Drinking Water Laboratory Services

SECTION I
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
INSTRUCTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR:
Drinking Water Laboratory Services
Project No. 26-125
Issuance Date: October 7, 2026
The Village of Oak Park (Village) will be accepting Proposals from qualified Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency (IEPA) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) certified laboratories for the testing and
analysis of its drinking water, as required by the IEPA and U.S. EPA for calendar year 2027. The Public Works
Department will review and evaluate the proposals. Any agreement awarded as a result of this Proposal
will be executed by the Village Manager as authorized by the Village Board.
Proposals will be accepted at the Oak Park Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302,
Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., until 3:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, October 21,
2026.
Specifications and Proposal forms may be obtained at http://www.oak-park.us/bid or by calling the Public
Works Center at 708.358.5700.
There will not be a formal "bid opening" for the contract. Electronic signatures will be accepted on all
documents.
The Village Board reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals or to waive technicalities,
or to accept any item of any proposal. Information is available from Bennett Blankenship, Senior Pumping
Station Operator at 708.358.5748 or bblankenship@oak-park.us.
Submission of Proposals:
Proposals shall be submitted on the Proposal Form included herewith. Proposals shall be submitted on
official company letterhead. The proposal shall be submitted in a sealed envelope marked "Project #:
26-125 Drinking Water Laboratory Services", shall bear the return address of the proposer, and shall
be addressed as follows:
TO: Bennett Blankenship
Senior Pumping Station Operator
Public Works Department
201 South Blvd.
Oak Park, IL 60302
Do not detach any portion of this document. Upon formal award to the successful Consultant, a written
agreement will be executed for the Project in substantially the form attached.
Page 1 of 27

SECTION II
PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Preparation and Submission of Proposal
The proposal must be submitted on the forms furnished and delivered to the Public Works Department
by the specific time indicated on the cover page. Proposals arriving after the specified time will not be
accepted. Mailed proposals which are delivered after the specified hour will not be accepted regardless
of the post-marked time on the envelope. All blank spaces on the proposal form must be completed if
applicable. The proposal must be signed by an authorized officer of the Consultant entity. The proposal
is contained in this document and must remain attached thereto when submitted.
Costs of Preparation
The Village will not be responsible for any expenses incurred in preparing and submitting a Proposal or
entering into the applicable Agreement.
Taxes not Applicable
The Village of Oak Park, as a municipality, pays neither Federal Excise Tax nor Illinois Retailers
Occupational Tax, and therefore these taxes should not be included in price quotations.
Award of Contract
The Village will select a Consultant it determines most advantageous, considering cost, demonstrated
competence, integrity, capacity to perform the services, and other factors or qualifications for the type
of services required. The Village also reserves the right to reject all proposals, to waive technicalities,
and to accept any item of any proposal unless the Consultant includes a restrictive limitation. The Village
may choose to inspect, investigate and interview proposers before making a selection.
Contract Term
The initial contract term shall be from January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027. The Village has the right
to renew the contract on an annual basis for two (2) optional one-year terms (January 1 to December
31).
Contract Renewal
The Village will have the right to renew the contract for two (2) additional one (1) year terms with all
terms and conditions, other than price, remaining the same. The Village will allow the Bidder to increase
or decrease the contract price for each annual renewal. Upon written request from the Bidder, on or
before October 20 of each year of the Agreement, the cost of the services provided under the Agreement
may be adjusted as follows: The consultant shall submit a request for adjustment to the Village based
upon the average of the published monthly Index (as defined below) for the period October through
September for the previous year. The Index shall be the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of
Labor Chicago Statistics, Revised Consumer Price Index for all Urban Wage Earners for Chicago-
Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI (all items, 1982-84 = 100). Notwithstanding anything contained in this Request
for Proposals to the contrary, an annual adjustment shall not be greater than five percent (5.0%) of the
previous year's cost for services provided under this Agreement in any year. Any applicable adjustment
shall take effect on January 1st.
Recertification
Page 2 of 27

