Active SLED Opportunity · MASSACHUSETTS · CITY OF CAMBRIDGE
AI Summary
City of Cambridge seeks bids for sulfur-based chemicals for CWD. Bids must be submitted electronically by 11:00 am on April 30, 2026.
The City of Cambridge would like to invite you to submit a bid for Sulfur-Based Chemicals for CWD. If submitting electronically, Bids are to be submitted through the Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cambridgema. Bids are to be submitted no later than 11:00 am on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
1. GENERAL
1.1 The intent and purpose of this specification document is to provide for the purchase and delivery of drinking water treatment chemicals to Cambridge Water Department (CWD) located at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge MA 02138.
2. CERTIFICATION
2.1 Products shall comply with the most recent AWWA Standard. Products shall be NSF Standard 60 certified for drinking water chemicals. The chemical shall have been tested and certified by a product certification organization accredited for this purpose by the American National Standards Institute.
2.2 A copy of the ANSI/NSF letter of acceptance for the vendor’s chemical proposed to be supplied shall accompany the bid.
2.3 Failure to comply with these requirements or the loss of ANSI/NSF 60 certification shall be considered grounds for cancellation of the contract for the remainder of the contract period.
3. AFFIDAVIT OF COMPLIANCE
3.1 Along with the bid, the prospective vendor shall submit an affidavit of compliance that confirms that the chemical meets CWD specifications. Each company involved in supplying and transporting the chemical to the Cambridge WTP must sign the affidavit of compliance
4. CERTIFIED ANALYSIS TESTING for IMPURITIES AND ACCEPTANCE of DELIVERY PAPERWORK
4.1 Along with the bid, a certified analysis for impurities must be provided.
4.2 Additional Impurities of concern include: antimony, arsenic, boron, cadmium, copper, cyanide, lead, molybdenum, mercury, nickel, selenium, silver, zinc, chromium. Data (in milligrams per liter) on these impurities shall be provided at no cost upon request.
5. DELIVERY
5.1 Vendor shall make “normal” deliveries within 48 hours after receipt of order and make “emergency” deliveries within 24 hours. An emergency delivery is defined as a delivery which is necessary order to prevent CWD from running out of water treatment chemicals in less than 24 hours. CWD shall endeavor to minimize the number of emergencies. CWD reserves the right to change quantities and delivery dates at its discretion with a 24-hour notice.
5.2 Delivery time of day shall be arranged upon placement of order and shall be between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. All delivery personnel must have a company cell phone to facilitate deliveries. The Driver/Vendor is responsible for knowing the route to the Cambridge WTP.
5.3 An assigned CWD employee will meet the driver at the delivery area and perform a visual inspection of the vehicle. The employee will verify that the UN# is correct on the outside of the vehicle. If no visible problems occur the employee will escort the driver to the appropriate location to commence CWD testing (if appropriate) and unloading.
5.4 The Driver shall provide the inspector with one (1) sample that is representative of the loaded chemical. This sample will be used for acceptance testing. The sample shall be a minimum of 250 milliliter’s.(8.5 ounces). In the event of a discrepancy in the test results or a part of CWD random audits of chemical deliveries, a CWD Supervisor may request that a sample taken from the delivery truck. All such samples shall be taken by the driver. Samples taken from delivery trucks at CWD’s site shall be taken from the top of the tank/truck. Samples shall not be taken from discharge valves or hose connections on the bottom of the tank
5.5 The driver will place blocks behind his wheels to ensure that the truck will not move during unloading.
The driver can only hook up the delivery when an assigned CWD employee tells the driver where to make the necessary connections.
5.6 Any delivery not agreeing with either the temperature or concentration criteria established shall be returned at the contractor’s expense.
5.7 While the truck is unloading, the driver must stay with the truck at all times in case problems occur with the unloading.
5.8 Hoses shall be clean and free of residue from previous deliveries. Hoses, couplings or adaptors found unclean shall be cleaned at the vendor’s expense before unloading.
5.9 Where tank trucks are used, the truck tank pressure shall be regulated by Cambridge WTP while unloading and shall not exceed the tank truck manufacturer’s specifications.
5.10 Tank trucks shall be equipped with tank-mounted valves to enable rapid shut-off if an emergency arises.
5.11 The vendor shall notify the CWD’s authorized representative immediately of any delay en route.
5.12 Deliveries to CWD shall be made in single compartment tankers or in the case of smaller deliveries in a single compartment of a multi-compartment tanker. CWD’s intent is to limit the number of hose hook-up per delivery (1 hook-up).
