Water Testing and Water Treatment Services for SGHC_OCMP-26-25405_Pre-Bid Conference Summary.pdf

PRE-BID CONFERENCE SUMMARY

August 6, 2026 at 10:30 AM

Water Testing and Water Treatment Services for Spring Grove Hospital Center Invitation for Bid (IFB)

IFB Number OCMP NO. 26-25405 | eMMA NO. BPM053076 Issue date 8/13/26

AGENDA

Ladies/Gentlemen:

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) in conjunction with Spring Grove Hospital Center conducted an On-Site & Virtual Pre-Bid Conference for the Invitation to Bid (IFB) entitled Water Testing and Water

Treatment Services for Spring Grove Hospital Center, via web on August 6th, 2026, at 10:30 AM EST.

MEETING AGENDA

➢ Site Visit & Teleconference attendance – Meeting was recorded and all attendees were notified of recording and minutes, including questions and answers will be made public

➢ Introductions – MDH Staff and Attendees

➢ Procurement Overview – Lisa Queen Procurement Officer, Office of Contract Management and

Procurement (OCMP) & Sherida Studwood, Healthcare Procurement Manager (OCMP).

➢ Overview of Scope of Work – (Section 2) – Antionette McLeod and Billy Seibel from Spring

Grove Hospital Center

➢ Questions & Answers.

➢ Closing – Lisa Queen Procurement Officer (OCMP)

Greetings and Introduction:

Lisa Queen-MDH, the Procurement Officer, opened the pre-bid conference by advising the attendees of the nature of the meeting; notifying the attendees that the virtual pre-bid conference was recorded;

requesting on-stie attendees to sign-in with their full name, name of organization or company, email address, address, phone number, and MBE, VSBE, SBR status on the sign in sheet and virtual attendees to use the chat feature to provide their sign in information.; Participants were asked to hold questions until the question and answer portion of the meeting.

MDH Staff Participants:

Lisa Queen, Procurement Officer (OCMP)

Sherida Studwood, Healthcare Procurement Manager (OCMP)

Antionette (Toni) McLeod, Facilities Planner, Special Projects Administrator (SGHC)

Billy Seibel, Procurement Officer (SGHC)

Walter Mullins, Asst. Maintenance Director (SGHC)

Hector Padilla-Rodriguez, Procurement Officer (SGHC)

Attendees:

David Hollingsworth, ARC Water Treatment Company of Maryland, Inc., Danny McCulley, ARC Water Treatment Company of Maryland, Inc.

Georgine Hernandes, HUR Group, SBR, VSBE

David Hernanes, HUR Group, SBR, VSBE

Juan Torres, HUR Group, SBR, VSBE

Lester Simeon, Xaris Water Management, LLC.

Greg Sargent, Boland

Procurement Overview

The Procurement Officer, Lisa Queen provided a review of the Key Information Summary Sheet and

Section1. Minimum Qualifications, Section 2. Summary and other key information in the IFB as outlined below.

• The contract resulting from this solicitation will be for a One (1) Year Base Period.

• Per Section 1 – Minimum Qualifications for this IFB are as follows:

As part of the determination to be considered reasonably susceptible of being selected for award, the

Offeror must document in its Bid that, the following Minimum Qualifications have been met:

1.1 Bidder Minimum Qualifications

The Bidder must document in its Bid that it satisfies the following Minimum Qualifications:

A. The Bidder must have three (3) years of experience providing water testing and water treatment services. Required Documentation:

1. The Bidder shall provide with its Bid two or more references from the past five years that collectively are able to attest to the Bidder’s required years of experience in providing water testing and water treatment services.

2. “Attachment L Reference Checks" with two or more references completed. Also see TABLE A – Attachments and Documents

Required with the Bid.

B. The Bidder shall provide documentation that attests to the retention of licensing and/or certification to perform water testing, sampling, and treatment services in the

State of Maryland as required by the Maryland Department of the Environment and the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).

1. Required Documentation: The Bidder shall provide with its Bid;

current certification issued by the Maryland Rural Water

Association (MRWA) -Water Sampler Certification as stated by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for water sampling, testing, laboratory analysis, and treatment.

