PWS NIWTP Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative UPDATE.pdf

International Boundary and Water Commission United States and Mexico United States Section Operations and Maintenance Division

International Boundary and Water Commission United States and Mexico United States Section

Front Cover

Performance Work Statement Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

Solicitation No. 191BWC25R0002

April 2025 May 2025

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

FY25 PWS NIWTP Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative UPDATE

The below are changes related to this May 2025 document in comparison to the April 2025 version.

All changes are highlighted within the document.

• Table of Contents revised

• Section 2.1.G revised

• Section 2.1.J revised

• Section 2.1.L revised

• Section 2.2.K added

• Section 3.1.A.6 revised

• Section 8 Questions and Responses added

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

1 PROJECT SUMMARY

2 PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

3 DELIVERABLES

4 PROJECT COORDINATION & ADMINISTRATION

5 PROJECT MEETINGS

6 REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

7 MEASUREMENTS AND PAYMENTS

8 QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

SECTION 1

PROJECT SUMMARY

1.1 Purpose

A. The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) has a need to improve the waste sludge drying process at the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant (NIWTP). The sludge drying process is required to maintain a safe, reliable, and efficient wastewater treatment plant.

1.2 General

A. This Contract is for the purchase and installation of biosolids electro-osmosis dryer(s) and/or low temperature dryer(s) and the purchase and installation of automated screw press(es). The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing the services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government.

1.3 Description of Services

A. The Contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, transportation, tools, materials, permits, and supervision necessary to perform the work as defined in this Performance Work Statement (PWS).

B. Specifically, the work is to purchase and install biosolids electro-osmosis dryer(s) and/or low temperature dryer(s) and purchase and install automated screw press(es) at the NIWTP to achieve a minimum of 80% dry solid content. Biosolids technologies shall allow for redundancy by providing additional unit(s). This work needs to be performed to reduce the water content within the sludge and improve operation efficiency.

C. The work shall include providing the USIBWC with equipment specifications and requirements for the biosolids electro-osmosis dryer(s) and/or low temperature dryer(s) and automated screw press(es) for design purposes. Additionally, the work includes providing requirements for the design and construction of the enclosure and connections (i.e. plumbing, electrical, etc.). The USIBWC will be awarding a separate Design-Build contract. The Design-Build Contractor shall remove the existing belt filter presses and use the information provided by the Contractor to design and construct the equipment enclosure and connections (i.e. plumbing, electrical, etc.). Both Contractor and Design- Build Contractor shall coordinate closely for the installation of all equipment and shall be on site concurrently.

1.4 Objective

A. The objective of this PWS is to have a fully functioning automated biosolids sludge drying system that meets manufacturers’ specifications, USIBWC requirements and all applicable Federal, state and local regulatory requirements.

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

1.5 Project Location

A. The NIWTP is located in Rio Rico, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, approximately 9 miles north of the United States-Mexico border. The treatment plant is situated between the Santa Cruz River to the east and Arizona Highway 19 to the west. There is a railroad track between the highway and the wastewater treatment plant.

B. The NIWTP address is:

865 East Frontage Road (also known as Rio Rico Industrial Park) Rio Rico, Arizona 85648

1.6 Background

A. The NIWTP is currently treating approximately 17.6 million gallons per day (MGD) of raw sewage entering from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and Nogales, Arizona using the biological nutrient removal (BNR) process. The waste activated sludge (WAS) is treated by drum thickening. Wet sludge then flows to a storage pond to be pumped into one of two existing belt filter presses for dewatering. Current dewatering efforts may produce dry solids content in the range of 13% to 20%. Average monthly wet sludge is around 2,200 tons.

B. The USIBWC is seeking to maximize drying and operating efficiency by improving the biosolids sludge drying process.

1.7 Work Restrictions

A. The Contractor is responsible for conducting business between the hours of 7:30 AM through 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday except for Federal holidays or when the Government facility is closed due to local or national emergencies, administrative closings, or similar Government-directed facility closings.

B. Railroad deliveries block the railroad crossing to/from the plant at random times. The secondary crossing is located approximately half a mile south of the main entrance and remains open most of the time however, it may not be suitable for all large vehicles.

SECTION 2

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Work Requirements

A. The Contractor shall furnish and install new biosolids electro-osmosis dryer(s) and/or biosolids low temperature dryer(s), complete in place. Equipment shall be retrofitted to fit the NIWTP requirements and shall not require an original design.