5.13 Tanker discharge valving shall include provisions (e.g. a three way fitting, one for the air line) for blowing off the hook-up line in the event that the delivery is interrupted before completion. Where chemicals are trans-loaded from a storage tank, rail car, or other container other than what is delivered to the CWD, the driver or trans-loader must initial that he/she has witnessed the trans-loading into the vehicle used for transport to the CWD facility. As evidence of this, the paperwork shall state the container identification such as the DOT UN# along with chemical name and an identification number of the tank truck used for transporting the chemical to the CWD facility. This assures CWD staff that the wrong chemical was not trans-loaded.
6. TRANSPORTATION PLAN
6.1 In order to fully comprehend the “chain-of-custody” before a chemical reaches its CWD destination, the CWD must be provided with a transportation plan along with the bid. Within this plan, a detailed explanation must be provided explaining all companies involved in the manufacturer, distribution, and transportation of the chemical to the CWD facility.
6.2 Any changes made to the transportation plan, during the contract, must be made known to the CWD two weeks prior to the proposed change. The proposed change must be sent certified mail to the following address: Jim Rita, Production Manager, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge MA 02138, where two weeks notice is not available, a fax shall be sent to Production Manager of Cambridge water treatment plant at the following number, (617) 349-4796(FAX). The fax shall be confirmed by a telephone call to the Production Manager. (617) 349-4789.
6.3 Included in this transportation plan shall be an emergency contact list for each company involved in the chemical manufacture, distribution, and transportation of the chemical. Included in this transportation plan shall also be a description of other chemicals manufactured, repackaged, trans-loaded and transported at each location affiliated with supplying the chemical to the CWD. Also include a description of how these chemicals are packaged.
6.4 Included in the transportation plan shall be a detailed description of the personal protective equipment required of the driver during the delivery process at the CWTP. List each piece of required personal protective equipment. Chemical offloading may not occur if the driver does not have the proper personal protective equipment.
6.5 All required bid submissions will be reviewed by CWD staff. Include in the transportation plan a contact person and phone number who is available to answer questions posed by CWD staff during the bid selection process.
6.6 The vendor (as well as its contractors affiliated with supplying the chemical to the CWD facility) must provide information on their accidental release history as part of the transportation plan.
7. CWD SITE VISIT/VENDOR SITE VISIT
7.1 If the vendor has not previously been contracted to supply chemical, a site visit by the vendor to Cambridge Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is required before the initiation of the contract.
7.2 Vendors intending to submit bids for the supply of Sodium Hypochlorite are encouraged to arrange to inspect the CWD Storage and Day tank. Inspection shall be arranged and coordinated through the Production Manager. Inspections shall be conducted at the bidders sole cost.
7.3 CWD reserves the right to inspect or visit any proposed vendor’s chemical manufacturer’s site along with any sites where the chemical will be trans-loaded, stored for distribution, or repackaged. CWD reserves the right to make such visits anytime during the bid evaluation process and at anytime during the life any chemical supply contract awarded.
7.4 The site visit will include a discussion of the transportation plan of the vendor. The vendor will attest to the fact that this transportation plan will not deviate and that any proposed changes would be provided to the CWD beforehand.
7.5 A site visit will also include a walk-through of the manufacturing process, what quality assurance and purity tests are performed on the product, possible contaminants along with mitigating measures, and how often quality assurance and purity tests are performed.
7.6 Should any concerns be raised by CWD personnel during the site visit, the vendor shall address those concerns. If possible changes are discussed and agreed upon they will be put in writing by the vendor and sent to the appropriate CWD personnel. The conditions will stand for the entire length of the contract unless otherwise noted.
8. SUBSTITITIONS OR CHANGES IN MANUFACTURER
8.1 The vendor may not substitute another manufacturer’s product or deliver any other chemical than what is agreed to at the time of award without prior written approval from CWD management. Failure to obtain such approval can result in forfeiture of the contract and the vendor removing any delivery made at the vendor’s expense.
8.2 If the CWD agrees to a substitution in material, the vendor is still responsible for ensuring that the appropriate paperwork is produced and given to the CWD via the delivery driver. If the normal paperwork requirements are not fulfilled CWD reserves to right to reject the delivery.
9. VENDOR CONTRACT AGREEMENTS
9.1 The transportation plan will disclose any conditions and requirements the vendor has with its contractors to manufacture, supply, and/or transport the chemical to the CWD. Disclosure includes conditions of the contract, including provisions for pre-job safety meeting orientations for contractors, training, necessary personal protective equipment, and emergency response procedures that the vendor requires of its contractors.
10. CUSTOMER REFERENCES
10.1 Provide three (3) possible water treatment plants that have been supplied the chemical in truckload quantities on an annual bid basis within the last three years.
