CAVE 332397 ¿ Replace Main Distribution System

The National Park Service is soliciting proposals for the complete replacement of the main water distribution system at Carlsbad Caverns National Park (CAVE 332397) under solicitation number 140P2026R0007. The primary objective is to replace aged water distribution infrastructure in its entirety to protect the caverns—the park's primary resource—from potential pipe leakage rather than implementing piecemeal repairs. The project includes a base contract and three optional line items for installing a master meter pit, relocating a lift station, and replacing a water transmission line. The government will evaluate proposals using a best value tradeoff source selection process with six equally weighted evaluation factors: project experience, technical and management approach, schedule, key personnel experience, past performance, and small business participation. The solicitation requires proposals by January 21, 2026, at 1400 Mountain Standard Time, with a mandatory pre-bid site visit held on December 17, 2025.

This procurement is a full and open competition with no set-aside designation. The contract will be awarded on a firm fixed-price basis, with the project magnitude exceeding $10,000,000 and a performance period of 390 calendar days from the notice to proceed, with liquidated damages of $1,498 per day for delays. Performance and payment bonds are required, and all federal, state, and local taxes must be included in proposals. The work will be performed at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, involving complex infrastructure work in a sensitive cultural and natural environment with specific requirements for rock trenching, working near historic structures, noise limitations, and archaeological monitoring. Contractors must demonstrate experience in similar projects and comply with wage determinations and various technical specifications detailed in the solicitation documents, including geophysical investigation reports and construction drawings prepared to support the replacement effort.