CUC_Drinking_and_Wastewater_Tech_Assist_PWS_1.pdf

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

Contract:

CONTRACT:

TASK ORDER:

TITLE: Water and Wastewater Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation

Contents I. Background

II. Purpose and Objective

III. Scope of Work

a. Task 1: General Project Management

b. Task 2: Operations and Maintenance Assessment, Optimization, and

Implementation

c. Task 3: File/Data Maintenance

d. Task 4: Operator and Maintenance Crew Trainings

e. Task 5: Emergency Response Plan

IV. Deliverables Required and Schedule

V. Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)

VI. Anticipated Travel Requirements

VII. Additional Requirements

VIII. Period of Performance

I. BACKGROUND

The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC) is a drinking water, wastewater, and power utility. The population of Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is approximately 55,000.

The primary source of water for the island of Saipan comes from 136 groundwater wells, one (1) spring, and two (2) Maui-type wells. One (1) Maui-type well supplies all of the CUC Tinian water system. In Rota, the water primarily comes from one (1) surface water source that is occasionally supplemented with groundwater from three (3) deep groundwater wells. To control bacterial contamination in their water, CUC water operators add trace amounts of chlorine to the water before it is distributed into the pipelines.

Wastewater is treated by two (2) secondary treatment plants (Sadog Tasi wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and Agingan (WWTP) and includes approximately sixty-four (64) miles of gravity sewer lines and forty-three (43) lift stations. The Sadog Tasi WWTP has a capacity of 4.6 million gallons per day (MGD) and Agingan WWTP has a capacity of 3.0 MGD. There are no treatment plants on the islands of Tinian and Rota; wastewater is treated by on-site septic systems.

In April 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 began providing technical assistance to CUC in the CNMI for developing a fiscal sustainability plan

(FSP) as well as further developing and implementing an asset management program. The information/datasets that comprise the FSP will also help CUC better evaluate and manage its water and wastewater infrastructure on a day-to-day basis (i.e., support the Asset Management

Program), as well as establish the foundation for the data and functionality to be integrated into computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). EPA is currently in the process of procuring a CMMS system for CUC.

Simultaneously EPA has funded a Project to develop Sustainable Water Infrastructure

Management Strategy (SWIMS) for CUC. The goal of the SWIMS project is to: 1) implement a comprehensive program including non-revenue water corrective action program utilizing best technology and management practices to reduce non-revenue water from the current 60% water loss to below 20%; 2) improve all aspects of water quantity, pressure, and ultimately water quality; and 3) make other capital, operation, maintenance, data collection and use, improvements to increase the long term costs, efficiency, operation, maintenance sustainability, and resiliency of the system. This includes creating an updated geographic information system

(GIS) database for CUC, implementing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, completing a water audit, groundwater, and hydraulic modeling.

Proper coordination and consultation with the other parties (including but not limited to United

States Geologic Survey (USGS), United States Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and other consultants) working on these CUC projects will be critical to the success of this task order.

II. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE

The EPA requires contractor services to provide technical assistance to CUC for drinking water and wastewater operations and maintenance. The EPA is seeking full-time, on-island operational support for the duration of the contract period. This contract aims to improve CUC’s current operational practices. This effort will improve CUC’s institutional capacity to maintain assets by ensuring that assets are properly operated, with an emphasis on preventative maintenance.

Ultimately, optimizing operational practices will help CUC extend the longevity of EPA funded water and wastewater infrastructure investments and maintain compliance with the Clean Water

Act and Safe Drinking Water Act requirements.

The offeror shall demonstrate their knowledge and experience to successfully fulfill the PWS and the following requirements:

a. The contractor shall have experience in drinking water and wastewater operations.

This includes staff with Operator Certification Level III in both drinking water

(treatment and distribution) and wastewater.

b. The contractor shall have experience with providing trainings or developing instructional materials for public water systems such as training videos or other materials.

c. The contractor shall have experience developing emergency response plans and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for public water systems.

d. The contractor shall have experience working in the Pacific Island Territories or demonstrate experience working with small and disadvantaged communities.

III. SCOPE OF WORK

The activities required to support this task order are detailed in this section, as well as the contract level performance work statement (PWS) sections that are applicable to them.

• TASK 1: General Project Management

• TASK 2: Operations and Maintenance Assessment, Optimization, and

Implementation

• TASK 3: File/Data Maintenance

• TASK 4: Operator and Maintenance Crew Trainings

• TASK 5: Emergency Response Plan

Task 1: Program Management

The contractor shall perform and effectively manage all tasks and funding under the task order.

