DESC: The Defense Energy Support Center (DESC), in conjunction with the United States Army, plans to offer the privatization of the electric, water and wastewater distribution systems at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. Privatization is defined as the transfer of ownership and responsibility for the operations, maintenance, repair, future upgrades, and future utility system replacements. As a result of this solicitation, the firm will be selected to assume ownership of the above-mentioned utility systems. The successful firm will be required to provide expansions to the systems to meet future needs of the government. The resulting contract, if awarded, will require the Contractor to furnish all facilities, labor, materials, tools and equipment necessary to own, maintain, and operate the utility systems. The Contractor shall manage the maintenance, repairs, replacement, etc., of the systems to ensure continuous, adequate, and dependable service for each Government or tenant connection within the service area. The Contractor shall be responsible for funding all capital investments required to acquire, maintain and operate the utility systems in a safe, reliable condition and to meet the requirements listed in the contract. Offerors will not be required to submit offers on all of the utility systems and may submit offers on individual system(s) or on groups of systems on an all or none basis. For purposes of economic comparison required by 10 U.S.C. 2688, each system will be analyzed and considered for award separately.The Utility System being privatized is described as follows: Installation: Yuma Proving Ground Location: Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona is located 25 miles north of the city of Yuma, Arizona. Installation Description: Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) is located adjacent to the Colorado River in the Sonora Desert, 25 miles north of the city of Yuma, Arizona. It is approximately 180 miles east of San Diego, California and approximately 185 miles southwest of Phoenix, Arizona. YPG is generally “U-shaped” and covers over 1,300 square miles, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. YPG’s boundaries extend 58 miles north and south and 52 miles east and west. YPG also has limited access rights over and in the KOFA Game Refuge, located in the center of the “U”. YPG’s history dates back to 1943 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the Yuma Test Branch (the Test Branch) along the Colorado River below the Imperial Dam to test new bridge designs, boats, vehicles and well-drilling equipment. After the war, the work at the Test Branch declined until the Installation, in January 1950, was temporarily turned over to the Corps of Engineers. Yuma Test Station (the Station) was reactivated a year later and placed under the control of the Sixth Army. The primary mission of the Station was expanded to conduct desert environmental testing of military equipment. In 1962, control of the Station was reassigned to the Army Materiel Command (AMC) and placed under the immediate control of the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC). The Installation’s name was changed to Yuma Proving Ground in 1963. In 1974, YPG was designated as a Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB) by the Department of Defense (DoD). Utility Systems to be privatized: The following is provided only to give an approximation of the size, scope, and general description of the system. Any numbers should only be used for estimating purposes. The following system parameters are approximations. A. Electrical Distribution System Description Yuma Proving Ground receives electrical power at three delivery points from three suppliers. The majority of the Installation’s electrical requirements are delivered at 161 kV from Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) at Substation H (KOFA Substation). Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District (Wellton-Mohawk) provides 12.5 kV delivery points along Martinez Lake Road. The new owner will share an easement with Wellton-Mohawk to allow Wellton-Mohawk access to their Martinez Lake line. Arizona Public Service Company (APS) provides a 12.5 kV delivery point at Cibola Lake Road. In addition to the primary WAPA delivery point at Substation H, WAPA provides an alternate 69 kV supply point at Senator Wash Tap. This alternate supply point is only used as a contingency. Additionally, Wellton-Mohawk must have access to the 69 kV Senator Wash Tap line, which serves Hidden Shores. Yuma Proving Ground owns and operates an electrical utility system consisting of: • 10 substations; • approximately 189.3 circuit-miles of 69 kV, 34.5 kV, and 12.5 kV pole-line; • approximately 27.6 circuit-miles of 12.5 kV underground distribution line; and • two photo-voltaic generating stations. B. Water System Description The water utility system at YPG actually consists of nine potable water (PW) and five non-potable water (NPW) systems. The nine PW systems serve the MAA, YTC, LAAF, KFFS, KFFN, CDH/CDA, WETA, CIB and NFF areas. Two of the five non-potable systems serve the MAA and DYNO areas and the remaining three systems serve outlying areas within the KFRE area. The water utility systems components include 18 active water wells, two water treatment plants (WTP), seven booster pump stations (BPS), 13 ground storage tanks, five elevated storage tanks and approximately 276,510 linear feet of pipe ranging in size from less than 2-inch to 14-inch in diameter. The drinking water systems are regulated by the state of Arizona. Six (6) systems are recognized, of which five (5) of those six (6) systems are regulated by the State of Arizona. Water rights are not included in the privatization of the system and are not in any way, shape, or form to be considered as part of, or within the scope of this solicitation. C. Wastewater Utility System Description The wastewater utility systems at the Proving Ground consist of five separate collection and treatment systems. The five wastewater utility systems include systems which serve the MAA, YTC, LAAF, KFFS and CDH/CDA areas. Although the MAA wastewater utility system includes the sewage lift stations (SLS) and force mains, the other four systems are primarily gravity systems. The wastewater utility systems components include approximately 87,105 linear feet of pipe ranging in size from less than 4-inch to 12-inch in diameter, 179 manholes, four SLSs and five sewage lagoons. (The wastewater utility component quantities were “taken-off” of the utility system drawings provided by Installation personnel.) Several outlying areas have septic tank systems with perforated pipe drain fields. These systems are not included in this privatization action. The Contractor(s) shall furnish all facilities, labor, materials, tools, and equipment necessary to own, maintain and operate the utility system(s) in a safe and reliable condition. The Contractor(s) shall manage the maintenance, repairs, replacement, etc., of the system(s) to ensure continuous, adequate, and dependable service for each Government or tenant connection within the service area. Real property interests will be conveyed in the form of a Real Estate Easement as an attachment to the RFP. The utility system(s) will be conveyed via a Bill of Sale upon award of the contract. Past performance information from potential Offerors shall be submitted as directed in the RFP. All responsible sources may submit an offer, which shall be considered. Large businesses are required to submit a subcontracting plan with their offer. The cascading preference source selection method will be used in the evaluation of firms for award under this solicitation. Offerors from small businesses will be considered first. In accordance with FAR Subpart 19.5, any award resulting from the solicitation will be made to an eligible small business concern provided that (1) at least two competitive offers are received from responsible small business concerns, and (2) award will be made at a fair market price. If conditions for an award to a small business are not met, award will be made on the basis of full and open competition considering all offers submitted by responsible business concerns. Interested sources shall contact Christine Bond Jawish at 703-767-3298 to be added to our bidder mailing list. A copy of the solicitation will be available after issuance, on the Internet at the below listed URL. The solicitation will be available on or after September 17, 2004. LINKURL: http://www.desc.dla.mil/DCM/DCMPage.asp?pageid=246 LINKDESC: http://www.desc.dla.mil EMAIL:
[email protected]