Report Prepared by: Charles Slagter, WWTP Operations Supervisor
Title
SUBJECT: Approval to Issue Purchase Order to SNF Polydyne for the Supply and Delivery of Cationic Polymer Emulsion for the Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Amount of $700,000 for Fiscal Year 2025/2026
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers approving to authorize the Purchasing Supervisor to issue a purchase order to SNF Polydyne in the amount of $700,000 for FY 25/26 for the supply and delivery of cationic polymer emulsion for the Wastewater Treatment Plant operation through June 30, 2026.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion authorizing the Purchasing Supervisor to issue a purchase order to SNF Polydyne for the supply and delivery of cationic polymer emulsion in the amount of $700,000 for the fiscal year 2025/2026.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommend by Staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to other than recommended by Staff; or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Refer to Staff for reconsideration of specific items; or,
5. Continue to a future meeting.
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 200 et seq.
Merced Municipal Code Chapter 3.04 Article III - the purchase of materials, supplies, equipment, and contractual services of an estimated value greater than thirty-eight thousand dollars ($38,000), the “contract threshold”, shall be made by the purchasing supervisor by written contract with the lowest responsible bidder.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
As provided for in the 2025/2026 Proposed Budget.
DISCUSSION
The Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) uses cationic polymer in the biosolids dewatering treatment process. Polymer reacts with the solids to help them bind together as floc to dewater efficiently through the centrifuge. The amount of polymer needed for biosolids processing varies each year. On average, the WWTP uses approximately 300,000 pounds of polymer.
The WWTP operations staff has worked with various vendors to find the best blend of polymer that removes solids from the wastewater, which improves the time needed to dry the solids produced in the wastewater. Polymer vendors are required to qualify their product through onsite demonstration and establish over several processing cycles that their product meets the performance criteria for efficient dewatering. Once vendors have qualified, they are invited to bid through the public bidding process. SNF Polydyne’s WE-1609 Clarifoc outperforms their competitors’ products by a considerable margin and represents the best performance possible for the City of Merced WWTP sludge dewatering process.
An invitation for bids was previously advertised both in the Merced County Times newspaper and the City’s website. Bids were publicly opened on April 21, 2023. SNF Polydyne was the only bid submitted at $1.93 per pound (with sales tax the price is $2.09 per pound). Council authorized issuing purchase order(s), over the 2-year bid term, to SNF Polydyne at their July 3, 2023, meeting, with an initial bid term ending June 30, 2025. A purchase order, rather than a contract, was the more appropriate purchasing method due the shipping method, with City staff unloading the product at the WWTP.
At this time, SNF Polydyne is the sole vendor qualified through the product demonstration process at the WWTP. SNF Polydyne has agreed to maintain their bid pricing through June 30, 2026. Estimating 300,000 pounds of polymer at $2.09 per pound (which includes sales tax and shipping), plus a $73,000 dollar contingency, WWTP staff is requesting Council authorize the issuance of a purchase order to SNF Polydyne for up to $700,000 for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, for the biosolids dewaterting treatment process at the WWTP.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
Funds for solids handling polymer is included in the proposed FY 25/26 budget, account number 60006070-511041.
ATTACHMENTS
1. SNF Polydyne Letter