Water Treatment Chemical Supply for 2027

TACOMA WATER
REQUEST FOR BIDS
WATER TREATMENT CHEMICAL SUPPLY FOR 2027
SPECIFICATION NO. TW26-0198F

City of Tacoma
Tacoma Water
REQUEST FOR BIDS TW26-0198F
Water Treatment Chemical Supply for 2027
Submittal Deadline: 11:00 a.m., Pacific Time, Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Submittals must be received by the City's Procurement and Payables Division by 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
For electronic submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by our email server, as
the official time of receipt. This clock will be used as the official time of receipt of all parts of electronic bid
submittals. Include the specification number in the subject line of your email. Your submittal must be sent as
an attachment, links to your electronic submittal will not be accepted.
For in person submittals, the City of Tacoma will designate the time of receipt recorded by the timestamp
located at the lobby security desk, as the official time of receipt. Include the specification number on the
outside of the sealed envelope. Late submittals will be returned unopened and rejected as non-responsive.
Submittal Delivery: Sealed submittals will be received as follows:
By Email: In Person:
sendbid@tacoma.gov Tacoma Public Utilities Administration Building North,
Maximum email size including attachments: 35 MB. Main Floor, Lobby Security Desk
Multiple emails may be sent for each submittal. 3628 South 35th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409
Note: Email may pass through multiple servers before arriving Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
at its destination. Please allow sufficient time for email delivery
of submittals. Timely electronic delivery is at the risk of the
supplier.
Bid Opening: Submittals must be received by the City's Procurement and Payables Division prior to 11:00
a.m. Pacific Time. Sealed submittals in response to a RFB will be opened Tuesday's at 11:15 a.m. by a
purchasing representative and read aloud during a public bid opening held at the Tacoma Public Utilities
Administrative Building North, 3628 S. 35th Street, Tacoma, WA 98409, conference room M-1, located on the
main floor. They will also be held virtually Tuesday's at 11:15 a.m. Attend a Zoom meeting via this link or call 1
(253) 215 8782, using meeting ID # 884 0268 0573, passcode # 070737.
Submittals in response to an RFP, RFQ or RFI will be recorded as received, but not read at bid opening. As
soon as possible, after 1:00 PM, on the day of submittal deadline, preliminary results will be posted to
www.TacomaPurchasing.org.
If you believe your submittal was sent timely and was not read at bid opening, please contact
sendbid@tacoma.gov immediately.
Solicitation Documents: An electronic copy of the complete solicitation documents may be viewed and
obtained by accessing the City of Tacoma Purchasing website at www.TacomaPurchasing.org.
* Register for the Bid Holders List to receive notices of addenda, questions and answers and related updates.
* Click here to see a list of vendors registered for this solicitation.
Pre-Proposal Meeting: A pre-proposal meeting will not be held.
Project Scope: Supply water treatment chemicals per specification requirements for the calendar year 2027 to
Tacoma Water and Tacoma Environment and Public Works facilities.
Estimate: $2,500,000
Paid Sick Leave: The City of Tacoma requires all employers to provide paid sick leave in accordance with
State of Washington law.
Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 06/03/2024