B. The Contractor shall furnish one year’s supply of new spare parts for the biosolids electro-osmosis dryer(s) and/or biosolids low temperature dryer(s) as per manufacturer’s(s’) recommendations.

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

C. The Contractor shall furnish and install new biosolids screw press(es), complete in place. Equipment shall be retrofitted to fit the NIWTP requirements and shall not require an original design.

D. The Contractor shall furnish one year’s supply of new spare parts for the biosolids screw press(es) as per manufacturer’s recommendations.

E. The Contractor shall be responsible for all connections, including but not limited, to plumbing and electrical distribution network, and shall provide all apparatuses and accessories required to properly run and operate all newly installed equipment. Work shall comply with all applicable regulations and laws.

F. The Contractor shall coordinate the installation with the contractor of the separate contract selected by the Government to design and construct the enclosure required for the selected technologies through this Contract to ensure smooth transition and minimize error at the NIWTP.

G. The Contractor shall start up and test all newly installed equipment in accordance with manufacturers’ specifications and recommendations and provide as-builts.

H. The Contractor shall ensure proper function and operation of all newly installed equipment, including all connections and appurtenances.

I. The Contractor shall train USIBWC staff to use the newly installed equipment.

J. The Contractor shall interface all newly installed equipment with the current NIWTP SCADA system, including but not limited to:

1. Ensure the end devices are in-place (PLCs). Contractor shall examine the feasibility of using existing PLCs

2. Installation of Fiber and copper lines in order to make final connections

3. PLC Devices shall push one way communication for the monitoring of Flow Data

4. Ensure that the new system can be controlled from the Main SCADA system within the control room.

5. Ensure there is manual control and operation in place in-case of automation failure

6. Contractor shall have knowledge and certifications in Ignition (Inductive Automation), Cisco Networking Equipment, Rockwell Solutions experience, VMWare, Fiber networks, VLANs, and firewall configuration. MS Win experience, Programming (Java, SQL, Python) and thin-manager experience.

7. Provide a list of new HW and SW components, along with any IP addresses that were configured

8. Provide as-builts on the new system

K. The Contractor shall obtain all required permits (i.e. Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Santa Cruz County, MSGP, SWPPP, any local permitting, etc.)

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

L. The Contractor shall obtain clearance for all personnel working on the project. This project requires a Tier 4 background check or a Top-Secret Equivalent prior to the start of work.

M. Installation and implementation of all new equipment shall not interfere with the continued operation of the NIWTP. It shall be the Contractor’s financial and operational responsibility to provide onsite temporary sludge dewatering equipment to continue process without causing disruption to the plant’s sludge disposal process (i.e. portable, trailer mounted equipment).

2.2 Minimum Biosolids Technologies Requirements

A. Meet the maximum footprint of 150’ X 50’

B. Automated operation for a minimum of 16 hour per day, 7 days per week with operator attendance required only for minor inspections and/or adjustments

C. Meet the following parameters:

Flow Rate 485,000 gallons per day (gpd)

Feed Rate (dry solids) 30,400 pounds per day (ppd)

Feed Sludge Concentration 7,500 milligrams per Liter (mg/L) Operating Cycle at Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers

7 days per week 9 hours per day

D. Technologies shall be capable of handling sludge dewatering parameters as stated in the previous item (2.2.C) while ensuring redundancy (full operation shall continue if one unit is offline)

E. Automated screw press(es) shall achieve a minimum of 18% dry solid content

F. Electro-osmosis dryer(s) and/or low temperature dryer(s) shall achieve a minimum of 80% dry solid content

G. Startup and shutdown times of 30 minutes or less, each

H. Life expectancy of 20 years or greater

I. Meet all Federal, state and local regulations regarding odors and vectors

J. Interface with the current NIWTP SCADA system

K. Meet all Federal regulations and compliance regarding protection of the system, including but not limited to:

1. The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014

2. NIST SP-800-82, Revision 3, Guide to Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security

3. DHS-Homeland Security’s Recommended Practice: Improving Industrial Control System Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies, September 2016

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

4. DHS-Homeland Security’s Configuring and Managing Remote Access for Industrial Control Systems, November 2010

5. DHS-Homeland Security’s Recommended Practice for Patch Management of Control Systems, December 2008

2.3 Minimum Proposal Requirements

A. Bidders shall include a company capability statement or narrative demonstrating the firm’s experience and capability to perform the requirements set above. Capability statements shall include the following information:

1. General company description to include business name and address, point of contact with e-mail address and telephone number, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), NAICS code(s) applicable to this requirement and business size and type (i.e. 8A, HUBZone, women-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, small or large business, etc.)