The Project Manager (PM) will be the primary point of contact with the EPA contracting officer’s representative (TOCOR), EPA Technical Advisor(s) designated by the EPA TOCOR, and CUC. The PM is responsible for ensuring that the project is executed according to the established schedule and budget, all progress reporting, and addressing any issues or concerns that may arise related to the project activities. Project management shall include but is not limited to the following.

I. Task management including oversight/guidance and response to Technical Direction

(TD) issued by the TOCOR.

II. Financial management including oversight of expenditures for labor and travel.

III. System to ensure document and file management and sharing amongst project team members.

IV. Project kick-off call/meeting.

V. Coordination and collaboration with CUC’s consultants and staff working on other on-going water and wastewater projects.

VI. Monthly progress reports that include technical and financial performance. Reports shall include overview of expenditures, task progress, delays, upcoming activities, and any issues that arise.

VII. Routine status meetings.

a. Biweekly calls between contractor, CUC, and EPA to review progress, issues/solutions to any concerns raised and upcoming activities.

VIII. Final reporting

a. Final reporting summarizing progress, successes, failures, and lessons learned during this period will be required.

Task 2: Operations and Maintenance Assessment, Optimization, and Implementation

The contractor shall, in collaboration with CUC, assist with day-to-day operations and maintenance activities, train and supervise utility personnel in the performance of all routine water and wastewater Operation and Maintenance Procedures, and assess and develop plans and procedures for improving routine operations and maintenance. This includes analyzing operational data and assessing existing field operation activities, procedures, and processes in order to provide recommendations for more efficient and effective operations. The contractor shall have experience in drinking water and wastewater operations. This includes staff with

Operator Certification Level III in both drinking water (treatment and distribution) and wastewater.

For the Operations Analysis this includes:

I. Analyze operational data and assess existing field operations activities, procedures, and processes to determine changes and improvements the utility can make to provide more efficient operations.

II. Together with existing CUC operations managers and staff, oversee critical, routine or periodic operations functions, including all water and wastewater treatment, distribution, and collection.

III. Provide recommendations to improve current operational procedures.

IV. As appropriate, in collaboration with operations staff and managers, develop SOPs and or

Operations manuals for key aspects of operations (as identified, developed, and prioritized by Contractor and CUC Operations managers and staff).

For the Preventative Maintenance Analysis this includes:

I. The contractor shall work with CUC operations managers and staff to conduct routine preventative and reactive maintenance activities, inspections, correct deficiencies, and address areas of concern for the system.

II. Oversee and monitor repairs performed on the utility assets, including but not limited to:

a. Maintaining an adequate spare parts inventory (and list of suppliers contact information

b. Securing labor and materials for correcting any maintenance or operational problems

c. Ensuring storage tanks and well pumps and pads are in good working order

III. The contractor shall work with the operators to develop a preventative maintenance plan

(using the CMMS), and work to implement it during the contract period.

Task 3: File/Data Maintenance

The contractor shall work with CUC to develop and maintain operational, maintenance, and administrative records of all utility activities according to CNMI requirements. Work with CUC to maintain system information and records in a centrally located and easily accessible system/format.

Task 4: Operator and Maintenance Crew Trainings

The contractor shall conduct operator trainings including:

I. Work with operations and maintenance teams to implement operational and preventative maintenance procedure improvements and recommendations.

II. Provide any trainings that may be required to bring operations and maintenance staff up to industry standards.

III. Develop onboarding training plan for new operations and maintenance staff.

The contractor shall also conduct safety trainings and review and update associated standard operating procedures (SOPs). This includes:

I. Assess current safety procedures and provide appropriate recommendations and trainings required for confined space, chemical storage, etc., as appropriate.

II. Review SOPs for chemical storage and high priority safety procedures, and update as necessary.

III. Provide recommendations on equipment needed to safely and properly conduct routine

O&M.

Task 5: Emergency Response Plan

The contractor shall work with operators to maintain, update, and implement an emergency response plan. This includes:

I. Organize and plan table-top exercises of the emergency response plan.

II. Ensure the proper security procedures for chemical storage and proper safety equipment are used.

IV. DELIVERABLES REQUIRED AND SCHEDULE

The contractor shall reflect a thorough understanding of national and State statutes, regulations, court rulings, policy and guidance. Final deliverables shall reflect all comments from EPA. The contractor shall provide quality assurance reporting as necessary and specifically identified in each technical directive issued by the EPA TOCOR.

