ECHCS Water Sampling/Testing Per The Statement of Work

Responses to Questions Received for Solicitation 36C25924Q0565 1. Can the government clarify if this requirement is for collection services and onsite water sampling testing only?

VA Response: It is for both collection service and onsite water sample testing in accordance with VHS Directive 1061 at four (4) Buildings and four (4) cooling towers located at the RMRVAMC. Also, there are two buildings not located at the RMRVAMC that will require legionella water sample testing. One building located in Pueblo and the other building is in Lakewood. Please refer to the building and cooling towers below:

Buildings and Cooling towers located at RMRVAMC. 1700 N. Wheeling Street. a. Building H (Inpatient Unit) b. Building K (Inpatient Unit) c. Fisher House ( VA visitor and patient Lodging) d. PTSD Building (Patient Housing and Rehabilitation Center) e. Building L Roof (location for the four cooling towers). Two building off site. a. Pueblo CLC (Community Living Center): Address- 2600 Oakshire Lane, Pueblo CO. 81001-5671 b. Valor Point (Domiciliary): Address- 7350 West Eastman Place, Lakewood 80227-5006 2. Can the government clarify if laboratory testing for Legionella is required in this requirement?

VA Response: ECHCS has a separate contract with an analytical laboratory for the analytical legionella water testing. This contract solicitation is strictly to perform the legionella water sample testing ONLY for the ECHCS. This solicitation does NOT include analytical testing for legionella. 3. If the requirement does include laboratory testing for Legionella, can the government provide an updated CLIN table Section B.3 showing a description including laboratory analysis?

VA Response: This contract is strictly for water sampling. 4. If the requirement does not include Laboratory testing for legionella, can the government clarify how the contractor will be able to supply Copies of the laboratory analysis reports with Chain of Custody form(s) called for on Page 7 of 82 Section 2. A. iv.?

VA Response: The Contractor shall obtain the supplies for water sampling from the VA which also includes the Chain of Custody, and a return label. With the contract we have for the Laboratory Analysis, the laboratory is responsible to supply ECHCS OSHE-IH the sampling bottles, Chain-of-Custodies (COC), and the return shipping labels for the sample that were collected. The supplies will be handed over to the Legionella Water Sampling Contractor Representative.

Once the samples for that building or cooling towers have been collected, the sampling contractor will package the water and place the COC in the box with the samples and put the return label on the pox and ship the samples to the lab. The Water Sampling Contractor will provide a copy of the COC to the ECHCS-OSHE-IH representative. OSHE -Industrial Hygiene receives the analytical laboratory results report and forward the reports to the sampling contractor.

The Water Sampling Contractor take the result and sampling parameters and submit the data in the HEFP Water Safety Management Tool (WSMT) in accordance with the VHA Directive 1061. 5. Statement of Work Page 9 of 82 Paragraph viii states the Contractor shall mail the samples grouped by building, using VA provided bottles and shipping documents, to the specified CDC Elite Lab. Page 7 of 82 1. General states .

The contractor shall provide all personnel, labor, equipment, tools, materials and vehicles necessary for collection, testing and mailing of water samples. Can the government clarify if the contractor is responsible for providing the sampling bottles?

VA Response: The sampling bottles are provided by the VA for the Contractor to use. If the VA is providing the bottles, will the government provide what type and size of sampling bottles they are providing to ensure they meet requirements for testing for Legionella?

VA Response: Yes.

Water Sample: 250 ml bottles/ Ice: 500 ml bottles 6. Page 30 of 82 Clause 52.222-43 is not checked. Does this clause apply to the contract?

VA Response: Not Applicable If so, will the government check the box showing it applies?

VA Response: Not Applicable 7. Page 58 of 82 Instructions Paragraph (5) states A copy of documentation responding to the technical evaluation factors described in FAR provision 52.212-2, EVALUATION COMMERCIAL ITEMS, which is part of this solicitation. The documentation will be submitted in the same package as the proposal. The response shall not exceed five (5) 8-1/2 x11 double-sided pages in Times New Roman font size 12, regardless of the method used to transmit the proposal package. Can the government clarify if the Technical five (5) 8-11 ½ x 11 double sided pages exclude the required Past Performance references called for on Pages 58 and 64?

VA Response: It can be more than five pages as a result of including past performance. 8. Pages 57 58 ADDENDUM to FAR 52.212-1 INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES Can the government clarify if it is acceptable to provide all required fill ins in the proposal package or does the government require the full 82 page Solicitation to be returned with completed fill ins, etc.?

VA Response: All fill-ins are required to be completed in the proposal package.