2. Description of technologies with general layout drawings

3. Labor and maintenance requirements including number of operators and work hours per day, safety concerns and comparison data

4. Estimate of the required investment including material, equipment, installation, engineering and prove-out costs, operations and maintenance costs including expected life cycle operational costs

5. Major partners and/or suppliers

6. Minimum and maximum monthly production rates of past production of same or similar technology

7. Environmental impacts

8. Demonstrate a minimum of 5 years of experience working on biosolids sludge dewatering

B. Bidders shall test the NIWTP biosolids sludge to determine, at minimum, the percent dry solid content achieved, drying time and run power use, and provide a 20-year cost savings analysis. Testing shall be performed utilizing the technologies and process that will be provided in your proposal. Bidders shall obtain biosolids sludge samples from the NIWTP in order to complete this requirement. It shall be the bidder’s physical and financial responsibility to obtain a biosolids wet sludge sample from the NIWTP during the scheduled pre-proposal conference and site visit in order to perform testing and submit results with their proposal.

C. Bidders shall provide the lead times for all proposed technologies and the process and time required to install, test and run all newly installed equipment.

D. Bidders shall provide detailed design specifications and requirements essential to the design and construction of the enclosure and all necessary connections (i.e. plumbing, electrical, etc.)

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

2.4 Project Schedule

A. The Contractor shall prepare a project schedule which shall reflect completion of all work under this PWS.

B. Schedule Updates

1. The Contractor shall submit a monthly report of the actual work progress and update the schedule as appropriate.

a. The Contractor shall indicate on the schedule those activities that were added, updated, or revised.

b. The progress report shall show the activities or portion of activities completed during the reporting period as an actual completion percentage for each activity.

c. The progress report shall state the percentage of the work completed and scheduled as of the report date.

C. Constraints and work restrictions shall be included in the work schedule.

2.5 Clean-Up and Disposal of Waste Materials

A. The Contractor shall be responsible for the cleanup and disposal of waste materials and rubbish from the site and staging area(s).

B. The disposal of waste materials and rubbish shall be in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and with the requirements in this Contract.

Should a conflict exist in the requirements for cleanup and disposal of waste materials, the most stringent requirements shall apply.

1. All waste, unless otherwise noted in these specifications, shall be disposed of at a licensed landfill or waste disposal facility.

2. Recyclables

a. The Contractor shall dispose of recyclable and reusable products through waste disposal only as a last option.

b. Scrap metal shall be donated or sold to scrap dealers or recycle centers whenever possible.

C. No excess materials shall be deposited with Government property unless compliance confirmed by the Government.

D. The Contractor shall maintain work and storage areas free from accumulations of waste materials and rubbish and, before completing the work, shall remove all temporary facilities, including, buildings, unused materials, concrete forms, and other like materials, which are not a part of the permanent work.

2.6 Warranty

A. The Contractor shall warrant that work performed under this PWS conforms to the Contract requirements and is free of any defect in workmanship performed by the

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

Contractor or any subcontractor or supplier at any tier for a period of at least one

(1) year after the acceptance of work.

B. The Contractor shall obtain warranties from responsible subcontractors, suppliers, and manufacturers, within sixty (60) days after completion of the applicable item of work, but no later than the date of warranty commencement.

C. Starting date of warranty is date of Government acceptance of the work.

D. A warranty requires that if a warranted item fails to meet Contract requirements, it shall be repaired, replaced, or have other remedial actions taken to bring the item into compliance with the Contract requirements. Any item damaged due to failure or malfunction of item warranted under this Contract shall be repaired or replaced at no cost to the Government.

2.7 Inspection and Acceptance Terms

Work will be inspected by the technical representative as outlined in attached QASP.

SECTION 3

DELIVERABLES

3.1 General

A. Deliverables include, but are not limited to:

1. Project Work Plan

a. Within 14 calendar days from contract award, Contractor shall provide a work plan.

b. Work plan shall identify the equipment, personnel, and technical approach to be used to complete the work.

c. Work plan shall include Health and Safety Plan and Job Safety Hazard Analysis

d. USIBWC will review the draft work plan and provide comments to the Contractor within 10 calendar days of receipt of the work plan.

e. The Contractor shall submit final work plan within 10 calendar days of receiving comments from USIBWC.

f. Work can commence only after written approval of the work plan by the COR.

