H946--Water Testing for JACC
Questions to RFQ 36C25623Q1091 APHA Method 9215 is the testing procedure in the lab, not the sampling procedure for collecting water samples. VHA Directive 1061 (1) is for Legionella which appears to... Questions to RFQ 36C25623Q1091 APHA Method 9215 is the testing procedure in the lab, not the sampling procedure for collecting water samples. VHA Directive 1061 (1) is for Legionella which appears to be the reason for the solicitation. Can you please confirm if this solicitation is for Legionella? This solicitation is for Legionella and Heterotrophic plate count per the Scope of Work (SOW). The VA requires ELITE Certified labs for testing Legionella. EPA provides sampling procedures, and there are numerous agencies that also suggest sampling procedures, none discuss wiping down the sampling point with alcohol before sampling. I am curious as to why a healthcare environment would want to mask the results that would lead to false negatives. The recommendation to wipe test ports with alcohol at critical water sample points was made to VA by subject matter experts (SMEs) who specialize in reverse osmosis membranes and their performance in critical waster for healthcare and pharmaceutical applications. VA consulted with SMEs to determine the FboNotice cause of inconsistent false positives for critical water HPC tests. The revised sampling procedure for critical water was also reviewed by VA Engineering, Sterile Processing Service (SPS) and Infection Control. The procedure requires cleaning the port before a 5 - 10-minute flush of critical water through that port before taking the HPC sample. This ensures no residual alcohol creates a false negative and we receive the most representative sample of the critical water. Scope Clarification: Are there any specific areas within the facilities that require more frequent or intensive testing? Are there any additional services that might be required as part of this contract that are not explicitly mentioned in the Scope of Work? The frequencies and quantities are defined in the scope of work. Any additional services that might be required due changing conditions, requirements, or equipment will be handled through a contract modification with the review and approval of the Contacting Officer (CO).  Evaluation Criteria: Could you provide more information about the evaluation criteria for proposals? What factors will be given the most weight (e.g., cost, technical capability, past performance)? Technical capability and past performance will be of equal importance, while also providing competitive pricing.   Questions to RFQ 36C25623Q1091 (cont d) Budget: Is there a budget range for this contract? Understanding the budget can help us create a more competitive proposal. The government cannot take a position of advising an offeror on what it should or should not include in their quotes. In accordance with FAR 13.106-2(b)(3), the quotes will undergo a comparative analysis evaluation to determine which vendor provides the best value to the government in terms of high technical capability and past performance, while also providing a competitive price. Past Contractors: If possible, could you share any lessons learned or feedback from past contractors who have performed similar work? The government is not authorized to provide this information.  Point of Contact: Who will be our main point of contact during the execution of the work? Will it be you or someone else from your team?  A Contracting Officer Representative (COR) based at the Pensacola, FL, Clinic, will be appointed to oversee the execution of the work for the duration of the contract on or before contract award. Maintenance Coordination: Are there any specific maintenance schedules or activities that we need to be aware of that could potentially impact our testing schedule? For awareness, Biomed monthly disinfects the RO critical water loop and the cooling towers are serviced annually by a mechanical contractor. Biomed works around the critical water testing schedule. Annual cooling tower service normally involves draining and cleaning the sumps. These service dates can be communicated by the COR and may affect the ability to catch sump samples. Work Permits: Are there any work permits or other forms of documentation that we need to complete before we can commence our testing procedures? Lab accreditations requirements are described in SOW. Sampler must be registered with Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) as a certified environmental health contractor. VA s Water Safety Management Team (WSMT) requires the forms below be filled out by the awarded contractor.  Lockout/Tagout Procedures: Are there any lockout or tagout procedures that we need to follow during our testing operations? No. Sample ports are arranged so that water samples can be collected safely while the RO critical water loop, HVAC condenser loop, and cooling towers are operating. Questions to RFQ 36C25623Q1091 (cont d) Potential Challenges: Could you please identify any potential issues or challenges that could cause a delay in pulling samples? Government holiday schedule Unplanned HVAC equipment downtime. Per VHA Engineering Standard ES-2019-001 HPC water samples are not required on HVAC cooling tower water when cooling tower system is not operational.
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