Amendment_2_Q_As_0002.docx

Rehabilitate the Madison Junction Water Treatment System Solicitation 140P1422R0006: Q&As (from 2022/06/21 site visit & questions received via email)

Contracting / Bidding Questions Q1. Does the National Park Service (NPS) anticipate doing a bid extension for this solicitation?

A1. The bid due date for this solicitation is being extended for one week.

Q2. Does the NPS anticipate any flexibility on the period of performance end date?

A2. The end date for the period of performance is based on the need to have the new pumphouse online in the timeframe provided. The deadline for demolition of the old pumphouse could possibly be extended though this is not guaranteed.

General Project Information Q3. What is the purpose of this project?

A3. This project will improve the Madison Junction potable water system. The water system is spring-fed and was previously considered groundwater. The EPA has changed the system designation to “Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water” meaning that filtration is now required in addition to the chlorination that was already taking place. The work included in this project will replace the existing pumphouse with a new pumphouse that includes the required additional treatment and associated monitoring equipment. The new building will also house a backup generator.

Q4. Was this project bid out before?

A4. Yes, this project was bid out previously as part of solicitation 140P1422R0001. That original solicitation included both replacement of the Madison Pumphouse and replacement of the spring collection system that feeds this pumphouse. The project has now been split into phases and this solicitation only includes replacement of the pumphouse, pumphouse yard piping, and connection to the existing water main. The spring collection system is not included in this project.

Q5. Are point-of-use water treatment units still included in this project?

A5. No, the point-of-use treatment units included in the original solicitation (140P1422R0001) are not included in the current project. These will be completed either in-house by the National Park Service or in another contract.

Q6. During the first round of bidding, were any required items noted to have unusually long lead times?

A6. What items may currently have long lead times is unknown and subject to change based on market conditions. The NPS cannot say what items might have the longest lead times.

Site Access

Q7. The file “Attachment_2_-_Specifications_Correction_Sheet” included in this solicitation mentions two housing options available for the contractor. Are these all available throughout the duration of the contract?

A7. The housing mentioned in the Specifications Correction Sheet includes: two (2) RV sites (with hookups) at Madison Junction Government Area; and ten (10) campsites at the Norris Campground with no hookups and not designed to accommodate large RVs. All of these sites will be available to the contractor both in 2022 and 2023 except during winter closure. Potable water availability at both at the RV sites and in the campground comfort stations is dependent on weather conditions and water will not be available when there is a risk of pipes freezing.

Q8. When are park roads open to administrative travel?

A8. As noted in the Specifications, Section 01 11 00, Part 1.4B, “Vehicular access to the Madison Junction area, in general, will be allowed from April 15 to November 1. Adverse weather may cause short-term closures of the Park during this time. After November 1, the Park will notify the Contractor 24 hours before one last snow-plowing of the main roads.” Administrative travel could possibly be allowed after November 1st depending on snow conditions, but it is not guaranteed. Commercial oversnow travel to the Madison area generally opens around December 15th, depending on snow conditions, and closes around March 15th.

Q9. During the site visit, Firehole Canyon Drive was closed due to undercutting. Will this road be open during the contract performance? Will the public be using the road?

A9. Whether the Firehole Canyon Drive will reopen to the public during this contract is currently unknown. The section of road between the road entrance (north end) and the service road to the pumphouse is not affected by undercutting so can be used by the contractor. The section of road between the service road turnoff and the pullout just downhill of the pumphouse is not affected by the undercut. The contractor will be able to drive to this pullout and park there. Depending on the road condition beyond the pullout, the contractor may not be able to drive past the pullout. If the Firehole Canyon Drive reopens for public access during the contract period, the contractor will be required to maintain one-way public access and not block the road. Brief blocking of the road at the pullout (e.g., for a material delivery) may possibly be allowed but must be coordinated with the Contracting Officer.

Q10. Are there roads in the park that will be closed during this project?

