Ft Irwin WT Plant Industry Day QA Feb 2012.pdf

FORT IRWIN WATER TREATMENT PLANT

FEBRUARY 22, 2012 INDUSTRY DAY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1) What are the current freeboard amounts for the tanks on site?

a. 2 feet.

b. The existing tanks are bottom filled with a 2 feet overflow allowance.

2) Must the Professional Engineer (PE) be registered in California?

a. Yes. A California (CA) PE license is required by California State law. In addition, the Federal Government has specific Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) clauses pertaining to this requirement and the Request for Proposal (RFP) will list the minimum individuals required to have a PE license. All permits requiring CA PE stamps will be required, where applicable.

3) Due to the complex requirements on the project, will the Small Business (SB) goals be less stringent?

a. RFP Specification Section 00 01 10 requires the contractor to submit a subcontractor plan showing how SB goals will be achieved.

b. Los Angeles District will publish SB goals.

c. It is the contractor’s responsibility to assess his/her capabilities, and the availability and capabilities of small, veteran owned and other disadvantage businesses and their ability to meet project objectives.

4) Will you publish the attendees list for the Fort Irwin Water Treatment Plant Industry Day?

a. Yes. The list will be posted at http://www.fedbizopps.gov (FedBizOpps).

5) Are the capital improvement plan upgrades designed?

a. This is a Design-Build project. These will be defined in the RFP.

6) What are the web addresses for the Fort Irwin Water Treatment Plant Industry Day slide presentations?

a. Presentation slides (main, technical and site maps), are available at https://www.fbo.gov or http://www.fedbizopps.gov.

7) Is there a Hex Chromium 6 issue with the water?

a. Water quality reports for the last 6 years are available at http://www.irwin.army.mil/Community/Environment/Pages/WaterQualityRpt.asp x (Fort Irwin’s Water Quality Report).

8) What topographic information is currently available? Will it be part of the RFP?

a. A topographic map will be provided in the RFP. The topographical map is for informational use only. Contractor will be required to obtain updated survey as part of this scope.

9) What building construction permits will Fort Irwin Department of Public Works (DPW) require?

a. Dig permits will be required for any hole deeper than 6 inches. Dig permits expire after 30 days. Other permits may be required. However, there is no specific building permitting process other than following the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ process.

10) Regarding Electro-Dialysis Reversal (EDR) as the primary treatment, can alternatives be proposed?

a. No. EDR is dictated in the DD1391 as a requirement. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has requested leeway on this requirement. The ad hoc committee has authorized alternative treatment technologies for the waste stream recovery processes. The EDR process has been pilot tested and accepted by the State of California.

11) Will the contract be awarded on Base Bid price only, or on a total Bid price including all Bid Options?

a. The award will be based on a firm fixed price contract which includes the base bid price and all bid options. The number of days available for holding options is not yet specified but will be provided in the RFP. Options may be awarded incrementally.

12) When will informational conceptual drawings be available?

a. Informational conceptual drawings, including specifications, will be provided in the RFP. The Government will consider releasing the “For Information Only” drawings early on FedBizOpps.

13) Since Electro-Dialysis Reversal (EDR) has already been chosen as the primary treatment, has the sole source vendor been chosen as well?

a. EDR was selected as the primary treatment process with a guarantee 92% recovery rate.

b. General Electric (GE) was selected as the sole source vendor for the EDR.

c. We initiated a Justification & Authorization (J&A) to sole source the EDR equipment, but approval has not yet been received at this time. The government will obtain the flange-to-flange price for the EDR system from GE. The EDR flange-to-flange price will be listed in the bid schedule. It is the contractor’s responsibility to enter their final EDR price (Flange-to-Flange plus other appurtenant services) in their bid proposal. It is the contractor’s responsibility to design the EDR system, and work with the sole source vender (GE), USACE and DPW to meet project objectives.

14) Is EDR experience going to be required in the minimum goals?

a. Yes. EDR plus membrane experience is preferred. It is understood that there are limited EDR Water Treatment Plants (WTP) so membrane experience is also considered. Special consideration will be given to relevant EDR and membrane experience during the bid evaluation process.

15) Where is the 5000 linear feet of asbestos cement (AC) pipe to be taken, on or offsite?

a. This information will be available in the RFP. It is the contractor’s responsibility for final design of replacement as well as disposal. If property is available, installation of new pipe is acceptable while allowing AC pipe to be abandoned in place. If removed, disposal must be offsite.