Submission Requirements: Draft documents will be submitted through the EPA TOCOR and

Technical Contact, to provide for appropriate EPA staff review and comment. The contractor shall incorporate comments provided by Region 9 on draft and supporting documents or training materials.

Deliverables shall be sent by e-mail to the EPA TOCOR with cc’s to the EPA Technical Contact.

Documents shall be in either .DOC or .PDF file formats (for text) and shall be accessible, functional and free from computer viruses or other technology problems.

Deliverables and Schedule

TASK DELIVERABLE SCHEDULE

i. Kick-Off Meeting

ii. Biweekly Meetings

i. Occur 15 days after task order award. Calendar invite and agenda

iii. Monthly Progress Reports

iv. File and document management

v. Final Report shall be sent out 3 business days before meeting.

ii. The contractor shall set up biweekly calls with CUC and

EPA. Calendar invite shall be forwarded 3 business days before meeting. Meeting minutes delivered 2 business days post meeting.

iii. Monthly reports shall be delivered within 2 business days after the end of each month. Reports shall include overview of expenditures, task progress, delays, upcoming activities, and any issues that arise.

iv. Ensure that there is appropriate platform for all parties (CUC, EPA, and project team) to access project files. All parties should have access to the files within 5 business days of project kick off.

v. Final report shall be delivered one month prior to project close.

Operations and Maintenance

Assessment, Optimization, and

Implementation

i. SOP Review, Inventory, and Update

ii. Preventative Maintenance

Plan

iii. Monthly Operations

Recommendations and

Progress

i. Initial report summarizing review and including the SOP inventory shall be delivered 6 months after contract award. Updated or new

SOPs shall be delivered to

TOCOR within one year after contract award. Implementation of

SOPs shall be completed two months prior to contract expiration.

ii. Initial preventative maintenance plan shall be delivered to TOCOR

12 months after contract award.

iii. The contractor shall include information on operations (current status, recommendations, and implementation) in the monthly report to EPA.

File/Data Maintenance

i. File Maintenance

Evaluation and System

Implementation

In accordance with schedule outlined in

TD. However, no later than 6 months after contract initiation.

i. Within one year of contract award the contractor shall create a centralized system for operational data.

Operator and Maintenance Crew

Trainings

i. Operator and Safety

Trainings

ii. Training Plan

iii. Updated SOPs

TD. However, no later than 6 months prior to contract close-out.

i. Training schedule shall be sent out one month prior to training.

ii. Plan shall be developed within 6 months of contract initiation.

iii. SOPs shall be updated within 1 year of contract initiation.

Emergency Response Plan

i. Emergency Response Plan

ii. Table-top exercises

TD. However, no later than 2 months prior to contract close-out.

i. Final Emergency Response Plan shall be sent to TOCOR within 18 months of contract initiation.

ii. The contractor shall organize and plan at least two table-top exercises of the emergency response plan within one month of contract close out.

V. QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

QASP is attached.

VI. ANTICIPATED TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

All non-local travel shall be approved in advance by the TOCOR and shall be in accordance with the Contract and Federal Travel Regulations.

VII. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Other direct costs (ODCs) for copying, postage/courier, supplies, computer usage, and graphics are allowed.

Upon issuance of written technical direction, the contractor shall submit for inspection of all work in progress at any time under this work assignment. The contractor shall develop and maintain files supporting each task.

The contractor shall contact the EPA TOCOR by telephone to discuss any problems that may adversely affect the work on this Work Assignment. Within five (5) calendar days the contractor shall follow the phone call with a brief written explanation of the problem, including any actions already taken, and/or recommended solutions to correct the problem. Written explanation shall be made available to the EPA TOCOR and the EPA Project Officer.

VIII. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 24 Months from Award

CONTRACTOR IDENTIFICATION

To avoid any perception that contractor personnel are EPA employees, the contractor shall assure that contractor personnel are clearly identified as independent contractors of EPA when attending meetings with outside parties or visiting field sites.

TASK ORDER CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (TOCOR):

Thomas Konner

EPA Region 9

Infrastructure Section

75 Hawthorne St. Mail Code: WTR 3-3

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 972-3408

Konner.Thomas@epa.gov

ALTERNATE TOCOR:

Elizabeth Borowiec

EPA Region 9

Infrastructure Section

75 Hawthorne St. Mail Code: WTR 3-3 mailto:Konner.Thomas@epa.gov

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 972-3419

Borowiec.Elizabeth@epa.gov mailto:Borowiec.Elizabeth@epa.gov