GENERAL INFORMATION

The El Paso Water Utilities has a centralized purchasing system though physically it is decentralized. The Utility procures the bulk of its daily operational supplies, equipment and/or services through its outlying plants and other sites. Purchases that require a formal bid process are advertised in the El Paso Times, Monday through Friday. These formal bids are posted at various sites: The entrance of the administration building; the Dodge Room; the Small Business Development Center at the El Paso Community College and our web page on the Internet. The web page address for the Utility is www.epwu.org. In addition, companies who have expressed an interest in bidding on our requirements are notified through E-mail or a fax that the bid is available.

PURCHASING INFORMATION

Purchases Up to $ 1,500

Non-routine items for less than fifty ($50) dollars are currently being purchased with either petty cash or the El Paso Water Utilities Credit Card. The Utility has implemented a credit card system for these purchases up to fifteen hundred dollars.

Only purchases up to $1,500 within El Paso County will be approved. Purchases shall not be split-divided over a period of time to get under $1,500 and then making multiple purchases.

The following procedures shall apply:

Within El Paso County:

• If the company does accept credit cards, make the purchase and follow the procedures for credit card purchases.
• If the company does not accept credit cards, one signed quote and a requisition shall be provided to Purchasing.

Outside of El Paso County:

• If the company accepts credit cards, provide a signed quote and forward to Purchasing with a request to purchase the item(s) with the credit cards. Purchasing shall make the purchase.
• If the company does not accept credit cards, one signed quote and a requisition shall be provided to Purchasing.

Purchases Up to $ 5,000

For purchases up to $ 5,000, one signed quote is required. It is recommended that quotes be obtained from a small locally-owned, minority or woman-owned business enterprise.

Three written quotes are required - two must be from a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB). The definition of a Historically Underutilized Business follows:

1. A corporation formed for the purpose of making a profit in which at least 51 percent of all classes of the shares of stock or other equitable securities are owned by one or more persons who have been historically underutilized (socially disadvantaged) because of their identification as members of certain groups, including, but not limited to : Black Americans; Hispanic Americans; Women; Asian Pacific Americans; and Native Americans who have a proportionate interest and demonstrate active participation in the control, operation and management of the corporations affairs.
2. A sole proprietorship created for the purpose of making a profit that is 100 percent owned, operated and controlled by a person in 1 above.
3. A partnership formed for the purpose of making a profit in which 51 percent of the assets and interest in the partnership is owned by one or more persons described in 1 above and have a proportionate interest and demonstrate active participation in the control, operation and management of the partnerships affairs.
4. A joint venture in which each entity in the joint venture is a historically underutilized business.
5. A supplier contract between a HUB and a prime contractor in which the business is directly involved in the manufacture or distribution of the supplies or materials or otherwise warehouses and ships the supplies.

If a HUB vendor is not available for a specific commodity, then the Utility is free to contact any three vendors for a quote. Both routine and emergency requirements which are needed immediately shall be handled as described above.

Purchases Over $ 50,000

Formal bids for supplier material and/or services over $50,000 are required by State law.