16) What is the basis of the Justification and Authorization (J&A)? Have all other methods been thoroughly tested and vetted?

a. Since 2004, Fort Irwin has been studying the needs for this project. As a result two studies, including pilot testing, were completed. The EDR process has been proven with a minimum recovery rate of 92%. EDR pilot testing utilized proprietary GE equipment. Alternatives were evaluated and the results of the studies and pilot tests will be included in the RFP.

17) Are the bid options part of the total $100-125M budget figure or extra?

a. Yes, bid options are part of the programmed amount of $115M.

18) Can general contractors only bid on one bid option, or must they subcontract to the overall prime contractor?

a. Proposals must submit a price for each line item on the pricing schedule. Failure to do so may prevent the Government from considering that proposal for award.

19) Will this award be strict about hitting small business goals?

a. SB goals will be specified in the RFP and USACE is committed to these goals.

Expectations for SB goals vary depending on the number and availability of qualified businesses within the regional small business market. This ultimately will be a decision for the contractor to consider. However, small businesses should be encouraged to market their services to the prime contractor.

20) Is the successful pilot test enough for the J&A under the Federal Acquisition Regulations

(FAR)?

a. There are other specific requirements for the J&A, including a market survey, which has been completed.

21) Will the RFP define how the required 99.6% recovery rate will be measured?

a. No. However, the government is looking for guaranteed performance. Every gallon of water is limited at Fort Irwin. A guarantee of this recovery rate is required of the prime contractor. The EDR process has been proven, and the government does not want to invest in a process with a lower recovery rate. While the EDR guarantees a recovery rate of 92%, the overall process is incumbent on the contractor.

22) What is the main reason to separate the Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Domestic (DO) water supplies?

a. RO is a small pipe system, which is not capable of providing fire protection.

b. DO system is sized to provide fire protection.

c. The RO system will be abandoned and the DO system will be the single distribution system after completion of the project.

23) Will the water quality information and data be provided?

a. Yes, water quality data and requirements will be included in the RFP.

24) Will there be permit requirements for threatened and endangered species?

a. The Environmental Assessment (EA) has been completed. This will be included in the RFP and will address threatened and endangered species.

25) Will the Environmental Assessment (EA) address the possibility of renovation and demolition of hazardous materials?

a. Apart from the tank and asbestos cement pipe we don’t anticipate hazardous materials during demolition. The tank report will be included in the RFP package.

26) Will USACE provide unexploded ordinance (UXO) information and training requirements?

a. The site is UXO free. USACE will provide information.

27) Does USACE anticipate construction schedule impacts for training rotations?

a. No major impacts are anticipated. Missions downrange will have low impact on scheduling – live fire training exercise further north shouldn’t impact the project but may require notification.

28) Will contractors be allowed on-site housing?

a. No. We do not house contractors on site. An RV park is adjacent to the WTP project site. It is the contractor’s responsibility to coordinate access to the RV Park or other alternatives. Information will be included in the RFP.

29) Will contractors be allowed to use base water?

a. Yes.

30) Is bonding needed for the full amount or can the contract amount be broken into phases to make bonding smaller?

a. Bonding is for the full amount.

31) Will this be a single phase or two phase proposal?

a. Single phase.

32) What are the qualifications for the design builder?

a. This will be included in the RFP. Also, please see the Industry Day slide presentation at https://www.fbo.gov or http://www.fedbizopps.gov.

33) What will the performance criteria be with respect to power use, design life, etc?

a. This will be defined in the RFP. The design life is 50 years.

34) Since the EDR equipment may be sole sourced, will the equipment provider be responsible for meeting the performance criteria or will the design builder be expected to warrant the performance.

a. The contract will be with the design build contractor, who will be the responsible party.

35) How old are the existing tanks JPL1, JPL2, and JPL3?

a. This will be specified in the RFP. Construction timeframes are from the 1960s to

1980s.

36) Will JPL3 be replaced in-kind or can it be replaced with a bolted tank?

a. This will be stated in the RFP.

b. Bolted tanks are generally not allowed because bolted tanks negate the manufacturer’s guarantee when cathodic protection is added. Therefore, only welded steel tanks and prestressed concrete tanks have been considered.

Although we won’t guarantee that bolted tanks will be allowed, we will investigate the validity of guarantees with bolted tanks and cathodic protection.

37) What is the approximate size, in gallons, of the wastewater equalization tank?

a. Approximately within the ¼ million gallons range. Also, the size will depend on the mass-balance selected by the designer.

38) Is there a preference for American manufacturing and steel for this project?

a. This contract is subject to the Buy American Act for construction projects.