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Information: The City of Tacoma, in accordance with Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), commits to
nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, in all of its programs and activities. Specification materials can be
made available in an alternate format by emailing the contact listed below in the Additional Information section.
Title VI Information:
"The City of Tacoma" in accordance with provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, (78 Stat. 252, 42
U.S.C. sections 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively
ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises
will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated
against on the grounds of race, color, national origin in consideration of award.
Additional Information: Requests for information regarding the specifications may be obtained by contacting
Brandon Snow by email to bsnow@tacoma.gov.
Protest Policy: City of Tacoma protest policy, located at www.tacomapurchasing.org, specifies procedures for
protests submitted prior to and after submittal deadline.
Meeting sites are accessible to persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations for persons with
disabilities can be arranged with 48 hours advance notice by calling 253-502-8468.
Form No. SPEC-040C Revised: 06/03/2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ 4
SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST .......................................................................................................... 5
1. STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS ........................................................................... 6
2. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................................... 6
3. DESCRIPTION OF WORK ................................................................................................. 6
4. ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TERM ..................................................................................... 6
5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS ................................................................................................... 6
6. INQUIRIES ......................................................................................................................... 7
7. PRE-BID MEETING ............................................................................................................ 7
8. DISCLAIMER ...................................................................................................................... 7
9. RESPONSIVENESS ........................................................................................................... 7
10. AWARD .............................................................................................................................. 8
11. CONTRACT PRICING ........................................................................................................ 8
12. PRICE ADJUSTMENTS ...................................................................................................... 9
13. TARIFFS ............................................................................................................................. 9
14. DELIVERY .......................................................................................................................... 9
15. INSPECTION .....................................................................................................................10
16. COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS ...........................................................................10
17. MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP ..................................................................................10
18. QUANTITIES AND PURCHASE ORDERS ........................................................................10
19. ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PROCUREMENT ...................................................10
APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................12
1. TECHNICAL PROVISIONS................................................................................................13
2. MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS ..........................................................................................19
APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................27
APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................28
APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................................29
APPENDIX E ............................................................................................................................30
Request for Bids Specification No. TW26-0198F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025

SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST
This checklist identifies items to be included with your submittal. Any submittal received without
these required items may be deemed non-responsive and not be considered for award.
Submittals must be received by the City of Tacoma Purchasing Division by the date and time
specified in the Request for Bids page.
The following items make up your complete electronic submittal
package (include all the items below):
Signature Page (Appendix B)
To be filled in and executed by a duly authorized officer or representative of the bidding entity.
If the bidder is a subsidiary or doing business on behalf of another entity, so state, and provide
the firm name under which business is hereby transacted.
Price Proposal Form (Appendix B)
The unit prices bid must be shown in the space provided. Check your computations for
omissions and errors.
Certification of NSF/ANSI Standard 60 for Water Treatment Chemicals -
Health Effects
Bidder to provide copy of current documentation
After award, the following documents will be executed:
City of Tacoma Contract (See sample in Appendix C)
Must be executed by the successful bidder.
Certificate of Insurance and related endorsements (Appendix D)
Shall be submitted with all required endorsements
Request for Bids Specification No. TW26-0198F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025

1. STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS
City of Tacoma Standard Terms and Conditions apply.
2. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
Successful proposer will provide proof of and maintain the insurance coverage in the amounts
and in the manner specified in the City of Tacoma Insurance Requirements contained in this
solicitation. (See Appendix D.)
3. DESCRIPTION OF WORK
Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU), Water Division (Tacoma Water) is soliciting bids to establish one
or more contracts with qualified Suppliers to fulfill the City's needs for water treatment chemicals
on an as-needed basis. Contract(s) will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible
bidder(s) based on price, product quality, and availability.
These products are used by Tacoma Water (under Schedule A) and will be delivered to two
different locations, the Green River Filtration Facility, 36932 SE Green River Headworks Road,
Ravensdale, Washington, 98051, and Hood Street Reservoir, 1002 South Tacoma Way,
Tacoma, Washington, 98409.
In addition, Tacoma Environment and Public Works (under Schedule B) will require delivery to
the Central Treatment Plant, 2201 Portland Avenue, Tacoma, Washington, 98421.
The estimated annual usage for each chemical is shown on the Price Proposal Form (Appendix
B). These are estimated quantities only and do not guarantee a specific volume or dollar
amount.
Suppliers may be required to submit samples of their product for evaluation prior to award.
Products that fail to meet City standards or any of the specifications herein may be rejected.
Should a contracted Supplier fail to meet quality and/or availability requirements contained in
these specifications, the City may move to terminate the contract with 10 days written notice.
4. ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TERM
The contract will be for a one-year period from January 1, 2027, to December 31, 2027, with no
option to renew. The City reserves the right to cancel the contract for any reason, by written
notice, as stipulated in the contract.
5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS
This is a tentative schedule only and may be altered at the sole discretion of the City.
Contracts may be issued after Public Utility Board approval.
Request for Bids Specification No. TW26-0198F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025