Per section: Key Information Summary Sheet – This is a Small Business Preference Procurement.

There are no MBE/VSBE Goals established for the IFB.

https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/07/Attachment-L.-Reference-Checks.pdf https://www.epa.gov/sdwa https://www.md-rwa.org/ https://www.md-rwa.org/ https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/water/water_supply/Pages/drinkingwater.aspx

The Procurement Office asked that vendors carefully review Section 2 – Contractor Requirements:

Scope of Work.

Beginning with page 8 of Section 2 of the IFB. As noted in Section 2.1

(2.1) Summary Statement

2.1.1. This Invitation for Bids (IFB) is issued to procure the goods or services, as specified in this Section 2, from a contract between the successful bidder(s) and the

State of Maryland (“State”): Water sampling, sample analysis and water treatment services for twenty-four (24) buildings on Spring Grove Hospital Center’s Campus, located at 55 Wade Avenue, Catonsville, Maryland 21228. .

It is the State’s intention to obtain goods and services, as specified in this IFB, from a contract between the selected Bidder and the State.

2.1.2 This is a single award. See IFB Section 4.21 Bid Evaluation Criteria and Award Basis for more Contract award information.

A Contract award does not ensure a Contractor will receive all or any State business under the Contract.

Section 4.1 was noted that all subsequent documentation regarding this solicitation will be posted on eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) website and Maryland Department of Health (MDH) website. Please remember that in order to receive a contract award, a vendor must be “registered” on eMMA. Registration is free. Please review Section 4.1 on page 23 in its entirety for details. Please visit the eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) website: https://procurement.maryland.gov/home/for more information regarding eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA). (Questions and/or assistance regarding eMaryland Marketplace Advantage, please contact emma.helpdesk@maryland.gov.)

Bidders were asked to carefully review Section 4.4 Questions on page 24 regarding how to submit questions subsequent to this Pre-Bid Conference. Questions to the Procurement Officer, Lisa Queen shall be submitted via email to lisa.queen@maryland.gov. no later than the date and time specified the Key

Information Summary Sheet. Monday, August 10, 2026, at 2:00 PM. The Procurement Officer, based on the availability of time to research and communicate an answer, shall decide whether an answer can be given before the Bid due date. Given that, please try to submit any questions ASAP.

The Procurement Officer stated that any questions asked during the question-and-answer portion of this meeting, should also be submitted in writing to lisa.queen@maryland.gov for clarity purposes. The questions and answers along with the minutes and other documents, if required, will be posted to the eMMA as quickly as possible.

The Procurement officer reviewed Section 3.6 page 19 Payments by Electronic Funds Transfer. By submitting a Bid in response to this solicitation, the Bidder, if selected for award: The Bidder agrees to accept payments by electronic funds transfer (EFT) unless the State Comptroller’s Office grants an exemption. Payment by EFT is mandatory for contracts exceeding $200,000. The successful Bidder shall register using the COT/GAD X-10 Vendor Electronic Funds (EFT) Registration Request Form.

The Procurement Officer reviewed Table A (page 28 - 29) Attachments and Documents Required with the Bid and Table D Exhibits- including Exhibit #2 Sample Contract (page 35).

https://procurement.maryland.gov/home/

Points that were Emphasized:

A. The Procurement Method used for this solicitation is Competitive Sealed Bid.

There are several steps involved in this method, so your attention to the solicitation document is crucial to the successful submission of your proposal.

B. Minimum Qualifications must be met.

C. No Bids will be accepted after 2:00 PM EST on August 19, 2026.

D. The ONLY acceptable means of delivering a bid is thru eMaryland

Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) submission. (See IFB Section 4 Bid

Submission Information and Instructions)

E. The Contractor Requirements: Scope of Work is listed in Section 2, beginning on page 8. This gives an outline of the responsibilities of the contractor and provides a clear understanding of what the Department expects of the successful Bidder in the provision of the services. Please note that

Antoinette McLeod and Billy Seibel from Spring Grove will provide further an overview of the Scope of Work.

