Inactive

The Baltimore Medical Center and the Loch Raven Medical Center's CLC is conducting this Sources Sought to identify contractors who possess capabilities to provide the services described in the Stateme... The Baltimore Medical Center and the Loch Raven Medical Center's CLC is conducting this Sources Sought to identify contractors who possess capabilities to provide the services described in the Statement of Work below. As permitted by the FAR Part 10, this is a market research tool being utilized for the informational and planning purposes. Your responses will assist the Government in the development of its acquisition strategy. Response is strictly voluntary it is not mandatory to submit a response to this notice to participate in formal RFQ process that may take place in the future. However, it should be noted that information gathered through this notice may significantly influence our acquisition strategy. All interested parties will be required to respond separately to any solicitation posted as a result of this sources sought notice. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. We appreciate your interest and thank you in advance for responding to the sources sought. This service will be implemented using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 221310. If a small business is interested in this procurement, they must provide at least 51 percent of the services rendered. NOTES All Capability Statements/Responses to this Sources Sought Notice shall be submitted via email only to jennifer.elkins2@va.gov. Telephone, Fax, or any other form of communication inquiries will not be reviewed or accepted. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice must be received no later than January 22, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time). This Sources Sought Notice may or may not assist the VA in determining sources only. A solicitation is not currently available. If a solicitation is issued, it may or may not be announced at a later date, and all interested parties shall respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this Sources Sought Notice. DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked a proprietary will be handled accordingly in accordance with (IAW) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 15.201(e), RFIs may be used when the Government does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to these notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses incurred associated with responding to this RFI. STATEMENT OF WORK SECONDARY DOMESTIC WATER TREATMENT BALTIMORE AND LOCH RAVEN MEDICAL CENTER The VA is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors for secondary water treatment systems at two (2) facilities, the Baltimore Medical Center and the Loch Raven Medical Center's CLC. This solicitation is, for the lease and operation of these systems. The period of the lease and operation shall be for a base year and four (4) option years. Included in the scope of work of the lease and operation of the secondary water systems are the following: providing, installing, starting up, maintaining and operating the secondary water treatment systems according to the guidelines and requirements of the Maryland Department of the Environment (MOE). Also included in the scope of work the contractor shall support the VA's activities related to permitting and licensing of those systems. The biocide the contractor shall use at both sites shall be approved by the EPA and listed as an approved biocide in VA's Directive 1061, dated August 13, 2014. For this proposal the contractor shall provide a system that generates the biocide on-site. The use of chlorine gas for the generation of the biocide shall not be permitted. The VA has taken a position that no level of detectable growth (CFU s) of legionella is acceptable in the domestic cold and domestic hot water systems. It is the VA's expectation that after a secondary water treatment system(s) is installed and has been operating properly for a period periodic legionella testing will have zero (0) legionella growth in the domestic cold and domestic hot water systems. For this proposal the contractor is free to select any of the approved biocides for the secondary water treatment systems. This proposal is for the installation of a secondary water treatment system on the domestic cold- water system at both facilities. The VA is not specifically requesting a secondary water treatment system on the domestic hot water system. However, if the contractor does not have total confidence in the secondary water treatment system, they propose for the cold water system that it will be effective to achieve the VA's goal of zero (0) growth of legionella in the domestic hot water system, they are encouraged to include in their proposal an additional secondary water treatment system on that system. The results of periodic testing of the cooling towers, at Baltimore, for legionella will not have any impact on this proposal / contract. If the periodic testing of either the VA's domestic cold or domestic hot water systems has any detectable level of growth, the VA will consider this as the secondary water treatment system is not producing the desired results. The VA will