The anticipated schedule of events concerning this RFB is as follows:
Question Deadline: 9/30/2026
City response to Questions: 10/6/2026
Submittal Due Date: 10/13/2026
Public Utility Board/City Council Approval, on or about: 11/18/2026
6. INQUIRIES
6.1 Questions can be submitted to Brandon Snow, Senior Contracting & Procurement
Specialist, via email to bsnow@tacoma.gov. Subject line to read:
Spec #TW26-0198F - Water Treatment Chemical Supply for 2027 - VENDOR NAME
6.2 Questions are due by 3 pm on the date included in the Calendar of Events section.
6.3 Questions marked confidential will not be answered or included.
6.4 The City reserves the discretion to group similar questions to provide a single answer or
not to respond when the requested information is confidential.
6.5 The answers are not typically considered an addendum.
6.6 The City will not be responsible for unsuccessful submittal of questions.
6.7 Written answers to questions will be posted alongside these specifications at
www.tacomapurchasing.org.
7. PRE-BID MEETING
No pre-bid meeting will be held; however, questions and request for clarifications of the
specifications may be submitted as stated in the inquiries section.
8. DISCLAIMER
The City is not liable for any costs incurred by the Respondent for the preparation of materials,
or a proposal submitted in response to this RFB, for conducting any presentations to the City, or
any other activities related to responding to this RFB, or to any subsequent requirements of the
contract negotiation process.
9. RESPONSIVENESS
Bid submittals must provide ninety (90) days for acceptance by City from the due date for
receipt of submittals. All submittals will be reviewed by the City to determine compliance with
the requirements and instructions specified in this RFB. The Respondent is specifically notified
that failure to comply with any part of this RFB may result in rejection of the submittal as non-
responsive. The City reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive irregularities deemed
Request for Bids Specification No. TW26-0198F
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immaterial. The City also reserves the right to not award a contract or to issue subsequent
RFB's.
10. AWARD
Awardee shall be required to comply with 2 CFR part 25 and obtain a unique entity
identifier and/or be registered in the federal System for Award Management as
appropriate.
Award will be made to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder for each line item. Bidders may
bid on one or more line items. All bidders shall provide unit and total pricing for each line item
they are bidding on. The unit pricing will be compared amongst each bidder, including any
payment discount terms offered twenty (20) days or more. The City may also take into
consideration all other criteria for determining award, including evaluation factors set forth in
Municipal Code Section 1.06.262.
All other elements or factors, whether or not specifically provided for in this specification, which
would affect the final cost to and the benefits to be derived by the City will be considered in
determining the award of the contract. The final award decision will be based on the best
interests of the City.
The City reserves the right to let the contract to the lowest responsible bidder whose bid will be
the most advantageous to the City, price and any other factors considered. In evaluating the
proposals, the City may also consider any or all of the following:
1. Compliance with specification.
2. Proposal prices, listed separately if requested, as well as a lump sum total
3. Time of completion/delivery.
4. Warranty terms.
5. Bidder's responsibility based on, but not limited to:
a) Ability, capacity, organization, technical qualifications and skill to perform the
contract or provide the services required.
b) References, judgment, experience, efficiency and stability.
c) Whether the contract can be performed within the time specified.
d) Quality of performance of previous contracts or services
11. CONTRACT PRICING
The quoted prices in each bid shall be firm prices throughout the term of the contract. Bids
conditioned upon assumed price increases during the contract term will be considered non-
responsive. During the contract term, under special circumstances and with appropriate notice,
the City may consider price increases as stated in the Price Adjustments section.
Request for Bids Specification No. TW26-0198F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025

