Utility Modernization, Chievres Air Base, USAG Benelux, Belgium

The USACE NAU anticipates soliciting and awarding a stand-alone Design-Bid-Build (DBB) Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract for the repair of utility infrastructure components to the potable domestic water supply, fire protection water system, and sanitary sewer system and incidental related work at the Chievres Air Base in Belgium.  The anticipated solicitation and award will contain a brand-name description to specify a particular brand-name product peculiar to one manufacturer in a portion of the acquisition.

The general work includes construction of the new domestic water utility services including 2 x connections and 2 x Ion Exchange Treatment System, new fire water utilities including fire water tanks with an associated pump house, wastewater treatment storage (wet well) sanitary sewer force main with associated electrical and mechanical, site work such as trenching, paving, landscaping, according to contractual specifications, documents and drawings.

The particular brand-name product to be specified is solely offered by Purolite Corporation (Purolite), under Purolite Corporation HQ. 2201 Renaissance Blvd. King of Prussia, PA 19406, for selective single use ion exchange resin for removing pre- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from drinking water.  Specifically, the Purofine PFA694E resin.  The design of the ion exchange vessel has established the following limitation on velocity, flow, and contact time parameters.  The Linear velocity shall be no less than 6 gpm/ft2 and shall not be greater than 18 gpm/ft2; the Specific Flowrate within the treatment vessel shall be no less than 1 gpm/ft3 and shall not be greater than 5 gpm/ft3; and the Empty Bed Contact Time (EBCT) shall be no less than 1.5 minutes and shall not be greater than 2.5 minutes.  The resin shall be a polystyrenic gel, potable water grade, and conforms to the following physical and chemical characteristics:

Polymer Structure:   Polystyrene crosslinked with divinylbenzene

Appearance:             Spherical Beads

Functional Group:   Complex Amino

Mean Diameter:        675 ± 75 µm

Uniformity Coefficient

(maximum):               1.3

Specific Gravity:       1.05

Temperature Limit (CL- form): 100 oC (212.0 oF)

Temperature Limit (OH- form): 60 oC (140.0 oF)

Other manufacturer's resins are not compatible with the components currently designed for the ion exchange system.  Changing resins would require a redesign of the Ion Exchange system and would still require the Government to specify a particular brand-name product.  Therefore, the use of the brand-name description in the acquisition is essential to the Government's requirements, thereby precluding consideration of a product manufactured by another company.

This notice is posted under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy the agency requirements. This notice is NOT a request for competitive quotes; however, any firm that believes it can manufacture the same single use ion exchange resin which meets the design requirement of the treatment vessel may give written notice to the Contract Specialist via e-mail at shawna.m.west@usace.army.mil, by 4:00 PM Central European Summer Time (CEST) on 28 May 2021.

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE MUST BE FURNISHED IN SUFFICIENT DETAIL, to the listed e-mail address, Attn: Shawna West, Contract Specialist. NO TELEPHONE REQUESTS. Responses will be evaluated; however, a determination by the Government not to compete the proposed portion of the acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. If no responses are received, the USACE will proceed with procuring this portion of the acquisition on a sole source basis.