then, at no additional cost, expect the contractor to remediate the area(s) with the positive test results, within two (2) calendar days after being notified of the results. The VA will retest the area. If the retested areas test positive, according to the VAMHCS guidelines the contractor shall again remediate the area, within 2 days. This testing / remediation cycle shall continue until there are satisfactory test results, according to the VAMHCS guideline. If the secondary water treatment system does not achieve the VA's goal of zero level of detectable growth for consecutive three quarters, for the initial legionella testing, the VA may, at their sole discretion, direct the contractor of install another secondary water system that uses another approved biocide, without any cost to the VA. That biocide shall also be approved by the VA's directive 1061. The selection will be the sole responsibility of the contractor. The equipment must be NSF/ANSI 61 certified The contractor shall document, in their proposal that they have successfully licensed and operated secondary water treatment systems, in the state of Maryland, within the past 5 years. The contractor shall include the following: The name of the facility The facility's address MDE Permit Number The biocide used Custom's name and contact information MDE's point-of-contact for facility customers. The date time the contractor was awarded the PO for the secondary water system The date the MDE issued the license / permit to operate the system The contractor shall include in their proposal a copy of the current MDE Class 1 Water Plant operators' certification of any individuals who will be assigned to operate the system being bid on. Because these systems operate 24/7, the VA has an expectation that the contractor has the resources for more than one person who meets the MOE requirements to operate the systems being bid on. For purposes of this proposal the contractor shall assume that the Baltimore Medical Center and the Loch Raven CLC consumes approximately 115,000 gallons/ day and 15,000 gallons/ day, respectively. The actual amount of water used at each site daily will vary substantially from these amounts. The systems proposed for each site should be able to compensate for continuous changes in water usage. The secondary water treatment systems will remain the property of the contractor. The contractor will operate and maintain the system/ equipment during the period of the contract. The contractor shall be responsible for all chemicals, consumables, testing materials and any third party testing necessary to comply with the MOE's requirements. The contractor shall provide necessary system data in the form and format required by the MOE to comply with their permitting, licensing and ongoing reporting requirements and meet the MOE's deadlines. Should the MOE change their reporting and/ or testing requirements, at any time during the contract period, the contractor shall comply with the new requirements without a contract modification. The VA will address contract modification at the time the next option year is exercised. There will not be any contract adjustments I modifications for changes in regulatory requirements during the period of the existing PO. The intent of this of this "Scope of Work'' is to outline the general requirements of the secondary water treatment system and the VA's expectations on the effectiveness of the system(s). It is the intent of this proposal that the vendor will provide a fully functioning and operational turnkey system(s) that will meet or exceed the requirements of the MDE. The contractor will work with the VA to assure that the MOE's, and the VA's, licensing, permitting and reporting requirements are met in a timely manner. All contacts and correspondence with respect to the VA's permitting, licensing, and reporting activities shall be coordinated with and thru the VA's designated point-of-contact. The contractor shall not contact the MOE, with respect to any VA secondary water treatment system issue, without the specific approval of the VA COR or authorized representative. The vendor will work with designated members of the VA' s staff and its contractors to develop the necessary drawings, policies, procedures, and reporting forms etc. necessary to obtain and maintain the MOE's permits and/ or licenses for a secondary water treatment at both Medical Centers. The vendor should be aware that the licensing activities at each Medical Centers' secondary water treatment system is independent activities, without any relationship with each other. There may be several months between the installation of each system. The vendor should be aware that the pipes at the Baltimore facility have a substantial amount of build-up of material on the inner walls. It should not be assumed that an ultrasonic flowmeter will operate properly at that facility. The contractor will provide training on the operation, testing and reporting of the secondary water system who are designated by the VA. These members of the VA staff will not operate the equipment, perform any maintenance or perform routine tests. The intent is that they become familiar with the system so that they can recognize early signs of potential problems with