SCTA Replace Unleaded Fuel Tank And Oil-Water Separator - Reading Operations Center

The South Central Transit Authority (SCTA) is soliciting sealed bids for the replacement of an unleaded fuel tank and oil-water separator system at the Reading Operations Center in Reading, Pennsylvania, located in Berks County and Richland Borough. This procurement is divided into two separate contracts: Contract No. 1 (Prime/Mechanical) encompasses all construction activities related to the replacement of the existing 10,000-gallon underground gasoline storage tank and 3,000-gallon oil-water separator system with a new 10,000-gallon UL 2085 Fireguard above-ground storage tank and flow-through oil-water separator, including site restoration and paving; Contract No. 2 (Electrical) covers new electrical system installation, fuel system installation, and rehabilitation of existing systems. Key deliverables include a Permitting Closeout Report, Tank Closure Report, Construction Closeout Report with final testing records, as-built drawings, and a Certificate of Compliance signed by a Pennsylvania-certified AST Installer. Qualified contractors must possess a minimum of three years of underground and aboveground storage tank experience, be licensed to conduct business in Pennsylvania, and maintain necessary Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection certifications; electrical contractors must employ a licensed electrician. All work must comply with the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code, 2018 International Fire Code, 2017 National Electrical Code, and applicable Berks County and City of Reading regulations. Sealed bids are due electronically via PennBid by 2:00 PM prevailing time on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, with a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting and site visit scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 9:30 AM at the Reading Operations Center (1700 N 11th Street, Reading, PA 19604). The deadline for submitting questions and clarification requests is Thursday, April 2, 2026, by 5:00 PM, with the final addendum to be issued by April 13, 2026. The Notice of Intent to Award is scheduled for May 20, 2026, and the Notice to Proceed is anticipated for June 1, 2026. Contractors must complete all work within 160 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed, contingent upon product availability, permit issuance from the City of Reading, and weather conditions.

This procurement is funded through a financial assistance agreement between SCTA and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration, making it subject to federal and state prevailing wage requirements as specified in the General Wage Decision for Berks County building construction. While the SCTA encourages disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) participation and commits to affording full consideration of DBE responses without discrimination, no specific DBE goal percentage has been established for this project. All bids and contracts are subject to Buy America and Build America Buy America (BABA) domestic preference requirements, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage compliance, non-discrimination, non-collusion, debarment, and contractor integrity provisions. Bidders must certify they are not on the Comptroller General's list of ineligible contractors and submit all required certifications including Buy America and BABA Certifications with their proposals; bids exceeding $150,000 without such certifications will be rejected as non-responsive. The successful bidders for each contract must provide a Performance Bond and Payment Bond each equal to 100 percent of the contract price within ten calendar days of receiving the Notice of Intent to Award. The contract specifies a substantial completion timeline of 120 calendar days from the date of commencement, with monthly progress payments based on applications submitted to the Construction Manager/Engineer, including ten percent retainage from each progress payment prior to substantial completion. Specific contract award values are not disclosed in the solicitation documents, though bidders are required to submit lump sum base bids for prime/mechanical work and electrical work along with unit cost pricing for potential additional services such as contamination remediation and disposal.