Vacuum and Jet Vacuum Truck Services For Water Department (Bid Discount)

The City of Tampa's Water Department is requesting bids for vacuum and jet vacuum truck services to maintain sand and sludge treatment lines at the David L Tippin Water Treatment Facility, with bids due July 31, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. electronically through the OpenGov eProcurement Portal. This solicitation is a sheltered market for City-certified Small Local Business Enterprises (SLBEs), which receive a 5% bid discount up to a maximum of $10,000 for evaluation purposes only.

Bidders must demonstrate a minimum of three years of experience providing similar vacuum and jet vacuum truck services and submit at least three customer references from the past two years, a list of assigned employees with relevant credentials, and a comprehensive equipment inventory. The scope includes regular business-hour services (Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., 24-hour response time) and emergency services (after 4:00 p.m. weekdays, weekends, and City holidays, 2-hour response time), priced on an hourly basis per truck and crew with a four-hour minimum per job. Contractors must maintain adequate crew staffing to comply with OSHA confined space entry requirements and possess bag house filtration capable of removing PM10 dust particles during dry-material vacuuming. All collected material must be transported to a City-designated deposit area at the treatment plant.

The estimated contract value is $70,000. The award period is one year from the effective date with options for three additional one-year renewals and the City's unilateral right to extend for up to three additional thirty-day periods. The City reserves the right to cancel the award with ten days' notice for cause or thirty days' notice without cause. Contractors must comply with Florida's E-Verify law, maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability and Workers' Compensation, and obtain Port of Tampa passes for personnel requiring facility access. Price escalation after one year is permitted up to the prior year's Consumer Price Index percentage change, provided sixty days' notice is given. Bidders must perform at least 51% of work with their own forces unless prior written consent is obtained for greater subcontracting.