the system. VA supplied items. The VA will provide at each location up to two (2) 20-amp 120V electrical circuits. The circuits will be part of the emergency power system. These electric circuits are tested periodically. During a normal test power will be interrupted in the circuit for up to 20 seconds. Any electrical equipment of the secondary water treatment system shall have the ability to automatically restart after a loss of power, without any on- site human action. If restarting the system or a component of that system requires human action the vendor shall provide a suitable uninterruptable power supply (UPS) devise that will power the system during the power disruptions and until a representative of the vendor can place the system in a safe state of operation. The VA will install two piping connections on the incoming water supply and domestic hot water system, at each facility, one for the injection of the biocide and the other for the sampling of the biocide. The location of these connections will be determined by the contractor. Any additional connections on the existing pipe for the operation of the systems shall be the responsibility of the contractor. The contractor shall be provided a space at both Baltimore and Loch Raven, not to exceed 36 wide X 24 deep and 72 high, for the storage of supplies. The contractor, at their expense, be allowed to provide storage shelves for spare parts and consumables, at each location. Although the area will be in a secure room the VA will not be responsible for any material that becomes loss. The location for the secondary water treatment of the incoming water at Baltimore will be in the booster pump room BA-115, The secondary water treatment for the Baltimore s domestic hot water system, if installed, shall be on the 7th floor near the hot water heaters. The secondary water treatment equipment for Loch Raven s domestic cold and hot water will be in the CLC s mechanical room on the basement level. The secondary water treatment equipment at Loch Raven may have to be relocated to another location within the same room within the period of the base year contract. The contractor should factor this cost into their proposal. System Requirements The system shall meet the following: The system shall generate the biocides on site. The equipment shall conform in all respects to a high standard of design, engineering and workmanship and shall be capable of performing the required duties in a manner acceptable to the VA. The operation of biocide generator shall be completely automatic and monitored in a manner that complies with the MOE requirements. The contractor shall support any requests for technical assistance from the VA for permitting and licensing activities for the secondary water treatment system. Any chemicals used to generate the biocides shall be delivered and transferred to the system storage tanks in a manner that approved by the VA s Safety department. Biocides shall continuously be injected into the water being treated. The intent is to maintain for chlorine and or monochloramine a residual free chlorine concentration of 1.0 and 2.0 ppm or in the case of chlorine dioxide free residual chlorine dioxide concentration of 0.2 0.6 ppm in water being distributed within to the respective facilities. The injection of the biocide shall be automatically controlled based on the signal received from an appropriate analyzer. All chemical storage tanks shall have automatic high and low level cut off. The secondary water treatment system shall have appropriate leak detection system. There will be engineered safeguards that will stop the secondary water treatment system in case of water supply to the generator stops, if the chemical supply/ injection pumps stop. There will be local and remote notifications. There shall be a local emergency switch, for each system, that will tum the system off in case of an emergency. Generator must be equipped with systems to measure the reagents and diluting water. These systems must be able to shut down the system in case any of the supplies are cut off. The contractor shall provide the necessary piping, valves, instruments, controls & interlocks with the systems for auto operation and remote operation and control. The secondary water system shall be certified to NSF/ANSI 61 Chlorine gas shall not be used to produce any biocide. All equipment shall be in a spill containment devise. The system shall have 24/7/365 remote access using cellular technology. The VA shall access to the on- line data so that it can view current operating parameters, review historical data and download reports. The data shall include the following: Incoming water free chlorine (ppm) Incoming water total chlorine (ppm) Incoming water pressure (psi) Incoming water temperature (F) Incoming water flow (gpm) Free chlorine dioxide I free chlorine being distributed to the facility (ppm) Monitor of the tank levels of the precursor chemical tanks Incoming water pH pH in the chlorine/ monochloramine / chlorine dioxide supply (dosing) line Incoming water dissolved solids Flow on all chemical feed lines, dilution water lines, chlorine / monochloramine / chlorine dioxide solution lines. The biocide generator shall have a controller that controls