Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing and Toxic Chemical Testing (TCT)

The City of Hagerstown Water Division is requesting competitive bids for Whole Effluent Toxicity Testing (WET) and Toxic Chemical Testing (TCT) services required by its NPDES permit under ITB issued by the City of Hagerstown Finance Department, with bids due August 25, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Bidders must hold Maryland certification for wastewater sample analysis — the primary eligibility filter.

The scope consists of four sets of definitive annual chronic testing during January or February of 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030 at Outfall 001A. Testing includes Ceriodaphnia survival and reproduction tests, fathead minnow larval survival and growth tests, toxic chemical testing, study plan preparation, sample collection support, report preparation, quality control checks, and all analyses performed in accordance with 40 CFR Part 136 and Maryland Department of the Environment requirements. Test results must be delivered within three weeks of sample collection and submitted to MDE within one month of completion. Optional pricing for Toxicity Reduction Evaluation testing is requested if required. If work is subcontracted, the subcontractor must be Maryland-certified and approved by the City prior to commencement.

The contract term spans four years (2027–2030). Bidders must submit separate line-item pricing for WET and TCT costs for each year and provide three references for similar work completed within the past four years. Insurance requirements include workers' compensation at statutory limits, comprehensive general liability at $1,000,000 each occurrence, and business automobile liability at $1,000,000 combined single limit. The City reserves the right to award contracts individually or collectively and to reject any or all proposals. All bids remain binding for 90 calendar days. No pre-bid meeting or bid bond is required. Bids are submitted electronically via Dropbox. Failure to comply with MDE or EPA standards results in NPDES permit non-compliance, and any additional testing costs from non-compliance are the responsibility of the contract laboratory.