2. Project Schedule

a. Project schedule is to be delivered to the COR within seven (7) Calendar Days of contract award.

3. The Contractor shall submit performance and payment bonds within 15 Calendar days of award.

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

4. The Contractor shall submit licenses and certifications of all personnel requiring licensing and certifications within 14 Calendar days of contract award.

5. The Contractor shall submit materials certifications within 14 Calendar days of award.

6. The Contractor shall provide manufacturers’ warranties, O&M manuals, shop drawings and as-builts. All submittals shall be provided as electronic and hard copies.

SECTION 4

PROJECT COORDINATION & ADMINISTRATION

4.1 General

A. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing all materials, equipment, labor, and services required by this PWS to perform the work for the Contract sum and within the Contract period of performance - 540 calendar days.

B. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all its suppliers, manufacturers and subcontractors have reviewed all applicable documents relative to their work. The Contractor shall provide all labor, material, equipment, and services not provided by the Contractor’s suppliers, manufacturers, fabricators, and/or subcontractors.

4.2 Security

A. The Contractor is responsible for securing the work site, equipment, and materials from vandalism and theft.

4.3 Safety

A. The Contractor is solely responsible for worksite safety while performing work or inspections on Government property. The Contractor shall implement a safety program that protects the lives and health of personnel in the project area, prevents damage to property, and avoids work interruptions.

B. The Contractor is responsible for being cognizant of and ensuring compliance with the requirements set forth. Such responsibility shall apply to both the Contractor’s operations and those of the Contractor’s subcontractors.

C. The Contractor shall comply with all provisions of all applicable regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 29 CFR 1910, Occupational Safety and Health Standards, and 29 CFR 1926, Construction Standards.

1. The OSHA 29 CFR 1910 and 29 CFR 1926 can be accessed at http://www.osha.gov or http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/.

D. The Contractor’s personnel shall be required to use appropriate personal protective equipment such as, but not limited to hard hats, safety goggles, welding shields, face shields, protective footwear, protective gloves, and hearing protection.

http://www.osha.gov/ http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

E. The Contractor shall perform daily housekeeping. The Government will not provide trash dumpsters.

4.4 Coordination

A. Contract operations shall be coordinated to ensure efficient and orderly progress of each part of the work. In addition to a Project Manager, the Contractor shall provide other administrative and supervisory personnel as required for proper coordination and administration of the work.

B. The Contractor’s Project Manager shall be available to the Government during business hours, as well as in emergencies.

C. After award of the Contract, the Contractor shall not remove or exchange personnel identified in their proposal unless employment with the Contractor ceases, they are unavailable due to a medical emergency, or they are requested to be replaced by the Government. Replacement can only take place after written approval from the Contracting Officer (CO).

D. The Contractor shall notify the maintenance inspector and the COR within 24 hours of any personnel changes in the Project Manager, Project Superintendent, any Field Superintendents, the Quality Control Manager, or any Safety and Health Officers.

E. The Contractor shall provide all equipment specifications and requirements for the biosolids electro-osmosis dryer(s) and/or low temperature dryer(s) and automated screw press(es). Additionally, the Contractor shall provide all requirements for the design and construction of the enclosure and connections (i.e. plumbing, electrical, etc.). The Contractor shall ensure sensitive information is not disclosed.

F. The Contractor shall coordinate all installation of the biosolids electro-osmosis dryer(s) and/or low temperature dryer(s) and automated screw press(es) with the Design-Build contractor to ensure a smooth equipment installation and operation at the NIWTP. Both contractors shall be on site concurrently during all installation.

SECTION 5

PROJECT MEETINGS

5.1 General

A. A kickoff meeting shall be held within 15 calendar days of contract award.

B. The Contractor, the COR, or the CO may schedule project meetings at any time.

C. When USIBWC schedules a meeting, the COR shall inform participants and others involved, and individuals whose presence is required, of the date and time of each meeting. The COR shall prepare the meeting agenda and distribute to all invited attendees.

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

D. When the Contractor schedules a meeting, the Contractor shall inform participants and others involved, and individuals whose presence is required, of the date and time of each meeting. The Contractor shall prepare the meeting agenda and distribute to all invited attendees.

5.2 Progress Meetings

A. If needed, the COR will schedule progress meetings once the Contractor has mobilized onsite. The COR will conduct and issue minutes of the meetings. Meeting minutes will become official Contract correspondence.