A10. The park’s North Entrance Road (Mammoth-to-Gardiner) and Northeast Entrance Road (Tower to Silver Gate) will likely be closed throughout the duration of this contract. No other major road closures are anticipated. Road construction projects are ongoing at the Lewis River Bridge (on the South Entrance Road) and in the corridor between Old Faithful and West Thumb. The Lewis River Bridge project could involve delays of up to 20 minutes and occasional overnight closures from 7pm to 9am from September to November 1, 2022. The Old Faithful to West Thumb project could involve delays of up to 30 minutes and overnight closures from 8pm to 6am from September 5 to November 1, 2022. Additional road work by the NPS could occur during this contract but exact locations are unknown. Also note that “Adverse weather may cause short-term closures” as stated in the Specifications, Section 01 11 00, Part 1.4B.

Q11. Will winter work be allowed on this project? How could the site be accessed?

A11. Winter work will be allowed on the project, but the contractor shall be responsible for transportation to and from the site. The contractor would be required to obtain transportation into and out of the site through park-authorized concessioners, using their allocated “transportation events”, as described in the “Attachment_2_-_Specifications_Correction_Sheet” file.

Site Work Q12. Are the bypass lines around the pumphouse included in this project, or were they part of the scope that was removed?

A12. All lines around the pumphouse are included in this project. As noted in the file “Attachment_2_-_Specifications_Correction_Sheet”, under “Scope of Work”, “the definition and physical extent of Bid Item 2 shall be adjusted to include all work necessary for connecting the existing water line from the spring collection areas as well as all piping related to the new pumphouse (including its overflow line). Since Line Item 3 will not be completed through this contract, the pumphouse shall be connected to the existing rather than a new main.” The “piping related to the pumphouse” includes Manhole 4 (see Sheet C3.1) and all piping downstream of Manhole 4 as shown on the plans. This includes both pipes leaving Manhole 4, the wet well overflow line from the overflow through its outlet, the floor drain line from the pumphouse, the discharge pipeline from the pumphouse including its service line and yard hydrant as well as its tie-in to the existing 8” main and all associated fittings and valves on the 8” main around that tie-in.

Q13. Where will the new pumphouse piping be tied in to the existing 6” main from the spring collection areas?

A13. Upstream of Manhole 4, the contractor shall tie into the existing 6” pipe somewhere downstream of “Collection Box E” (an existing spring box located where Manhole E is shown on Sheet C3.1). The contractor shall submit their tie-in plan to the Contracting Officer.

Q14. Do trees that have been cut down need to be removed from the site?

A14. Yes, trees that have been cut down must be removed from the site as noted in Specification Section 31 10 00, Part 3.4 A6: “Dispose of all slash, trees, root material no designated to be chipped on site, OFF NPS LANDS, at an approved landfill and in a lawful manner or other approved areas.”

Q15. Are large boulders likely to be encountered during excavation?

A15. The soil in the area is unclassified. Site photos included at the end of this document show some rocks visible on the ground surface.

Q16. Do spoils and any large rocks or boulders encountered during excavation need to be hauled offsite?

A16. According to project Specifications, Section 31 10 00, Part 3.8, the contractor shall “Remove surplus soil material, unsuitable topsoil, obstructions, demolished materials, and waste materials including trash and debris, and legally dispose of them outside the Park.” However, the contractor is encouraged to use spoils in the site regrading as much as possible to minimize how much soil if any must be hauled offsite. Similarly, the Contracting Officer will work with the contractor to position rocks onsite as part of the landscaping where possible rather than requiring them to be hauled off.

Q17. What are the finished floor elevations of the new pumphouse building and the existing?

A17. The existing pumphouse has a finished floor elevation of about 6854.2’. The new pumphouse will have a finished floor elevation of 6860.00’ (plans, Sheet C2.0).

Electricity Q18. Can the same electrical service be used or will a new one be needed?