If the Village renews the contract for an additional one-year term, the Proposer will provide the Village
with a renewed certification in the form of Section VIII indicating that it continues to be eligible to
contract with units of local government. If a consultant or subconsultant is not able to certify that it
continues to meet all requirements, it shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances leading
to the change in certification status.
Notice to Proceed
Work shall begin within fourteen (14) days from the Notice to Proceed from the Village. All work shall
be completed in accordance with the detailed specifications set forth herein this document.
Consultant's Certification
Consultants and all proposed sub-Consultants must complete the Consultant Certification in Section VIII
of this RFP. If the Consultant submits a false certification, the Village will disqualify the Consultant from
contracting, or if a contract has already been executed, it will be deemed void. If the false certification is
made by a sub-Consultant, then the Consultant's submitted bid will not be declared void if the Consultant
terminates the subcontract upon the Village's request after a finding that the subcontract's certification was
false.
Compliance with Applicable Laws
The Proposer will strictly comply with all ordinances of the Village of Oak Park and Village Code and laws
of the State of Illinois.
Withdrawal of Proposals
Any Consultant may withdraw its Proposal at any time prior to the time specified in the advertisement
as the closing time for the receipt of Proposals, by signing a request therefore. No Consultant may
withdraw or cancel its Proposal for a period of sixty (60) calendar days after the advertised closing time
for the receipt of Proposals. The successful Consultant may not withdraw or cancel its Proposal after
having been notified that the Proposal was accepted by the Village Board of Trustees.
Investigation of Consultants
The Village will make such investigations as are necessary to determine the ability of the Consultant to
fulfill Proposal requirements. If requested, the Consultant should be prepared to present evidence to
the Village of Oak Park of ability and possession of necessary facilities and financial resources to comply
with the terms of the attached specifications and Proposals. In addition, the Consultant shall furnish the
Village with any information the Village may request, and shall be prepared to show completed work of
a similar nature to that included in its Proposal. The Village reserves the right to visit and inspect the
premises and operation of any Consultant.
Rejection of Consultant
The Village will reject any Proposal from any person, firm or corporation that appears to be in default or
arrears on any debt, agreement or the payment of any taxes. The Village will reject any Proposal from a
Consultant that failed to satisfactorily complete work for the Village under any previous agreement.
Governing Law
Page 3 of 27

All agreements entered into by the Village of Oak Park are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois
without regard to conflicts of law. Any action brought to enforce an agreement with the Village of Oak
Park must be brought in the state and federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois.
Subletting of Agreement
No agreement awarded by the Village of Oak Park shall be assigned or any part sub-agreement without
the written consent of the Village of Oak Park or as noted in the Consultant's Proposal. In no case shall
such consent relieve the Consultant from its obligations or change the terms of the Agreement.
Fees and Cost
In the event any action is brought to enforce any agreement entered into by the Village of Oak Park, or
to collect any unpaid amount from the Village of Oak Park, each party bears the responsibility of paying
its own attorneys' fees and costs.
Conditions
Consultants are advised to become familiar with all conditions, instructions and specifications
governing the work. Consultants shall be presumed to have investigated the work site, conditions and
scope of the work before submitting a Proposal.
Interpretation of Agreement Documents
Any Consultant with a question about this Proposal may request an interpretation thereof from the
Village no later than 8:00 A.M. on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. If the Village changes the Proposal,
either by clarifying it or by changing the specifications, the Village will issue a written addendum, and
will post the Addenda on the Village website no later than 1:00 P.M. on Friday, October 16, 2026. All
Proposers will be responsible to check for any addenda. The Village will not assume responsibility for
receipt of such addenda. In all cases, it will be the Consultants responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.
Consultants will provide written acknowledgment of receipt of each addendum issued with the Proposal
submission on the sealed bid envelope.
Minority Business and Women Business Enterprise Requirements
The Village of Oak Park, in an effort to reaffirm its policy of non-discrimination, encourages the efforts
of Consultants and sub-Consultants to take affirmative action in providing for Equal Employment
Opportunity without regard to race, religion, creed, color, sex, national origin, age, handicap unrelated
to ability to perform the job or protected veteran's status.
Agreement
The selected Proposer shall enter into an Agreement with the Village to complete the Project in a form
substantially similar to the Agreement attached hereto. The Agreement shall be executed by the
Consultant and returned within ten (10) calendar days after the Agreement has been mailed to the
Consultant. The Consultant shall execute three copies of the Agreement. One fully executed copy will
be returned to the Consultant. See Section XI for a sample copy of the agreement.
Dispute Resolution
Page 4 of 27

