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THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)/SOURCES SOUGHT DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in re... THIS REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)/SOURCES SOUGHT DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The submission of pricing, capabilities for planning purposes, and other market information is highly encouraged and allowed under this RFI In Accordance With (IAW) FAR Part 15.201(e). SOURCES SOUGHT DESCRIPTION This is NOT a solicitation announcement. This is a RFI/sources sought only. The purpose of this sources sought/RFI is to gain knowledge of potential qualified sources and their size classification relative to NAICS 221310. Responses to this sources sought will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. After review of the responses to this sources sought, a solicitation announcement may be published. Responses to this sources sought synopsis are not considered adequate responses for a solicitation announcement. The following VAAR policies and clauses will be applicable to this requirement if an SDVOSB/VOSB entity is interested and qualified in this requirement: limitations on subcontracting requirements set forth in 15 U.S.C. § 657s and in VAAR 852.219-10 and 852.219-11); 852.219-77, VA Notice of Limitations on Subcontracting Certificate of Compliance for Services and Construction The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VISN 15 Network Contracting Office, is seeking sources that can provide the following: STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) GENERAL INFORMATION: Title of Project: Furnish Legionella pathogen, Heterotrophic HPC testing, Sterile Processing, and Cooling Tower water quality testing of potable and non- potable water systems for the following VA Medical Center. Marion VA Medical Center 2401 W. Main Street Marion IL 62959 Scope of Work: This contract will provide an ongoing method of identifying possible Legionella contamination in the water supply, that dental unit water lines meet potable water standards, and appropriate water quality for use in sterile process at the VA Medical Facility. A clean and pathogen free water supply is considered critical to the health of both staff and patients. Background: Legionella is a waterborne pathogen that is found in potable water systems that have dead legs and areas that are not flushed on a regular basis. Legionella pneumophlia. Performance Period: The Contractor shall begin the work required under this SOW commencing with the effective date of award, unless otherwise directed by the CO, and shall provide continuous service until the date of contract expiration. The contractor will provide all consumable materials on-site to accomplish retrieval of sample for performing testing of potable and non-potable water systems throughout the VA Medical Center. The sampling will be conducted by Contractor personnel on a scheduled basis. Follow-up sampling of any site testing positive will be accomplished by the Contractor on-site within twenty-four (24) hours of the facility notifying the Contractor that the site is ready for re-test. Type of Contract: Firm-Fixed-Price. Extension of Contract. This contract may be extended for up to four (4) one (1) year option periods at the option of the VA in accordance with FAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract. Notice of an extension must be served in writing by the VA prior to the scheduled expiration date. An extension may be exercised subject to the continued acceptable performance and responsibility of the Contractor, the continued requirement for services, and the availability of funds. CONTRACT AWARD MEETING: The Contractor shall not commence performance on the tasks in this SOW until the CO has conducted a kickoff meeting, or has advised the Contractor that a kick off meeting is waived. SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED: The Contractor shall supply all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision, any and all incidentals necessary to perform water surveillance testing in accordance with all state, federal, local and OSHA Regulations for the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service, report test findings, in accordance with the specifications, terms, and conditions of this contract. Description of Services: Legionella testing. The contractor shall provide all services, materials, labor, and equipment necessary to carry out Legionella and non-pneumophila clinical testing. The contractor must be familiar with the requirements specified within the Statement of Work and VHA Directive 1061 as well as the VA requirements and national standards, regulations and policies listed below: ASHRAE Guideline 12-2000, Standard Minimizing the Risk of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems for Legionella (reference CDC website) http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/prevention.html OSHA Technical Manual Section III: Chapter 7 https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_iii/otm_iii_7.html (iii). Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/index.cfm (iv). CTI Guidelines WTB-148, Legionellosis Guideline: Best practices for Control of Legionella http://www.cti.org/downloads/WTP-148.pdf Heterotrophic HPC testing. The contractor shall provide all services, materials, labor, and equipment necessary to provide Heterotrophic Bacteria Plate Count (HPC) (also known as Standard Plate Count) clinical testing and reporting at Marion and the Evansville CBOC. Microbiological analysis to test the conformance to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA) recommended dental unit water line (DUWL) U.S, potable water standards. The methodology is to be EPA approved standard method pour plate using agar or the EPA approved SimPlate method. To be reported in colony-forming unit (CFU)/ml of water. Definition of colony-forming unit (CFU): The minimum number (i.e., tens of millions) of separable cells on the surface of or in semisolid agar medium that give rise to a visible colony of progeny. CFUs can consist of pairs, chains, clusters, or as single cells and are often expressed as colony-forming units per milliliter (CFUs/mL). Standards for safe drinking water quality as established by EPA, the American Public Health Association (APHA), and the American Water Works Association (AWWA); http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5217a1.htm Sterile Processing (SPS) water quality testing for both Marion and Evansville CBOC: The contractor shall provide an annual test for ionic contaminants and water hardness and monthly tests for bacteria Heterotrophic plate count, pH and Total Organic Carbon. Endotoxins LAL test shall be provided as needed due to persistent increased microbial levels detected by other tests or due to installation, modification, or repair of critical water treatment systems. Tests shall be performed in accordance with Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) TIR34-2014/(R)2017 Water for the reprocessing of medical devices. Reference TIR34 Table 6 and Annex D. Cooling Tower water quality testing for Marion: The contractor shall provide all services, materials, labor, and equipment necessary to carry out quarterly Legionella sampling and monthly Heterotrophic plate count (HPC) sampling. Required Analytical Sampling: The contractor will provide all consumable materials on-site to accomplish retrieval of sample for performing testing of potable and non-potable water systems throughout the VA Medical Center. The sampling will be conducted by Contractor personnel on a scheduled basis. For Legionella testing: a minimum of ten (10) hot, and ten (10) cold, water outlets will be sampled from each of the following areas, building 1, building 43, and building 81. (Annual total = 240) One (1) sample from each of the three (3) sumps, one (1) sample from supply and one (1) sample from return on the Cooling Towers of Building 49. (Annual total=20) Sample collection bottles furnished by the Contractor will have the following: Sterile plastic bottle with cap. Sodium thiosulfate preservative. Adhesive label with sample identification. For SPS Water Sampling, testing is to occur in the morning to ensure water testing does not interfere with SPS workflow or risk of workflow causing contaminated sample. Water samples should be performed using same criteria as AAMI TIR 34: 2017. Sampling locations for SPS Water as listed below: Five (5) locations in Marion Five (5) locations in Evansville Two (2) faucets in Decon One (1) Washer Disinfector One (1) Sonic One (1) RO For Cooling Tower HPC testing: Testing will be conducted monthly. One (1) sample from each of the three (3) sumps, one (1) sample from the drain line. (Annual total=48) Samples will be collected by Contractor Personnel using proper standard sampling techniques. Samples will be delivered to the testing laboratory per the CDC and VHA Directive 1061 and 1116(2) for sample collection. This will ensure that sample degradation does not occur during transit to the testing laboratory. Laboratories: Legionella testing. Laboratories that process the water samples for Legionella must be certified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Environmental Legionella Isolation Techniques Evaluation (ELITE) program or the Public Health England (PHE) Legionella External Quality Assessment (EQA) scheme as proficient at performing the culture of Legionella from environmental samples. Information about CDC ELITE certified laboratories can be found at https://wwwn.cdc.gov/elite/Public/MemberList.aspx. Laboratories must also be able to determine if the Legionella detected in environmental samples is the species Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. In accordance with VHA Directive 1061, the laboratory processing the water samples for Legionella must be certified by the CDC ELITE program as proficient at performing the culture of Legionella species from environmental samples. The testing laboratory will utilize the CDC Method for Legionella culturing known as Procedures for the Recovery of Legionella from the Environment this method includes the Presumptive Phase and Confirmatory Phase as described below: The Presumptive Phase will be used for potable water and non-potable water. Potable waters will be filtered and plated on Buffered Charcoal Yeast Extract (BCYE) agar for primary culturing of Legionella. Non- potable water requires an acid buffer treatment prior to plating on the BCYE. Due to the overall high bacterial count present in the non-potable water, this step is used to reduce the number of these non-legionella bacteria from the water before culturing. After the Presumptive Phase , the Confirmatory Phase will be conducted. All colonies that do not grow on the BCYE agar plates will be analyzed using the Legionella Latex Test . This test is a serology method used to identify Legionella colonies by its serotype. This test will determine Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 and serogroup 2-14. It will also identify the presence of non-pneumophila Legionella bacteria, or "other Legionella species". Other methods of Legionella analysis are prohibited. Heterotrophic HPC testing. In accordance with 40 CFR § 141.74 - Analytical and monitoring