Well Water Testing Services in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Counties

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Division of Procurement and Contracts, is issuing an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for comprehensive well water testing services across five safety roadside rest area locations in Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties. The procurement encompasses bacteriological and chemical testing services at Camp Roberts SRRA (Northbound and Southbound on Highway 101), Shandon SRRA Eastbound (Highway 46), and Gaviota SRRA (Northbound and Southbound on Highway 101), with deliverables including weekly Colilert Presence/Absence and Chlorine Residual sampling at Camp Roberts (156 occurrences per location), monthly testing at Shandon and Gaviota (36 occurrences per location), nitrate testing once every three years at all locations, emergency re-testing for positive results (estimated 60 occurrences), on-call emergency response services (200 hours), non-emergency laboratory sampling (48 occurrences), and annual DRINC and Consumer Confidence Reports (15 occurrences each). Qualified bidders must possess a valid C-36 Plumbing Contractor license from the California Contractors State Licensing Board, a Water Treatment Operator Certification (grade T-1 or higher) from the California State Water Resource Board, and current Department of Industrial Relations registration. The contract term commences March 1, 2026 (estimated) and expires February 28, 2029, with written questions due by February 12, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., bid proposals due February 19, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., bid opening scheduled for 2:30 p.m. the same day, and an estimated award date of February 26, 2026. All bid prices must include employer payments, subsistence, travel, insurance premiums, taxes, and other costs with no additional allowances, and prevailing wages apply as the estimated total exceeds $15,000.

This procurement establishes a 25 percent Small Business participation goal with a mandatory 3 percent Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation requirement, and certified Small Business or Micro Business bidders receive a 5 percent bid preference, or non-certified bidders may qualify for preference by subcontracting at least 25 percent of the net bid price to certified SB/MB firms. The contractor must obtain a Certificate of Insurance within 10 working days of award, including Commercial General Liability coverage ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), and Workers' Compensation with Employer's Liability ($1,000,000). No incumbent vendors or existing contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. The procurement requires compliance with multiple California labor laws, organic waste recycling requirements under Senate Bill 1383, state-owned data security standards, and prohibition of delinquent taxpayers under Public Contract Code Section 10295.4. No specific award value or budget range is disclosed in the available documentation.