F. Please remember that after this Pre-Bid Conference, prospective Bidders may have answered questions that may help them understand the IFB. Please keep in mind that the answers to your questions, if they are significant in nature, will also be posted on eMMA. Therefore, please allow sufficient time for this to occur.

Any comments/questions about the procurement process, you may contact Lisa Queen by email at lisa.queen@maryland.gov.

Overview of the Contractor Requirements/Scope of Work

A Summary and Key Points of the Scope of Work/ Contractor Requirements in Section 2 of the IFB were presented by Antionette (Toni) McLeod and Billy Siebel at Spring Grove Hospital Center that included clarification on the bidding processes and logistical requirements for the contractors.

● Spring Grove Campus Water Services Invitation for Bid: Tiffany Cole-MDH introduced the Invitation for Bid (IFB) for water sampling, analysis, and treatment services at the Spring Grove campus, covering 24 buildings across 175 acres. The facility serves patients ranging from 13 to 75 years old and holds Joint Commission accreditation. The project’s objective is to identify hazardous water conditions and mitigate the transmission of *Legionella* or other waterborne pathogens in accordance with Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and Maryland Department of the

Environment (MDE) standards.

● Contractor Logistics and Security Protocols: Tiffany Cole-MDH noted that the project is managed by a procurement officer and contract monitor, with additional MDH personnel overseeing the scope of work. Contractors must check in at the maintenance mall upon arrival and will be provided an escort for all campus access, as all buildings are secured. Contractors are responsible for providing all necessary labor, equipment, and materials for testing and treatment services.

● Operational Scheduling and Work Hours: Tiffany Cole-MDH explained that testing and treatment must be pre-planned to avoid disrupting hospital operations. While standard work hours are typically Monday through Friday, some tasks may require work outside those hours or overnight, depending on the specific treatment needed. Work during holidays is generally avoided unless stipulated as an emergency.

● Scope of Work and Treatment Protocols: Tiffany Cole-MDH detailed that the scope includes 10 patient buildings and 14 non-patient buildings. If *Legionella* or other pathogens are detected, the contractor must immediately notify designated personnel, provide recommendations for isolating affected systems, perform necessary disinfections, and conduct retesting to ensure the hospital remains within appropriate pathogen levels.

Decisions

● Testing scope limited to Legionella The scope of water testing is strictly limited to

Legionella, consistent with the existing water management policy, and does not include other pathogens.

● Unit pricing for retesting required Contractors are required to provide a specific unit price for retesting per test rather than a percentage-based estimate, as no defined retesting quantity is currently established.

● Updated building fixture data The project will provide an updated building list that specifies the number of fixtures per building to facilitate accurate pricing.

● Bid award based on base pricing The bid winner will be determined solely by base pricing, while additional services (such as after-hours or disinfection) are to be listed under an 'Other' line item that does not impact the bid award evaluation.

● Annual testing schedule finalized The water testing schedule is set to a single annual event for all buildings, superseding the previous six-month rotation plan due to project scheduling delays.

Questions and Answers

The Procurement Officer opened the Q & A session.

See All Questions and Answers posted on eMMA as follows: Water Testing and Water Treatment Services for SGHC_OCMP-26-25405, BPM#053076_Questions and Answers.

Closing Remarks

• The Procurement Officer reminded everyone that nothing said at this pre-bid conference may change the IFB unless the Procurement Officer makes a formal change by written amendment.

• For clarity, questions that require a coordinated response should be submitted in writing to the

Contract Officer at lisa.queen@maryland.gov no later than 8/10/2026 2:00 PM EST Local

Time.

• Reminded everyone that the pre-bid conference summary and attendance will be published and uploaded within a few days to eMaryland Marketing Advantage (eMMA).

• Bids must be submitted thru eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA).

• Sealed bids are due no later than 2:00 pm EST Local Time on August 19, 2026. No bids will be accepted after that date/time.

• The Procurement Officer thanked everyone for attending the Pre-Bid Conference and the meeting ws adjourned at approximately 11:15 AM.

mailto:lisa.queen@maryland.gov