or restrictions based on disadvantaged enterprise status, nor does it reference any incumbent vendors or current contractors. The contractor becomes the owner of the sludge upon collection and assumes all liability associated with transportation and disposal, with monthly invoicing occurring within thirty days of proper invoice submission based on actual tons removed at the bid unit price. All costs including hauling, plastic liners, and disposal must be incorporated into the unit price with no additional monthly service fees permitted. The contractor must submit an Industrial Material Manifest electronically for each load of sludge removed and comply with all applicable local, state, and federal regulations. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the solicitation documents; however, contractors should anticipate processing approximately 2,300 wet tons annually or potentially higher volumes if facility upgrades are completed. Bidders may not withdraw their bids within thirty days after the bid opening date, and the borough reserves the right to waive any informality in bids, reject any or all bids, and accept any bid deemed most favorable to the owner.