12. PRICE ADJUSTMENTS
Price increases shall only be considered during the contract period if detailed justification is
provided to show an increase in production or distribution costs for a given chemical in the time
since the start of the contract. Bid submittal prices will establish a base against which
Contractors may request price adjustments per the following terms:
1. Contractor shall submit proposed price changes in writing to the contract administrator
(contract information provided after award) 45 days prior to the effective date
2. The City reserves the right to accept or reject all such price adjustments
3. Price increases will be adjusted only to the amount of cost increase to Contractor. No
adjustment will be made for Contractor profit margin.
4. Any proposed price increase to Contract line items must be beyond the control of the
Contractor and supported by written documentation from the manufacturer or wholesale
distributor, indicating new higher cost adjustments in effect
5. Increase requests may be evaluated against various market conditions, including but not
limited to:
a) Consumer Price Index for Seattle - Tacoma - Bremerton, All Items 1982-84+100, for
comparable period
b) Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the U.S. City Average
Index for All Items, 1982-84=100, unadjusted for the comparable period
c) State/federal regulations affecting production costs of the materials
d) Volatile commodity market conditions
e) Various producer price or commodity indices
f) Minimum wage adjustments
Additional requirements related to price adjustments are included in the City of Tacoma
Standard Terms and Conditions.
13. TARIFFS
Any charges related to tariffs should be included in the bid unit pricing. If the tariff cost is
removed or reduced during the contract, Supplier will immediately reduce the contract unit price
accordingly.
As allowed by the Standard Terms and Conditions, price increases during the contract term as
the result of tariffs will be considered by the City with sufficient documentation from the Supplier
to substantiate the increase requested. Tariff charges added during the contract will be invoiced
as a separate line item.
14. DELIVERY
Supplier delivery requirements are identified in Section 1.3 of the Technical Provisions.
Request for Bids Specification No. TW26-0198F
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15. INSPECTION
All goods are subject to final inspection and acceptance by the City. If any inspection fails, the
Supplier shall be required to make arrangements to exchange the goods at their own expense
and replace it in a timely manner acceptable to the City.
Material failing to meet the requirements of this contract will be held at Supplier's risk and may
be returned to Supplier. If so returned, the cost of transportation, unpacking, inspection,
repackaging, reshipping, or other like expenses are the responsibility of the Supplier.
16. COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATIONS
Any product that does not comply with any part of these technical specifications shall be
rejected and the Supplier shall, at its own expense, including shipping, replace the item.
17. MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP
The successful bidder shall be required to furnish all materials necessary to perform contractual
requirements. Materials and workmanship for this contract shall conform to all codes,
regulations and requirements for such specifications contained herein and the normal uses for
which intended. Material shall be manufactured in accordance with the best commercial
practices and standards for this type of goods. All literature and products must be packaged and
labeled to sell in the United States.
18. QUANTITIES AND PURCHASE ORDERS
The quantities listed are an estimate only, based on historical data gathered from the previous
five years. Delivery will be according to purchase order on an as-needed basis throughout the
period of the contract.
19. ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PROCUREMENT
In accordance with the City's Sustainable Procurement Policy and Climate Action Plan, it is the
policy of the City of Tacoma to encourage the use of products or services that help to minimize
the environmental and human health impacts of City Operations. Respondents are encouraged
to incorporate environmentally preferable products or services that have a lesser or reduced
effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or
services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition,
products, manufacturing, packaging, distribution reuse, operation, maintenance or disposal of
the product or service.
The City of Tacoma encourages the use of sustainability practices and desires any awarded
contractor(s) to assist in efforts to address such factors when feasible for:
* Durability, reusability, or refillable
* Pollutant releases, especially persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs), low volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), and air quality and stormwater impacts
* Toxicity of products used
Request for Bids Specification No. TW26-0198F
Template Revised: 08/01/2025