B. The Government may call other meetings on an "as needed" basis.

C. The purpose of these meetings shall be to analyze the progress of the work, resolve conflicts and, in general, coordinate the operation of all organizations active at the project site.

SECTION 6

REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

6.1 Contractor's Responsibility

A. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to perform work in compliance with all applicable requirements of Federal, state, and local laws, codes, rules, regulations, ordinances, and standards, including, but not limited to, applicable requirements of the Waste Discharge Requirements for the United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission.

B. It shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to acquire copies of all applicable codes, regulations, and standards for ready reference.

C. Prior to the beginning of work, the Contractor shall be responsible for researching, coordinating, obtaining, and paying all applicable fees for all permits required by Federal, state, and local entities.

D. The Contractor shall be responsible for and shall give and maintain all notices required by applicable regulations, laws, or permitting authorities pertaining to work on this project.

E. In instances where requirements are in conflict, the stricter standard shall apply.

F. All inspections, observations, or tests required for code compliance are the responsibility of the Contractor.

6.2 Permits

A. Prior to the beginning of work, the Contractor shall be responsible for researching, coordinating, obtaining, and paying all applicable fees for all permits required by Federal, state, and local entities. The Government is not responsible for any existing or newly introduced permits required before, during and/or after work on of this project.

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

B. The Contractor shall be responsible for and shall give and maintain all notices required by applicable regulations, laws, or permitting authorities pertaining to work on this project.

SECTION 7

MEASUREMENTS AND PAYMENTS

7.1 Progress Payment

A. Invoices shall only include the cost for the work completed during the monthly progress period.

B. Progress payments do not constitute acceptance of any portion of the work and do not reduce the Contractor’s liability to replace unsatisfactory work, material, or equipment.

C. No progress payment will be made when, in the judgment of the Government, the work is not proceeding in accordance with the provisions of the Contract.

7.2 USIBWC Payment Processing

A. The Contractor shall submit invoices via the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) System.

IPP is a web-based system that provides one integrated, secure system to simplify the management of vendor invoices. It is offered at no charge to federal agencies and their vendors. Further information on IPP will be provided at time of award.

B. The invoices for this Contract shall not be combined with any other work or other contracts. They shall be for this Contract only.

SECTION 8

QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

1. Is the sludge sample going to be cake or liquid? They will be wet sludge samples prior to drying.

2. If it's a cake, what is the estimated % solids? N/A

3. Is it possible to obtain more than 5 gallons? Yes

4. Is it possible to relocate the Dewatering facility site so the existing site will not need to be decommissioned until new equipment is up and running? No, relocating is not possible.

The dewatering process cannot be paused. Please refer to the Performance Work Statement (PWS) within the solicitation for requirements.

5. Can the overall footprint be larger than 50 ft X 150 ft? Or can the structure be multi-levels if necessary? No, the footprint cannot be larger than 50 ft x 150 ft. The footprint provided is for the proposed enclosure/building. Equipment will need to fit within the footprint of the enclosure/building. Yes, the structure may be multi-level, if necessary.

Biosolids Sludge Dryer Alternative

6. Since Charter Machine is a supplier and not a contractor, is it ok to team up with a contractor for the bid and the submittal? Yes

7. In order to do an accurate 20 year cost/savings analysis, can we get the following information:

a. Current hours per day/week of operation for the belt filter presses Six days a week, seven hours per day

b. Current kwh usage by dewatering equipment Unable to segregate

c. Current kwh cost to the facility Base power charge $0.069933

d. Estimated annual maintenance and repair costs of existing dewatering equipment $36,000 belts; $20,000 miscellaneous

e. Actual hauling and tipping fees for sludge disposal As of June 2025, estimated tipping is $43 per ton Transport estimated is 1,218 loads annually @ $600 per truck

f. Daily/Monthly/Annual tons of dry sludge taken to landfill Average daily DRY tons to disposal is 17.73 Tons

8. Is it possible to get complete set of “as built” drawings for existing dewatering facility?

Yes, the drawings will be provided.

9. Should we factor in new sludge feed pumps into our proposal? Should that be a separate pump for each screw press? We do know what your proposal will be so we cannot answer.

We currently have 2 pumps @ 400 gpm each with a 3rd pump which can be reconfigured to work as a sludge feed pump @ 400 gpm.

--End of Performance Work Statement —