The Village of Oak Park does not agree to mandatory arbitration of any dispute. All disputes, including
collection disputes, shall be brought in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. This agreement shall
be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois. In any dispute resolution process,
each party shall bear its own costs, including attorney's fees. Any purported agreement between the
parties that states terms contrary to this paragraph M will be deemed per se invalid.
Familiarity with Scope of Services, Terms Conditions and Requirements
Consultants shall familiarize themselves with the full contents of this RFP and all conditions which affect
their proposal or ability to complete the contract. Once a proposal has been submitted, the Consultant's
failure to have read and understand all the conditions, instructions and specifications of this Request for
Proposals shall not be cause to alter the terms of the contract or bid.
Defaulted Consultants
The Village of Oak Park will not award a contract to any person or entity that has breached or failed to
perform under any contract with the Village or which owes any debt to the Village.
No Collusion
The Consultant must disclose any person, firm or entity that has an interest in this contract, including
subConsultants. If at any time it shall be found that Consultant has colluded with any other person, firm,
or corporation in procuring this Contract, then Consultant shall be liable to the Village for all loss or
damage that the Village may suffer thereby, and this Contract shall, at the Village's option, be null and
void.
Alterations, Omissions and Extra Work
The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to increase or decrease the quantity of any item or
portion of the work, or to omit portions of the work as may be deemed necessary.
Village of Oak Park Logo or Likeness Use
The official logo of the Village of Oak Park is not to be used in any form. Use of the Village logo is strictly
prohibited by law and such use could subject the proposer to disqualification or termination of contract.
Page 5 of 27

SECTION III
DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS
General Scope of Work
Laboratories submitting proposals for consideration should become familiar with IEPA compliance
requirements for the Village of Oak Park (IL0312250) by visiting the IEPA Drinking Water Watch Portal
website for the listed sample schedule.
1. Per the Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR), the Village is required to collect for coliform
analysis a minimum of sixty (60) samples per month for a total of seven hundred and
twenty (720) samples per year. Please provide quote per sample as additional coliform
sampling may occur.
2. The Village is on quarterly monitoring for Stage 2 Disinfection By-Products Rule (DBPR)
sampling. The Village is required to collect samples from Eight (8) sites on a quarterly
basis. Please provide quote for DBPR samples.
3. The Village is due for Lead and Copper Compliance Monitoring in 2027. The Village is
required to collect a minimum of sixty (60) samples. Please provide quote per sample as
additional sampling may occur.
5. The Village of Oak Park is not required to participate in any UCMR testing in 2027.
6. Please provide any and all additional costs such as: bottles, shipping, electronic delivery
or electronic processing of lab reports to either the Village or IEPA, and any other
applicable management fees (provide details).
8. Please provide location of laboratory. Please include any shipping information in case the
Village decides to not hand deliver samples directly at the laboratory.
9. Please include a calendar year 2027 fee schedule of all other drinking water laboratory
services offered by the proposer, such as but not limited to: VOC's, SOC's, lead and
copper, membrane filtration, etc.
10. Please include normal hours of operations and include any applicable surcharges for
laboratory services on outside of normal hours, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
11. The laboratory shall analyze all samples collected by the Village using the appropriate
compliance standards and methodologies as described by the IEPA.
12. All proposers are expected to fully understand all U.S. and IEPA rules applicable to the
Village of Oak Park's compliance, such as but not limited to: reporting, TCR/RTCR, DBPR,
LCR, UCMR, etc.
14. Laboratory Services shall be for January 1 through December 31, 2027.
15. Any IEPA violation due to laboratory neglect, error, or oversight will not be tolerated.
All proposed cost schedules and details shall be submitted on the proposer's company letterhead.
Page 6 of 27

