Water softener system, service and repair of, term contract

Palm Beach County's Purchasing Department issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for water softener system service and repair on a term contract basis, specifically for a Kinetico MACH Series System located at Fire Rescue Station #14 in Jupiter, Florida. The procurement encompasses monthly preventive maintenance services including brine tank salt filling, chlorine solution replenishment, carbon filter backwashing, chlorine injector cleaning, softener operation checks, sediment filter cleaning and annual replacement, and citric acid addition as needed, along with repair labor available at standard, overtime, and holiday rates with specified response time requirements. Bidders must submit firm, fixed unit prices for six line items: monthly water softener service (weighted at 50%), conditioner/10% chlorine (7%), salt pellets (25%), sediment filter 20-inch 20-micron (8%), citric acid powder (7%), and standard labor rate for repairs outside scheduled service (3%). Required qualifications include maintaining Commercial General Liability Insurance ($500,000), Business Auto Liability Insurance ($500,000), and Workers' Compensation Insurance; providing a minimum 90-day warranty on all labor and equipment; passing criminal history records checks for critical facilities; and providing three professional references demonstrating similar services within the past three years. The RFQ submission deadline was August 17, 2017, at 4:00 p.m. Palm Beach County time, with responses accepted via fax or email. The award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder on an all-or-none total factored rate basis, with the successful bidder receiving a twelve-month initial contract with options to renew for four additional twelve-month periods contingent upon mutual written agreement and Board of County Commissioners appropriation of funds.

Palm Beach County applies a 5% local preference to quoters with permanent places of business in Palm Beach County or the Glades, subject to verification by valid Business Tax Receipt, and the county's Small Business Enterprise (SBE) program allows certified SBE quoters within 10% of the lowest bid to receive award consideration. Materials for repairs are priced at the bidder's cost plus shipping, not to exceed the price to the bidder's most favored customer or current market price. The RFQ does not identify any incumbent vendors or specific budget ranges; however, the pricing structure and weighted line items indicate that the county anticipated monthly service costs as the primary expense component. The contact person for this procurement is Jim McNamara at (561) 233-0884, providing interested bidders with a single point of contact for clarification and submission purposes. This term contract represents a long-term service relationship with potential cumulative value across the five-year contract period if all renewal options are exercised.