THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION NOTICE. This is to request industry comments on the following Statement of Objectives, to assist the Government in developing its acquisition strategy. Submit comments to
[email protected] by December 31, 2007. OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE I. Introduction The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), is planning to issue a Request for Proposals for the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of the newly constructed Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF) located in Alamogordo, New Mexico, for a period of one year beginning October 1, 2008. Four one (1) year options may be exercised subject to Reclamation's mission to include onsite Government contractual oversight. The program is sponsored by Reclamation's Desalination and Water Purification Research and Development Program (DWPR). Through this program, Reclamation is forming partnerships to address a broad range of desalting and water purification needs. The intent of the program is to augment the supply of usable water in the United States through innovative, efficient, and cost effective desalination and water purification technologies. The O&M Contract (Contract) for the BGNDRF is a Performance-Based Management Contract (PBMC). The application of performance-based contracting approach emphasizes results and minimizes the "how to" performance descriptions. The Contractor has responsibility for total performance under the Contract, including determining the specific methods for accomplishing the scope of work by; (1) adhering to all contract and subcontract requirements; (2) providing the Government sound recommendations; (3) obtaining proper Government approvals; (4) quality work efforts by implementing and coordinating administration, operation, maintenance, and laboratory responsibilities; ensuring timely deliverables; and (5) assuming accountability for the listed in Section V herein. The performance-based requirements of this Contract are broadly set out in this Statement of Objectives and reflect Reclamation's minimum needs and expectations for Contractor performance. Accordingly, this PBMC provides flexibility to the Contractor in operating and maintaining the BGNDRF. All proposals submitted pursuant to this request shall include a detailed Performance Work Statement that describes how the Contractor will achieve the Performance Objectives listed in Section V herein. II. Background The United States is faced with the challenge of providing sufficient supplies of safe water to its citizens now and in the future. Factors such as prolonged droughts, rapid population growth, competing user demands, and environmental and health concerns place additional stress on available water resources. Desalination of brackish or impaired groundwater has the potential to increase usable water supplies by producing water suitable for municipal, agricultural and industrial applications. Further improvements can be made through research and development in desalination for inland urban, rural, and remote applications to lower costs, improve technology performance, and to manage the concentrates removed from the water. The impetus to create a desalination research facility to address these needs began in 2001 when Congress directed the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), in cooperation with Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), to conduct a study and prepare a plan for a desalination research and development facility in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico (U.S. Congress Committee on Appropriations, 2001). The BGNDRF is designed to provide state-of-the-art research facilities for Reclamation and visiting researchers involved in desalination research studies, pilot-scale projects and small demonstration projects. The BGNDRF will also offer public tours and feature an information display area as part of its public awareness program. The BGNDRF is a major federal research center, unique in that it is the only major research facility in the United States dedicated solely to the desalination of brackish and impaired groundwaters. It is located within an appropriate environment for desalination research, the Tularosa Basin. The Tularosa Basin possesses an adequate supply of groundwater resources for research purposes and a wide range of water qualities. The BGNDRF is intended to be a key national focal point for cooperative research in brackish groundwater desalination since it officially opened in 2007. The mission of the BGNDRF is to be the intellectual powerhouse that attracts outstanding researchers to work on developing cost effective, efficient desalination technologies that, when applied to brackish and impaired groundwaters, result in new supplies of usable water for municipal, agricultural, industrial, and environmental purposes. The BGNDRF is also dedicated to bridging the gap between science and engineering, and to speed the transfer of supply enhancing technologies to users. In bridging the gap, the BGNDRF has the opportunity to be involved, when appropriate, in studying the impact of non technological barriers such as financial, institutional, environmental, and regulatory issues. The BGNDRF will pursue its mission of supply-enhancing technologies by initiating research projects that: " Develop robust desalination technologies with extended life cycles that can effectively treat groundwater without fouling. " Lower the costs of desalinating brackish groundwater through the development of new and improved technologies. " Improve the operational performance of desalination technologies for increased output. " Develop solutions to concentrate management problems. " Develop renewable energy/desalination hybrids. The BGNDRF's goal is to be a national resource focal point for the desalination of brackish and impaired groundwaters. The BGNDRF will follow the Research and Investment Criteria contained in the President's Management Agenda, which provides relevance, quality, performance, and industry relevant applied research and development criteria for research programs (OSTP/OMB, 2003, 2005). The BGNDRF will become an integrated part of Reclamation's existing desalination research and development program. As part of a comprehensive effort, it will fill a unique role and it will draw upon the expertise and research activities already established. In addition to the general objective of developing supply-enhancing desalination technology, the BGNDRF will use four specific research objectives to select and guide its research programs: 1. Developing solutions to concentrate management problems 2. Developing renewable energy/desalination hybrids 3. Developing desalination technologies for produced waters 4. Developing economically viable small-scale desalination systems The objectives listed above are not intended to be totally inclusive, as