39) Will the new tanks also utilize cathodic protection?

40) Will JVs and individual firms in the JV qualifications be accepted? What will be the requirements for recent project?

a. Specification Section 00 01 10 of the RFP asks for submission criteria of the JV.

USACE is looking for a general trend in recent construction experience and performance.

b. JVs will be required to submit no more than five prior completed projects to demonstrate past performance. Each individual entity of a JV, with no prior experience as the JV, will be required to provide no more than five prior completed projects to demonstrate past performance.

c. A recent project means 100% design completion and at least 50% construction completion by the issue date of the RFP.

41) Has the EDR sole source vendor been preselected? If yes, then who?

a. Yes. EDR vendor was preselected.

b. USACE is pursuing a J&A with GE identified as the sole-sourced EDR vendor.

42) What is the name of the lab conducting the bench test?

a. The USACE’s Engineer and Research Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg Mississippi performed the bench tests. Working bench test results will be included in the RFP.

43) Are there geotechnical reports available for the areas of work, or will they be required by the DB contractor?

a. Geotechnical report is available for the WTP site.

b. The Government conducted dig pits and will provide a geotechnical report.

c. Government provided geotechnical reports are for informational use only.

44) Will there be any environmental requirements - or will there be only requirements for natural and/or cultural resources?

a. Environmental Assessment (EA) was completed.

b. Site will have environmental clearance prior to construction. However, site may require observation by a biologist.

45) Can Army provide a ball park estimate for SB goals? What are the SB goals for the hospital project?

a. SB Goals for the WTP will be published in the RFP. The prime contractor must submit a subcontractor plan.

b. The SB Goals for the hospital project are set forth in the Fort Irwin Replacement Hospital solicitation, W912PL-12-R-0008, available on the www.fbo.gov website.

46) Can you clarify the desired minimum water recovery rate?

a. The overall water recovery goal for the project is 99.8% (92% primary + 7.8% additional from waste recovery).

b. The minimum water recovery rate for the project is 99.6% (92% primary + 7.6% additional from waste recovery).

c. The 92% minimum water recovery rate is for the primary EDR treatment process only and does not include the waste stream.

47) Can you tell us what Geotechnical information will be provided?

a. Addressed from previous questions (Question 42).

48) Has any hazardous material been identified?

a. Asbestos cement pipe.

b. Water tanks coatings have zinc concentrations higher than the maximum contaminant level (MCL).

c. Hazardous materials will be addressed in the RFP.

49) Any ecological issues?

a. This is addressed in the EA. The EA has been published and will be included in the RFP.

50) What are the requirements for existing system operation during construction and testing of the new facility?

a. The existing RO system will be on line during construction. Contractor will not be allowed to convert the RO distribution system to DO until the water treatment plant has been completed and the water quality standards for fluoride, arsenic and total dissolved solids have been met.

b. Contractor is required to obtain a permit before the existing RO can be switched offline. Also the contractor has to certify that the pipes and network has been flushed and is free of residual water before a switch over from RO to DO is permitted. The plant operator CH2MHILL will assist the contractor with implementing their switch over plan.

c. Contractor may be allowed to install a RO/DO switch valve before obtaining a permit.

51) Flush Test required?

b. Must meet fluoride and arsenic requirements

c. Current operators will work with contractor to come up with a plan.

d. Included in the RFP. Contractors will be clear with the requirements.

52) Will the EDR subcontract price be excluded from SB goals?

a. No (Price is less than 10% of the overall project).

53) Are there any special training or areas of work requiring an escort that the contractor is responsible for?

a. This will be addressed in the RFP.

b. You may require Vehicle down range pass.

c. Dig permits (digging more than 6” deep) and anywhere near the footprint of the

Ammunition Supply Point (ASP).

54) What are the penalties of the contract if requirements aren’t met for minimum contract goals?

a. Details will be included in the RFP. Examples of penalty situations are not providing enough storage for the waste stream and overflowing the ponds, and not meeting the 92% EDR water recovery rate and the 99.6% recovery rate.

55) Any contaminants not treated by the EDR?

a. No. EDR is a proven treatment process and is required for primary treatment.

b. Contractor is required to design piping at the end of the water treatment plant for the Secondary waste stream recovery as a standalone separate process. This design is required to ensure the waste recovery can operate independent of the primary treatment facility, after approval from CDPH.

56) Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) requirement?

a. Yes. ATFP requirements are shown on the concept plan and will be listed in the

RFP.