A18. As noted in the file “Attachment_2_Specifications_Correction_Sheet”, the contractor shall be responsible for coordinating with NorthWestern Energy to get power moved from the existing pumphouse to the new pumphouse (see Specification Section 01 73 40, Part 3.2 A1a) and paying NorthWestern Energy for their portion of the work. NorthWestern Energy (NWE) conducted a site visit for this project on August 11, 2021. However, since NWE is unable to provide a precise quote for this work between now and the solicitation due date, the contractor shall plan on paying up to $20,000 to NWE for their portion of the work to remove the electricity and electric service from the existing building and provide electric service to the new building. If NWE’s costs charged to the contractor exceeds $20,000, this shall be addressed through a modification to this contract. Note that the new electric line shall be buried as shown on the plans (see Sheet C2.2 for more information).

Communication / SCADA Equipment Questions Q19. The E1.4 indicates only 2 of the 3 level switches labeled “LT” which indicates level transmitter as labeled on G1.3 Legend. The level switch will only indicate on/off and will not indicate an actual level in the collection basin. Please confirm these are level switches and not level transmitters.

A19. These are level switches and not level transmitters.

Q20. It would be recommended to utilize a level transmitter for monitoring/logging actual levels for reporting, seasonal trends, testing well performance and perforation conditions for plugging which typically requires maintenance.

A20. The design phase of this project included discussion regarding whether a level transmitter or level switches would be most appropriate for this application. The wet well is fed by a gravity line from spring boxes and is expected to be overflowing most of the time except when the pumps are pumping, so the level is not likely to provide useful information about the system.

Q21. Upon requesting for quote on the specified Bosch Auto Dialer the mfg. rep stated we’d need a certification for programming and commissioning. Is the parks personnel certified and is that something we could pass through to go around the certification process? They also explained that the specified dialer doesn’t have enough digital inputs to do what the control narrative requires. I have requested a part number for upgrading for more inputs for a similar device.

A21. Park personnel is certified to work on Bosch Auto Dialers. However, the contractor (or subcontractor) will need their own certification for Bosch systems so that they can do programming and commissioning. A Bosch Input Expansion Module (e.g., B208 SDI2 8-Input Expansion Module) can be used with the specified dialer to accommodate the number of inputs needed.

Q22. The specified Sensus/Xylem flow meter’s output (AMI/AMR) is not compatible with use of a PLC (Programable Logic Controller), HMI SCADA System, and Auto Dialer. This type of meter is typically used for wireless metering for billing individual customers and is not typically used on the utility source of supply. It appears they do have a device which will communicate (AMI/AMR), off the output from a standard mag meter (4-20mA & pulse output) which may accomplish the same or similar functionality. I’m still researching this aspect.

A22. Yellowstone National Park uses the Sensus FlexNet meter read system for all park meters including at water treatment plants, which is why Sensus AMI/AMR output is required for this meter in addition to configurable pulse output (per Specification Section 33 14 00, Part 2.3 L1b7). If the meter specified cannot have both of these output types to facilitate both FlexNet meter reads and SCADA/HMI/auto dialer compatibility, an alternate Sensus-brand meter model meeting all listed specifications in Section 33 14 00, Part 2.3 L may be substituted. As noted in the specifications (Section 33 14 00, Part 2.3 L3), “Software and output capability shall reflect the intent of the process control narrative specified in Section 25 51 00”.

NOTE: Liquidated Damages Clause has not been incorporated into this solicitation and resultant contract.

Site Photos

Some photos of the Madison Junction Pumphouse area are shown below. These do not show all details of the site but are provided for general information. Directions listed are approximate.

Access road to pumphouse (turnoff from Firehole Canyon Drive).

Access road to pumphouse, facing Firehole Canyon Drive.

Existing pumphouse from access road; view facing southwest.

View of existing pumphouse from access road; view facing northwest.

Existing pumphouse, view facing south.

Next to existing pumphouse, facing northeast (toward new pumphouse site).

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