11. POSSIBLE SUBMISSION OF ADDITIONAL DATA
11.1. Bidders may be required to submit some or all of the following during the bid evaluation process or during the life of any chemical supply contract that is awarded based on this bid:
11.11 An audited financial statement
11.12 Capacity of facilities
11.13 List of current customer base for the last five years
11.14 Security measures at all applicable facilities
11.15 Age and/or maintenance performed on rail cars and tank trucks used for CWD chemicals
12. CONTAINERS AND APPURTANENCES
12.1 All containers and appurtenances shall be dedicated solely to that chemical.
If the chemical containers or packaging are damaged, they will not be accepted. This minimizes any chance for possible contamination. The damaged products will be returned and proper replacement will be provided accordingly at the vendor’s expense. All drums, totes, pails used for the delivery of any chemical to the Cambridge Water Department shall remain the property of the vendor and will be removed at the vendor’s expense. All costs associated with this requirement are to be included in the bid price.
12.2 Any containers or tank trucks found leaking chemicals shall not be allowed to enter or depart from the CWD facility until the contractor or the designated representative makes appropriate repairs. Any cargo found to be leaking chemicals will be considered an emergency situation requiring immediate attention by the vendor and its contractors.
13. SAFETY AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
13.1 The vendor shall ensure that all parties involved in supplying the chemical to the CWD facility observe the applicable safety practices. This includes wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment during trans-loading and offloading operations. Such operations shall not begin unless the personal protective equipment is worn.
13.2 The driver shall always wear the appropriate protective face and body apparel when unloading the chemical. The driver shall also be fully educated (classroom & hands-on training) in Hazardous Communication regulations to ensure that they know what to do should an emergency occur on-site or while traveling to the facility.
13.3 In no case will a driver transport the chemical without being trained on the use of the specific truck used to transport the chemical to the CWD facility.
14. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS OF VENDORS
14.1 Vendors that deliver hazardous chemicals must assure that their employees are trained on performing the job safely, of the hazards related to the job, and applicable provisions in CWD emergency response plans. Upon request by the CWD, vendors must present information regarding the vendors’ safety performance as highlighted below:
14.11Assure that their employees are trained in safe work practices;
14.12 Assure that their employees are instructed in the known potential fire, explosion, or toxic release hazards related to the job;
14.13 Document the required training and the means to verify that their employees have understood the training;
14.14 Assure that their employees follow the CWD’s safety rules and work practices.
14.15 The training records shall contain the identity of the employees, the dates of training, and the means used to verify that the training was understood.
15. TRAINING AND TECHNICAL SERVICES
15.1Upon request, the contractor shall provide at no additional cost to the CWD, a one-half day formal on-site classroom training session to CWD employees for each supplied chemical. The training classes shall be given within three months of the beginning of the contract period.
15.2 The training session shall include but not to be limited to the characteristics of the supplied chemical, safe operating and maintenance practices, emergency response, routine operational observations or maintenance tasks, and technical guidance to assure that the workforce is adequately acquainted with all aspects of handling and using the supplied chemical.
15.3 The instructor shall have sufficient experience and qualifications that will enable him/her to present a training session that is meaningful and complete.
15.4 The vendor shall coordinate the scheduling of training with CWD Production Manager.
16. SAFETY DATA SHEETS
16.1 The vendor must submit a manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS) prior to CWD’s first delivery. A new SDS must be submitted to the CWD if any revision or change occurs during the contract.
17. WEIGHT CERTIFICATE
17.1 Where applicable, all deliveries shall be accompanied by weight certificates or certificates issued by a certified scale operator.
17.2 Weight slips shall be the basis of vendor invoices for this (these) contracts. Invoices shall be corrected to reflect the specific gravity of each load. CWD specific gravity measures will be considered final. CWD stockpiles all delivery samples for a period of time to allow for vendor verification in the event of a question or dispute.
17.3 CWD measures each chemical delivery with various tank height gauges. If CWD finds a discrepancy between weight slips and CWD volume measurements, CWD will notify the vendor. The vendor shall work with CWD staff to resolve disputes. In the event of the failure to resolve delivery volume issues, CWD measurement will be considered final for billing purposes.
18. DEPARTURE
18.1 The driver must make sure that all of the cargo has been unloaded, the appropriate paperwork has been signed, and that all previously open outlets and valves are closed to ensure that nothing can leak out of the vehicle.
18.2 At the conclusion of each delivery, the driver shall remove all materials (chemicals) that are leaked or wasted as part of the delivery process. All materials deposited on the loading area floor shall be cleaned up and removed. This included all leakage from truck valves, vendor hoses and from the making and breaking of hose hook-up to CWD piping. All spill/drip buckets shall be emptied: all chemicals and spillage shall be removed from the CWD facility by the driver following vendor materials handing protocols.
18.3 In the event of a hazardous material spill event occurring during a chemical delivery to the CWD facility, CWD will follow standard operating procedures and call first responders, the Cambridge Fire Department. This will be followed by calls to the vendor involved, to Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and a spill clean-up contractor.
18.4 Vendors are responsible for first response costs, clean-up costs, and disposal costs associated with failures of their equipment, personnel, or their operating procedures.