research efforts at the BGNDRF may be focused on emerging or disruptive technologies or processes not currently identified. III. Location and General Description The 17 million dollar facility is located within the Tularosa Basin in Alamogordo, New Mexico. A central research building and external research areas are situated on a 40 acre fenced site within Alamogordo city limits and about 4 miles east of Holloman Air Force Base. The BGNDRF is easily accessible by car from Albuquerque, New Mexico (north), Las Cruces, New Mexico (west) and El Paso, Texas (south). A number of major airlines service both El Paso and Albuquerque, while small commuter flights fly directly into Alamogordo. The facility location was chosen to effectively conduct activities that would support national and international research on inland brackish ground water desalination. Because of its supply of groundwater resources with a variety of water chemistries, this site provides a unique opportunity to evaluate new desalination technologies. In addition, there is close proximity to sources of produced waters. The address for the BGNDRF is: The Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility 500 Lavelle Road Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310 The central research building is designed as a passive solar facility encompassing an area of 15,350 square feet. The building contains six research bays for desalination technology pilot testing, a resource area and information center for visitors, a monitoring room, offices, a conference room, a water analysis laboratory, and a mechanical shop. The information center is located in the lobby of the building, equipped with a large screen multimedia display, a viewer area, and information displays. Here information on desalination and ongoing BGNDRF research projects can be presented. Tours of the facility can be staged in the information center and move through the research bay area and external research areas. A high bay area in the rear of the building houses six research bays, a workshop and storage areas. Each bay is equipped with quick release connections so that pilot-scale research units can easily be hooked up to water, power, chemicals, instrument air, data ports and drain. Each bay has access to three different water qualities available from onsite wells and storage tanks. One of the bays will be equipped with a working reverse osmosis unit that is used as a demonstration unit for public tours. The bays can accommodate more than one research experiment at a time depending upon the characteristics of the specific units under investigation. Researchers can use the adjoining monitoring room or research offices to gather and analyze data from their research projects in the bays or from three large external pads located behind the building. Researchers can use the monitors and controls to detect a failure and to take the necessary actions to resolve the problem. Large glass windows enable researchers to view all of the high-bay area. There are seven offices for researchers working at the facility. Most of the offices can accommodate two researchers comfortably. Each researcher will have access to the Internet, as well as use of the phone, fax, and a copy machine. The office areas are clustered together to provide a team-based environment. The conference room provides a professional atmosphere for meetings and presentations for up to 15 people. The conference room will be available for small-group workshops and seminars. A basic laboratory is available for researchers to test and analyze water samples obtained from research projects. The laboratory is equipped with calibrated analytical equipment to ensure the reliability and accuracy of test results. Safety measures such as exhaust hoods, emergency eyewash stations and protected utility connections are designed to protect users. All on-site systems can be monitored from the central research building. Limited centralized controls will also be available for start up and emergency shut down procedures. Four onsite source water wells supply water to the BGNDRF for research purposes. Water is pumped to large water storage tanks where it is stored and distributed to individual research bays as needed. Internal research bays can be supplied with up to 30 gallons per minute for pilot-scale testing while the larger external pads can accommodate larger demonstration units operating at up to 60 gallons per minute. Brackish groundwater sources containing a variety of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentrations will be available for research: " Low TDS source water o 50,000 gallon source water storage tank o TDS of 1,000-1,200 mg/L o Temperature before cooling tower stripping of 41 degrees C (106 degrees F) " Mid TDS source water o 100,000 gallon source water storage tank o TDS of 3,350-6,400 mg/L " High TDS source water (Needs to be trucked to site from nearby sources) o 50,000 gallon source water storage tank o TDS of 10,000mg/L or greater including produced waters Reclamation obtained perpetual water rights of 500 acre-feet per year and an additional reserve well from an adjacent ranch. This well will be rehabilitated and brought online as needed in the future. The well produces mid-TDS source water which is typical of brackish groundwater found throughout the Southwest. The 40 acre site also contains three large evaporation ponds to store the concentrates separated from the product water by research test units. The ponds will be used to conduct concentrate management research studies and pilot-scale testing, i.e., beneficial uses of concentrate, byproduct development, and zero liquid discharge systems. The evaporation pond area is fenced for safety reasons and instrumented to detect any leaks in the liners. An agricultural research area is located adjacent to the evaporation ponds. It is designed for research into salt-tolerant plants or halophytes. One part of the site has been set aside for future renewable energy research into solar and wind power units coupled with desalination technologies. Wind turbines or solar panels can be positioned in this area and connected to the onsite water and power networks as needed. The BGNDRF's research building and external features are designed for flexibility in meeting the needs of any research study conducted at the BGNDRF. IV. Scope Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, the Contractor shall furnish all contract management, planning, supervision, administration, personnel, operations, maintenance, materials, chemicals, tools, equipment, supplies, transportation, facilities, services and anything else necessary for the O&M of the BGNDRF, including Building Systems, Research Support Systems, Grounds Maintenance Services, Janitorial Services, Site Security Services, and Administrative Services; on a 24 hour, 365 days per calendar year basis (366 days per leap year(s)), to ensure