SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE.pdf

SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE

Before responding please carefully read and consider the following:

Clean & Inspect Water Tanks for the Black Hills VA Medical CCenter. This is a Sources Sought Announcement Only and no solicitation is currently available. Responses will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After a review of the responses to this Sources Sought Notice, a solicitation announcement may be posted. A response to this Sources Sought Notice is not an adequate reply to a potentially forthcoming solicitation.

All information contained in this Sources Sought Announcement is preliminary, as well as subject to modification, and is in no way binding on the Government. The Government will not pay for any information submitted in response to this request. Furthermore, the Government reserves the right to cancel this requirement at its discretion. The information requested will be used solely within the Department of Veterans Affairs to facilitate decision making and will not be disclosed outside of the Government. The determination of a procurement strategy, based upon the comments submitted in response to this Sources Sought Announcement, is solely within the discretion of the Government.

The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 221310,Water Supply and Irrigation Systems, size standard is $41.0 Million. NOTE: Please ensure that the System for Award Management (SAM) indicates this NAICS code if you are interested in the requirement.

As this is a service acquisition, the Small Business Administration and the Federal Acquisition Regulation have Limitations on Subcontracting requirement. For all small businesses, to include SDVOSB and VOSB, “At least 50 percent of the cost of contract performance incurred for personnel shall be expended for employees of the concern.” See FAR 52.219-14 and FAR 52.219-27 available in full text at https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52

Description of Services

• See attached Statement of Work

Only firms seriously interested and truly capable should send their information and/or capability statement and any questions by email to brian.whalen-crichton@va.gov no later than 10:00 am Central Time, July 17th, 2024.

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/part-52 mailto:brian.whalen-crichton@va.gov

8. Underwater Operations: All contractor Dive Maintenance Technicians and associated in-tank equipment will be fully disinfected in accordance with ANSI/AWWA standard C652- 02 thru 11. All system entries will be conducted in accordance with applicable OSHA regulations pertaining to Diving and Confined Space, including 1910.401 through

1910.441. Specialty equipment may include but is not limited to; appropriate OSHA climbing and personal fall protection, OSHA 29 CFR 1910-Subpart T Commercial Diving Operations Regulations, AWWA and ADC approved commercial diving equipment dedicated to in-service potable water operations.

a. All equipment and materials shall be approved by the COR prior to being brought on job site.

9. Contractor to perform inspections and cleaning during normal work hours, Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

C. Work Elements: Which shall include, but are not limited to:

1. Cleaning:

a. The contractor shall remove any sediments from each of the tank floors, as necessary, tanks 2 & 3 are joined by a baffle, Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) equipment is not recommended.

(1) The contractor shall review the attached drawings and pictures for tank locations.

(2) The tanks will remain full and in use during the project.

2. Inspection:

a. The Contractor shall perform interior in-service inspection and perform exterior inspection by trained personnel abiding by OSHA regulations utilizing fall protection equipment.

b. Exterior inspections will be performed from the ground, installed ladders, and exterior roof while utilizing installed ANSI & OSHA-certified personal fall protection equipment, without additional scaffolding or rigging.

c. The contractor shall check for deficiencies and meet tank inspection requirements of OSHA, EPA, AWWA, TCEQ and NFPA. Interior and exterior inspections will review structural, sanitary, safety, security and installed coating conditions.

d. If inspections suggest repairs are necessary, the contractor will notify the COR within 24 hours of inspection.

3. Reporting:

a. Contractor shall submit a detailed written report of findings with photographs or video on DVD, or approved file format by COR, of underwater and exterior inspection. The report shall be signed by registered personnel. Two paper copies and an electronic copy of the report shall be submitted to this office within 14 calendar days after completing all inspection services.

b. Contractor will provide reporting based on water tank inspection criteria, referencing applicable OSHA, EPA, AWWA, TCEQ and NFPA requirements with recommendations.

(1) Minimum items examined and reported on will include: inlet/outlet, overflow, roof and roof hatch, walls and floors, baffles/support walls, interior ladders, roof vents, exterior ladders and rails, sumps, internal plumbing, joints and seams, interior coatings, exterior coatings, telemetry, sediment traps, manways, welds, foundation, anchors, safety systems.

D. References: References for policies to adhere to during duration of project, available at http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/spec.asp.

1. VA Specifications

2. International Building Codes, State and Federal Regulations

3. NFPA and Life Safety Code

4. OSHA Standards- Fall Protection in Construction

E. Proposed Schedule (Calendar Days):

1. Notice to Proceed – D-Day

2. Period of Performance – D + 31 Calander Days

F. Post Award Requirements:

1. Project kick-off meeting: The Contractor shall plan for an on-site project kick-off meeting with

VA staff to walk the site and review the schedule.

G. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) - Records Management

Obligations

1. Requirements

a. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, all data created for Government use and delivered to, or falling under the legal control of, the Government are Federal records subject to the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), as amended, and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and must be managed and scheduled for disposition only as permitted by statute or regulation.

b. In accordance with 36 CFR 1222.32, the Contractor shall maintain all records created for Government use or created in the course of performing the contract and/or delivered to, or under the legal control of the Government and must be managed in accordance with Federal law. Electronic records and associated metadata must be accompanied by sufficient technical documentation to permit understanding and use of the records and data.

c. The Contractor shall immediately notify the appropriate Contracting Officer upon discovery of any inadvertent or unauthorized disclosures of information, data, documentary materials, records, or equipment. Disclosure of non-public information is limited to authorized personnel with a need-to-know as described in the [contract vehicle]. The Contractor shall ensure that the appropriate personnel, administrative, technical, and physical safeguards are established to ensure the security and confidentiality of this information, data, documentary material, records, and/or equipment is properly protected. The Contractor shall not remove material from Government facilities or systems, or facilities or systems operated or maintained on the Government’s behalf, without the express written permission of the Head of the Contracting Activity. When information, data, documentary material, records, and/or equipment is no longer required, it shall be returned to VHA control, or the Contractor must hold it until otherwise directed. Items returned to the Government shall be hand-carried, mailed, emailed, or securely electronically transmitted to the Contracting Officer or address prescribed in the [contract vehicle]. Destruction of records is EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED unless in accordance with Paragraph (4).

d. The Contractor is required to obtain the Contracting Officer's approval prior to engaging in any contractual relationship (sub-contractor) in support of this contract http://www.cfm.va.gov/til/spec.asp

Statement of Work – Water Tank

Cleaning, Inspection, and Reporting Project Number 568-24-114

Water Tank Cleaning, Inspection, and Reporting– Black Hills VA Health Care System, Fort

Meade, South Dakota

A. General Intention: Contractor shall furnish all supervision, tools, labor, materials, equipment, transportation, and incidentals necessary for the following services for: The Water Tank Cleaning, Inspecting, and Reporting will consist of three 500,000-gallon tanks located at the Fort Meade VA Health Care System. The raw water tank 1is above ground (33’high x 50’dia), and the treated water tanks 2 & 3 are both below ground (324’long x 20’wide x 10’deep).

1. Background: The last inspection was completed in 2019 and in order to stay compliant with

American Water Works Association (AWWA) we complete this process every few years. The contractor shall check for deficiencies on the exterior and interior of the tanks, to ensure we are meeting Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), AWWA, Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) requirements. Reviewing structural, sanitary, safety, security and installed coating conditions and reporting based on water tank inspection criteria.

2. Ensure all requirements for VA Master Specifications, OSHA, EPA, AWWA, TCEQ, ANSI, and NFPA are meet during this project.

a. Past performance requirement: The contractor must have at least three (3) years of experience in the inspecting and cleaning potable water tanks to be considered responsive and eligible for the contract award.

B. General Requirements:

1. Contractor shall provide all supervision, labor, materials, equipment, and incidentals necessary to accomplish work elements and requirements outlined in this Statement of Work (SOW).

2. Tobacco use of any kind is not permitted on the campus grounds of VA Black Hills Health

Care System (BHHCS) by Veterans, family and visitors, volunteers, contractors, and sub-contractors.

3. Where equipment, temporary installations, ingress/egress restrictions or any other consideration is necessary, signage in such areas shall be provided by Contractor.

4. The Contractor shall visit the project site to investigate and field-verify all information shown on VA-provided material.

5. The Contractor shall confine all staging activities within the anticipated construction area.

Contractor shall coordinate proposed staging areas with the COR for approval.

6. Change Orders: Any work that is not addressed by the contract and is considered a change order shall be immediately brought to the attention of the Contracting Officer. No “out-of-scope” or additional work shall be executed prior to negotiation with the Black Hills VA Medical Center and approval by the Contracting Officer.

7. Contractor shall remove all rubbish from Ft Meade property and dispose off site.

Contractor shall record all quantities of materials removed from the Ft Meade property and turn into the COR.

requiring the disclosure of information, documentary material, and/or records generated under, or relating to, contracts. The Contractor (and any sub-contractor) is required to abide by Government and VHA guidance for protecting sensitive, proprietary information, classified, and controlled unclassified information.

e. The VHA owns the rights to all data and records produced as part of this contract. All deliverables under the contract are the property of the U.S. Government for which VHA shall have unlimited rights to use, dispose of, or disclose such data contained therein as it determines to be in the public interest. Any Contractor rights in the data or deliverables must be identified as required by FAR 52.227-11 through FAR 52.227-20.