requirements, HPC testing must be conducted by a laboratory certified by the State or EPA to do such analysis. Testing will be accomplished in accordance with Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 18th edition (1992), 19th edition (1995), 20th edition (1998), or 21st Edition (online edition only) (2005), American Public Health Association, 1015 Fifteenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005 Water quality tests for sterile process shall be in accordance with requirements of AAMI TIR34-2014/(R)2017. All aspects of testing and reporting will be held in strict confidence and are to be discussed only with the VA Medical Center. Analysis Results: Upon completion of the Legionella culturing and enumeration, the Heterotrophic HPC testing, and the SPS Water Sampling, the original results will be emailed to the contractor for immediate interpretation. The contractor will provide to the COR a written report of the analytical sampling results within 7-10 days. If results indicate positive counts of Legionella bacteria, the COR will be contacted via phone, or email, the day of receipt of the results. All reports shall contain at least the following information: Testing Laboratory Name and Address. Project Name (including water outlet locations) /Lab Request Number. (C). Sample Receipt Date. Report Date. Name and Signature of Laboratory Director or Manager. Sample results in colony forming units per milliliter (cfu/ml). Water temperature, biocide residual level, and pH for each sample collected. Method of Analysis GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. Hours of Coverage: The contractor will provide all required services within the normal business hours, 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM (CST) M-F. Federal holidays observed by the VA Medical Center: New Year s Day Labor Day Martin Luther King Day Columbus Day President s Day Veteran s Day Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day Juneteenth Christmas Day Independence Day and any other day specifically designated by the President of the United States. (3). Invoicing and payments: Payment will be made monthly in arrears after receipt and acceptance of a proper invoice which must reference the period for ECMS Line ID 12630211. The invoice MUST be itemized to include the following information listed below. Any information listed below that is not provided on an invoice will render that invoice incomplete and the invoice will be returned for immediate correction. Contract number. Obligation Document number. (iii). Time period being invoiced for. Description of services (separate line items for Legionella, Heterotrophic HPC, SPS, and Cooling Tower water testing). Unit Cost Billed (by Contract Line Item Number (CLIN). (vi). Extended amount due. (vii). Invoice number, and date. Competency of contractor personnel: The Contractor must have an established business, with an office and full time staff who specialize in water sampling and testing services. The Contractor must have all necessary personnel, equipment, and supplies required to furnish the services required under this SOW. All work shall be performed by "Fully Qualified" competent personnel. If subcontractor(s) are used to accomplish any portion of the contract, they must meet the same competency standards as Contractor personnel and be preapproved by the CO. The Contractor shall submit any proposed change in subcontractor(s) to the CO for approval or disapproval. IT SECURITY REQUIREMENTS. Dept. of Veterans Affairs IT Security Requirements will apply to this contract. It is the responsibility of the interested source to demonstrate to the government that the interested parties can provide the supplies/services that fulfill the brand name. If you are interested, and are capable of providing the sought out supplies/services, please provide the requested information as well as the information indicated below. Response to this notice should include company name, address, point of contact, size of business pursuant to the following questions: Please indicate the size status and representations of your business, such as but not limited to: Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), Hubzone, Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB), Large Business, etc.)? Is your company considered small under the NAICS code identified under this RFI? Are you the manufacturer, distributor, or an equivalent solution to the items being referenced above? If you re a small business and you are an authorized distributor/reseller for the items identified above or an equivalent solution, do you alter; assemble; modify; the items requested in any way? If you do, state how and what is altered; assembled; modified? Does your company have an FSS contract with GSA, VA NAC, NASA SEWP, or any other federal contract, that can be utilized to procure the requirement listed above? If so, please provide the contract number. Please submit your capabilities that show clear, compelling, and convincing evidence that you can meet the requirement described in the attached SOW. Please provide your DUNS number. Responses to this notice shall be submitted via email to George Johnson at George.johnson9@va.gov. Telephone responses shall not be accepted. Responses must be received no later than Friday, June 9, 2023 at 1000 EST. If a solicitation is issued it shall be announced at a later date, and all interested parties must respond to that solicitation announcement separately from the responses to this sources sought. Responses to this sources sought notice are not a request to be added to a prospective bidders list or to receive a copy of the solicitation