Reclamation can achieve its assigned mission. This effort requires the Contractor to provide: " Trained and qualified personnel for all positions, including supervisory positions " Personnel management plan " Quality Assurance Plan " Additional trained personnel as needed for special events " Record keeping The Contractor shall, when directed by Reclamation and may, but only when authorized by Reclamation, enter into subcontracts for the performance of any part of the work under this contract. V. Performance Objectives Work shall be conducted by the Contractor, utilizing Contractor personnel, the BGNDRF facilities, and other outside subcontracted sources in accordance with the evolving laws of the United States, policies, procedures, and regulations of DOI and conforming procedures established by the Contractor, and subject to the provisions of this Contract. The Contractor shall fully provide all management, supervision, labor, supplies, materials, equipment, and tools required to effectively and efficiently perform operation and maintenance services specified herein. 1. Building Systems: The primary performance objective is to operate and maintain all of the Building Systems at an acceptable level throughout the Contract performance period. An acceptable level of performance is defined as that level of operation and maintenance which will preserve the building, its equipment, and its systems in unimpaired condition, above the point where deterioration will begin, thereby ensuring that the normal life expectancy of the building, its equipment, and its systems will not be diminished. Building Systems equipment is listed in the attached Physical Property Inventory Condition Report (PPICR). Building Systems include the following: o Hot and cold potable water system o Heating, venting, air conditioning (HVAC) system and controls o Main electrical distribution system o Lighting controls o Security and safety systems 2. Research Support Systems: The primary performance objective is to operate and maintain all of the Research Support Systems that support the BGNDRF research projects at an acceptable level during the Contract performance period. An acceptable level of performance is defined as that level of operation and maintenance which will preserve the research infrastructure, equipment and systems in an operational and unimpaired condition, above the point where deterioration will begin, thereby ensuring that the normal life expectancy of the infrastructure, equipment, and systems will not be diminished.. Research Support Systems equipment is listed in the attached PPICR. Research Support Systems include the following: o Brackish water supply systems (wellheads, storage tanks, pumps, valves, plumbing, electrical control equipment, etc.) o Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems o Information technology (IT) systems (computers, networks, servers, etc.) o Water Analysis Laboratory o Caustic mixing and injection facility o Chemical storage and disposal o Evaporation ponds 3. Grounds Maintenance Services: The primary performance objective is to provide year-round Grounds Maintenances Services for the exterior BGNDRF facilities and grounds at an acceptable level during the Contract performance period. An acceptable level of performance is defined as that level of operation and maintenance which will preserve the landscaping irrigation system and vegetation, and maintain the facility grounds in a safe, clean, well-groomed appearance; free from trash, weeds, bugs, and plant diseases. Grounds Maintenance Services includes the following: o Cleaning of exterior areas within the fenced perimeter of the BGNDRF o Landscaping vegetation and ground cover maintenance and replacement o Sprinkler system and drainage maintenance o Weed, insect, and disease control o Trash and debris removal 4. Janitorial Services: The primary performance objective is to provide Janitorial Services to all areas with the BGNDRF building except the Testing Area, 5 days per week, Monday through Friday, commencing after 6 pm and completing before 6 am of the following day, at an acceptable level during the Contract performance period. An acceptable level of performance is defined as maintaining the building areas hygienically clean, neat, and professional in appearance. Building areas include the floors, surfaces, fixtures, and trash receptacles within the: o Offices o Corridors/Stairways o Restrooms/Locker Rooms o Monitoring Room o Conference Room o Water Analysis Laboratory o Lobby, Reception, and Learning Areas o Mail Room/Copy Center o Lunch Room 5. Security Services: The primary performance objective is to provide security services that protect the BGNDRF from theft, vandalism, and unsafe conditions, from 6 pm to 6 am, Monday through Friday, and 24 hours per day on Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, at an acceptable level during the Contract performance period. An acceptable level of performance is defined as providing a certified, uniformed, armed guard to surveil the BGNDRF and coordinate responses to threats with local police authorities. Security Services includes: o Exterior surveillance of grounds within the 40 acre site o Interior surveillance of building o Personnel, building, and equipment safety o Emergency alerts to Reclamation personnel and local authorities 6. Administrative Services: The primary performance objective is to provide Administrative Services for telephone and visitor reception, operation and maintenance management, supervision of Contract employees, report preparation, permit renewals, and operation of the work flow management system, at an acceptable level through the Contract performance period. VI. Constraints The Contractor must comply with the following rules and regulations governing public building and grounds: " Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1280 " Title 41, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 101-20.3 " U.S. Code, Title 18, Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities " All current GSA, State of New Mexico, and local firearms suitability, licensing, and permit requirements " Department of Interior Regulations for Security Officers " FAR 52.237-3, Continuity of Services " Security Duty Officer's Book All Contractor personnel proposed to work on the premises of the BGNDRF under this contract must undergo security processing by Reclamation's Office of Security before he or she is eligible to work. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in termination of this contract or removal of some Contractor employees from the BGNDRF. Compliance with these requirements shall not be construed as providing a Contract employee clearance to have access to classified information. VII. Monetary Reductions Monetary reductions in the Contract price shall be taken for non-performance or deficient work. The specific reductions will be set forth in the Performance Work Statement.