19. SECURITY
19.1 Upon Request by the Water Department, the driver will show their Driver’s License to the Operator
accepting the delivery.
19.2 Upon Request, by the Water Department, the Vendor will acknowledge Driver License information.
20. INVOICING
20.1 No additional fees will be added to invoices. CWD will only be charged the unit price per gallon for all deliveries.
20.2 All invoices will be sent to CWD’s accounts payable email address, Waterinvoices@cambridgema.gov
Item 1. Specifications Aluminum Sulfate 48% Iron Free Liquid Composition
Meets current AWWA Standard B403 and:
The Cities estimated annual usage is 250,000 gallons. The City expects to order deliveries of 5,000 gallons for each delivery. The usage noted on this bid document is based on an estimate volume: the City may increase or decrease the actual usage as required. The delivery volumes are standard but CWD reserves the right to increase or decrease delivery volumes based on plant operations. Delivery made to CWD via dedicated tank truck that is only used to transport Aluminum Sulfate, and transferred to bulk storage tanks as directed by CWD delivery inspector. Storage Tank Volume: 3 x 11,000 gallons. Average Daily Use: 600 +/-100 gallons.
Certificate of Analysis: At a minimum to include: Lot Number, Appearance, Al203 percent (8.1 – 8.4) and acceptable range, Specific Gravity @60o F and acceptable range of 1.318 – 1.335 Total Iron as Fe to be less than 25 mg/L (ppm). Pounds per gallon.
Item 2. Specifications Ammonium Sulfate 40%- Liquid
The Cities estimated annual usage is 30,000 gallons. The City expects to order deliveries of 2,000 gallons for each delivery. The usage noted on this bid document is based on an estimate volume: the City may increase or decrease the actual usage as required. The delivery volumes are standard but CWD reserves the right to increase or decrease delivery volumes based on plant operations. Tank Volume: 2,500 gallons Average Daily Use: 60 +/-10 gallons.
Certificate of Analysis at a minimum to include: Date and Time of Manufacture, Appearance, Assay- Ammonium sulfate in percent, Water insoluble Matter less than 0.01%, Specific Gravity @60o F: 1.23 and acceptable range, pH of solution. Pounds per gallon.
Item 3. Specifications Sodium Bisulfite
Meets current AWWA Standard B703 and:
The Cities estimated annual usage is 4000 gallons. The City expects to order deliveries of 450 gallons for each delivery. The usage noted on this bid document is based on an estimate volume: the City may increase or decrease the actual usage as required. The delivery volumes are standard but CWD reserves the right to increase or decrease delivery volumes based on plant operations. Tank Volume: 460 gallons Average Daily Use: 10 +/-5 gallons.
Certificate of Analysis: At a minimum to include: Lot or Batch Number, Railcar Number. Assay, Color, Specific Gravity @ 77oF and acceptable pH range.
Please select one
If a corporation, include the State in which you are incorporated in.
If a partnership, include the names of partners.
If an individual, include relevant information.
Please include the name, title, telephone and email address of the authorized representative
The Vendor/Contractor certifies that it has not been and currently is not debarred or suspended by any federal, state, or municipal governmental agency under G. L. c. 29, § 29F or other applicable law, nor will it contract with a debarred or suspended subcontractor on any public contract.
An unchecked response, a failure to respond, or a failure to meet to any of the following Quality Requirements will result in a rejection of your bid. Please check each of the following Quality Requirements as confirmations.
All chemicals bid on have National Sanitation Foundation Standard 60 Approval.
The Bidder has at least five years of experience selling the proposed chemical to municipal or private water facilities for the production of potable water.
The Bidder’s manufacturing or transshipment point is within five (5) regular travel hours from 250 Fresh Pond Parkway.
Bidders shall submit a list of three potable water treatment plant references for which the bidder has supplied similar services. References shall include contact information including contact name, addresses and telephone numbers for each to inquire as to their satisfaction with the bidders’ product and service. In addition, the City reserves the right to use itself as a reference, to contact references not listed and to otherwise perform its own due diligence when making a responsibility determination. A bid maybe rejected on the basis of one or more references reporting less than excellent past performance.
Include contact name, address and telephone #
Include contact name, address and telephone #
Include contact name, address and telephone #
Please electronically sign and upload the following documents using this URL: https://cambridgema.na4.adobesign.com/public/esignWidget?wid=CBFCIBAA3AAABLblqZhCD4UnZSN3XyfqZi9ZxGyvlhSnIlYThymiofiiHN4CtIXU4t2tYM27cVaMk7bVx6AI*
Bidder certifies that this bid is made without collusion with any other person, firm or corporation making any other bid or who otherwise would make a bid.
Please download the below Vendor Chemical Bid Data Sheet form. Complete one form for each chemical bid on and upload your completed forms below.
Please upload specification documents for each chemical bid on.
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SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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