the rate of production to assure that it is within a safe range, as well as a method to remotely shut off the unit safety, if necessary. Service Agreement The contractor shall inspect on site, at least every month, to ensure the system is functioning properly. The contractor shall provide a service report stating the equipment that was inspected and any deficiencies. The contractor shall provide, deliver and set up all the chemicals and consumables required to maintain the specific concentrations. The vendor shall provide a monitoring system operation 24/7 with remote monitoring and functionality for trouble calls 24/7. The vendor's technicians are required to service the unit on a 24/7 basis within 2 hours of notification by the VA or the remote monitoring location. The equipment shall remain the property of the vendor during the period of the contract. The vendor will maintain the secondary water treatment equipment in accordance with the manufactures' suggested preventative maintenance schedule. At the time the system is started-up the contractor shall provide the VA with documentation on the manufactures' suggested maintenance program for the various pieces of equipment. Should a piece of equipment fail, for any reason, the vendor shall take necessary action to repair / replace the item to return it to full service as soon as possible. The vendor shall provide a daily status of the systems' operation. This report shall include a daily report on the operational status of each system including any issue impacting the system's operation. Included in the report will be the estimated completion date any repairs as well as any other upcoming activities, i.e. testing and upcoming maintenance activities. Testing Equipment to be Provided the VA The Contractor shall provide VA two biocide testing devices, one for Baltimore and one for Loch Raven. The testing equipment shall be identical to the type that the one that the contractor uses for periodic testing of the biocide concentration. The contractor shall provide the VA the equipment, for each site, at the time the system is permitted by the MDE. VA's Expectations for secondary Water Treatment System effectiveness. The VA's expectation is that there will be zero (0) detectable growth of legionella in both the domestic cold-water and domestic hot water systems. If there is detectable growth, as documented by the periodic testing, the contractor shall remediate the system, which tested positive for legionella, within 2 calendar days after being notified of the positive results. The remediation shall be between 2.0 ppm and not to exceed 4.0 ppm of free chlorine. The concentration shall maintain this concentration for one hour. Chlorine is the only acceptable biocide for remediation according to the VA directive 1061. Thermal eradication is not an acceptable option at either Baltimore or Loch Raven CLC. If the contractor recommends/ requires remediation at a concentration level higher than 4.0 ppm the contractor shall give the VA prior notification as well as provide a safety plan to assure patient and staff safety. If the secondary water treatment system does not achieve the VA's zero level of detectable growth for three consecutive quarters, for the initial legionella testing for each period/quarter, the VA shall have the right to direct the contractor to use another biocide, approved by the VA in Directive 1061, without any cost to the VA. That biocide shall be approved by the VA's directive 1061 and the selection will be the sole responsibility of the contractor. If it is determined, through the VA' s internal investigative process that a patient/ staff or visitor has developed healthcare-associated Legionella, at either the Baltimore or Lock Raven CLC that is attributed to the domestic cold or hot water; the VA reserves the right to direct the contractor to remediate the facility within 24 hours and to replace the secondary water treatment system with a different biocide, selected by the VA, at no additional cost to the VA. , Bid Items: Support of VA's Loch Raven permitting and licensing activities. Support of VA's Baltimore permitting and licensing activities. Provide, install, startup Loch Raven secondary water system. Provide, install, startup Baltimore secondary water system. Monthly / annual cost to operate and maintain a secondary water system at Loch Raven in a manner to comply with the requirements of the MOE. Monthly / annual cost to Operate and maintain a secondary water system at Baltimore in a manner to comply with the requirements of the MOE. The proposal shall be evaluated shall be based on: The contractor's demonstration of number of the systems that they have assisted in permitting and licensing, within the past 5 years. 25% The length of time that the contractor has taken to obtain a permit/ license from the MOE, within the past 5 years. 20% The evaluations of the contractor's clients on the manner and performance of the secondary water system. 20% Input from the MOE on the contractor's performance of their timeliness and compliance of the reporting requirements of operating secondary water treatment systems that they operate. 20% The cost of the monthly / annual of operating the secondary water treatment system. 15%.