Sioux City approves $1.1m WWTP odor-control contract with no fixed performance guarantee
Sioux City Field Services, Iowa · Meeting date: October 19, 2026 · Published: October 20, 2026
Sioux City Council unanimously approved a full-service odor-control agreement with US Peroxide, doing business as USP Technologies, for its wastewater treatment plant. The supplier was the only bidder, and the agreement relies on operational monitoring and adjustable chemical dosing rather than a specified odor-reduction target.
Key points
- Council approved the one-year agreement with USP Technologies as part of its consent agenda, 5-0.
- The contract is capped at $1.1 million and may be extended through four additional one-year options.
- USP Technologies was the sole respondent after the city solicited proposals from five capable vendors.
- Staff said it can alter or stop chemical use if results are unsatisfactory, using air- and water-phase monitoring, sulfide testing and odor logs.
Full report
Sioux City Council has approved a one-year agreement worth up to $1.1 million for full-service odor control at its wastewater treatment plant, selecting US Peroxide LLC, doing business as USP Technologies of Glen Allen, Virginia, as the sole bidder.
The resolution passed 5-0 as part of the October 19 consent agenda. The agreement is funded from the Sewer Fund’s treatment-operations chemicals account, which had an available balance of $2.28 million, according to the council packet. It includes four one-year extension options.
City staff said five vendors capable of providing the service were invited to submit proposals, but USP Technologies was the only firm to respond. The Public Works Director said other vendors had indicated they could offer competitive prices for iron-based chemicals, but did not respond on peroxide-based treatment and may have been deterred by the specialised service requirements.
Council members pressed staff on whether the arrangement offered sufficient protection given its value and the plant’s history of odor-control concerns. Staff said the agreement does not set written guarantees requiring the chemicals to achieve a specific odor-control outcome. Instead, the city will pay based on the volume of chemicals purchased and retain authority over dosing levels.
The Pretreatment Manager said the city can reduce, increase or change chemical application if treatment performance is not satisfactory, rather than being locked into a fixed chemical programme. Monitoring will include vapor-phase air measurements and water-phase sulfide testing at multiple locations. USP Technologies will have access to odor logs through the city network, while the agreement requires the supplier to provide and calibrate odor logs monthly and conduct sulfide tests in the water.
The proposed unit prices are $6.73 per gallon for 50% hydrogen peroxide, $8.07 per gallon for SulFeLox, $4.95 per gallon for 22–28% ferrous chloride, $6.40 per gallon for 38–42% ferric chloride, and $1.20 per pound for SulFeLox DG.
Staff said incoming wastewater characteristics can change hourly because of industrial inputs, limiting a supplier’s ability to guarantee a fixed result. However, the city said it knows its principal commercial and residential sources and will use its monitoring data to manage treatment dosing.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: City Council, Sioux City Field Services