SECTION IV
PROPOSAL FORM
This Proposal is offered for acceptance by the Village of Oak Park within sixty (60) calendar days from
the date of opening. The Proposer has read and agrees to all terms and conditions of this RFP.
The Proposer has included a typed submission on their company letterhead consistent with the
specification of this RFP.
Company Name
By: _______________________
(Signature)
Printed Name
Title
Email __________________________________________
Company Address
Date of Proposal __________________ Telephone #__________________________
Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of , 2026.
______________________________ in the State of _____________________. My Commission
Notary Public
Expires on ____/____/_______
Page 7 of 27

SECTION V
PROPOSER CERTIFICATION
______________________________________, as part of its Proposal on an agreement for Drinking
Water Laboratory Services for the Village of Oak Park, hereby certifies that said Proposer selected is not
barred from proposing on the aforementioned agreement as a result of a violation to either Section 33E-
3 or 33E-4 of Article 33E of Chapter 38 of the Illinois Revised Statutes or Section 2-6-12 of the Oak Park
Village Code relating to Proposing Requirement.
(Authorized Agent of Proposer selected)
Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of , 2026.
________________________________
Notary Public's Signature - Notary Public Seal -
)
Page 8 of 27

SECTION VI
TAX COMPLIANCE AFFIDAVIT
, being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
that he/she is of
(partner, officer, owner, etc.)
.
(Proposer selected)
The individual or entity making the foregoing Proposal or Proposal certifies that he/she is not barred from
entering into an agreement with the Village of Oak Park because of any delinquency in the payment of any
tax administered by the Department of Revenue unless the individual or entity is contesting, in accordance
with the procedures established by the appropriate revenue act, liability for the tax or the amount of the
tax. The individual or entity making the Proposal or proposal understands that making a false statement
regarding delinquency in taxes is a Class A Misdemeanor and, in addition, voids the agreement and allows
the municipality to recover all amounts paid to the individual or entity under the agreement in civil action.
_________________________________________
By:
Its:
__________________________________________
(name of Proposer if the Proposer is an individual)
(name of partner if the Proposer is a partnership)
(name of officer if the Proposer is a corporation)
The above statement must be subscribed and sworn to before a notary public.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of , 2026.
________________________________
Notary Public's Signature - Notary Public Seal -
Page 9 of 27

SECTION VII
ORGANIZATION OF PROPOSING FIRM
Please fill out the applicable section:
A. Corporation:
The Consultant is a corporation, legally named _________________________________ and is organized
and existing in good standing under the laws of the State of ____________. The full names of its Officers
are:
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Registered Agent Name and Address:
The corporation has a corporate seal. (In the event that this Proposal is executed by a person other than
the President, attach hereto a certified copy of that section of Corporate By-Laws or other authorization
by the Corporation that permits the person to execute the offer for the corporation.)
B. Sole Proprietor:
The Consultant is a Sole Proprietor. If the Consultant does business under an Assumed Name,
the Assumed Name is , which is registered with the
Cook County Clerk. The Consultant is otherwise in compliance with the Assumed Business Name Act,
805 ILCS 405/0.01, et. seq.
C. Partnership:
The Consultant is a Partnership which operates under the name
The following are the names, addresses and signatures of all partners:
Signature Signature
(Attach additional sheets if necessary.) If so, check here .
If the partnership does business under an assumed name, the assumed name must be registered with
the Cook County Clerk and the partnership is otherwise in compliance with the Assumed Business Name
Act, 805 ILCS 405/0.01, et. seq.
D. Affiliates: The name and address of any affiliated entity of the business, including a description of
the affiliation:
Signature of Owner
Page 10 of 27