Posting Language
Title
Authorize execution of a contract for liquid ferric sulfate with Usalco Houston Plant, LLC, for a term of five years for a total contract amount not to exceed $4,700,000.
[Note: This solicitation was reviewed for subcontracting opportunities in accordance with City Code Chapter 2-9B (Minority-Owned and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Procurement Program). For the goods required for this solicitation, there were no subcontracting opportunities; therefore, no subcontracting goals were established].
Body
Lead Department
Financial Services Department.
Client Department(s)
Austin Water.
Fiscal Note
Funding in the amount of $783,333 is available in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Operating Budget of Austin Water. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets.
Purchasing Language:
The Financial Services Department issued an Invitation for Bids (IFB) 2200 AMA1093 for these goods. The solicitation was issued on August 7, 2023, and it closed on September 5, 2023. Of the three offers received, the recommended contractor submitted the lowest responsive offer. A complete solicitation package, including a tabulation of the bids received, is available for viewing on the City’s Financial Services website, Austin Finance Online. This information can currently be found at https://financeonline.austintexas.gov/afo/account_services/solicitation/solicitation_details.cfm?sid=139382.
For More Information:
Direct questions regarding this Recommendation for Council Action to the Financial Services Department - Central Procurement at: FSDCentralProcurementRCAs@austintexas.gov or 512-974-2500. Respondents to the solicitation and their Agents should direct all questions to the Authorized Contact Person identified in the solicitation.
Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action:
November 8, 2023 - Recommended by the Water and Wastewater Commission on an 8-0 vote, with two absences and one vacancy.
Additional Backup Information:
This contract will provide the City with liquid ferric sulfate to be used for the coagulation process at the water treatment plants owned and operated by Austin Water. Liquid ferric sulfate is added to raw water to begin the coagulation process, which causes sediment, bacteria, and other suspended particles in the water to aggregate into larger masses for removal by sedimentation. Coagulation is an essential step in the treatment process to ensure the quality of the City’s water supply and to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory standards for public drinking water.
The contract will replace a contract which expires May 27, 2024. Authorization on the current contract will be exhausted prior to the expiration date due to higher demand than originally estimated. The requested authorization amounts were determined using departmental estimates based on historical spending. The recommended contractor was the previous provider of these goods.
A delay in awarding this contract could affect the City’s ability to coagulate water during treatment making it impossible to produce safe drinking water for the public.