Anacostia II WWPS PLC Upgrades project

Q (Drawings): Are there any drawings for this project?

A: The document for Bid Plans is now under Section Attachment, A - Plans and Drawings.

Q (Attachment E- Plans file is damaged ): E - ANACOSTIA_2_WWPS_PLC_BID_PLANS. There was an error opening this document. The file is damaged and could not be open.

A: The document for Bid Plans is now under Section Attachment, A - Plans and Drawings.

Q (Drawings): The drawing file seems to be corrupted and will not open. Please upload another copy. Thank you.

A: The document for Bid Plans is now under Section Attachment, A - Plans and Drawings.

Q (Request for WME approved Control Systems Integrator): Can Wunderlich-Malec Engineering be added as an approved Control Systems Integrator?

A: Control System Integrator qualifications shall be submitted for approval in accordance with spec Section 16930. Wunderlich-Malec Engineering may be considered if the requirements of Section 19630, for the Control System Integrator, are met.

Q (RFI/Bid submission Extension): Following yesterday’s site survey and a thorough review of the RFP requirements, we have identified the complexity of the project. To allow sufficient time to prepare comprehensive RFIs and a proposal that is accurate and fully responsive to the RFP, we respectfully request an extension of at least one week to both the RFI submission deadline and the RFP bid due date.

A: A time extension to the questions due date will be extended to 3/23/2026. A time extension to the bid due date will be extended by two weeks to 4/9/2026.

Q (RFI Question #2): 2. Is this project tax-exempt?

A: This question is addressed in the General Conditions section of the solicitation package (5.33 Taxes).

Q (RFI Question #3): 3. Is this project federally funded?

A: At this time, this project is not federally funded.

Q (RFI Question #4): 4. Are there any Buy American or similar requirements on this project? If so, please advise the applicable FAR clause.

A: This project is not federally funded and therefore not subject to FAR clauses. Refer to the bid specifications for standard material specifications.

Q (RFI Question #5): 5. Please confirm that if any unforeseen tariffs, taxes, or other price factors that could not have been quantified or taken into account at bid time are announced after the bid, the contractor will be afforded an opportunity to adjust their pricing as necessary to include these costs.

A: There is no contract language on the concerns raised and therefore no contract clause to invoke to be compensated. The risk is on the Supplier.

Q (RFI Question #9): 9. Please provide the manufacturer(s) of existing electrical panels PP-2 and PP-3 that will need to be modified to accommodate new circuits.

A: The power panels PP-2 and PP-3 are Eaton Pow-R-Line type panels.

Q (RFI Question #10): 10. This question pertains to the price table, Items A-1 and A-2. Please identify the scope of work desired for each item. What work constitutes the Control System Integration versus the PLC Upgrade?

A: A-2 shall be work that is listed under the Summary of work specification 01110, page 3, where the Control System Integrator’s scope of work is listed. Work that does not fall under this line item, or item B-1 shall fall under Item A-1.

Q (RFI Question #11): 11. Please confirm the scope of work for Contingent Unit Price Item B-1. a. Is there an existing ceiling grid system that is being replaced? b. If the intent of the scope is to install a new ceiling grid system, we request an additional site walk for us to bring sub-contractors to review the existing conditions and get a full understanding of the scope desired. c. What will be the height (AFF) of the new ceiling grid system?

A: The plan originally was to replace the ceiling within the scope of a different project: CP6868A20 - Anacostia No. 2 Pump Station Bar Screens & NFPA 820 Upgrades. Since the PLC project will have some overlap in contract period with the Bar Screens project, this contingency item gives the PLC project the opportunity to install the ceiling (including ceiling grid + tiles) to improve access for the PLC project and reduce redundant ceiling modification. By the time that the PLC project scope of work is executed, there will not be a ceiling, rather there will be light fixtures that are supported and the remainder of the ceiling covered in plastic – for dust control. The ceiling height was at approximately 11-feet, and the new ceiling shall be at the same height. No additional site walk will be granted.

Q (RFI Question #12): 12. The $100,000 for Contingent Unit Price Item B-2 becomes part of the total price based on Schedule C of the bid form. How will this contingency be utilized? Will this amount be set aside for use as needed? If there is an unused portion of this contingency amount, is that amount to be returned to the owner or does the contractor retain this money?

A: The contingency unit price item shall only be used at the discretion of the WSSC's Project Manager for items not otherwise included in the bid scope. This money is not to be spent unless expressly authorized by the WSSC's Project Manager.

Q (RFI Question #14): 14. Reference drawing E-4: Note 1 states to clean existing conduit and verify conduit is suitable for re-use. If suitable, new wire is to be installed/pulled from the devices to the new PLC. The drawing does not indicate the routing path of the existing conduit runs. We are unable to determine the length of wire that will be required to be installed. Furthermore, we are unable to determine where the existing conduits enter the building to be able to intercept and re-route them to the new PLC. a. Note 1 also states that if the existing underground conduit is damaged, provide new underground conduit for control and signal wires. Should the cost of replacing these conduits be included in the lump sum or, if this scope becomes necessary, will the contingency be utilized for these conduit runs? If this cost is to be included in the lump sum, the path for the conduits will need to be identified to determine obstacles for the excavation work. Also, details for the underground installation will need to be provided (i.e. will these conduits be direct buried, concrete encased, etc.)? We will also need to determine where the conduits will be able to enter the building (i.e. will the conduits enter underground, will hard conduits be turned up and run on the outside of the building to enter above grade, etc.)? Please advise.

A: An addendum has been made to provide details (path, lengths, underground installation, etc.) regarding these conduits – see attachment E and F. In addition, a contingency item B-3 has been added to the pricing page to be utilized only when expressly authorized by the engineer.

Q (Cyber Requirements): 1. Cyber Scope Authority Please confirm responsibility/authority for implementing cybersecurity hardening and configuration changes for PLCs, HMIs, Ethernet switches, and routers shown on drawing I‑15. Identify which assets will be Commission‑furnished vs. CSI‑furnished. Section 16930: Part 1.1.G; Part 2.2.A; Drawing I‑15 2. Cyber Standards Applicability Please confirm whether any cybersecurity standards (e.g. DISA STIGs, CIS Benchmarks, NIST 800‑82, AWWA, AWIA) are required for control system assets. Section 16930: Part 1.3; Part 2.4.D 3. Network Device Inventory Please provide an inventory of all network devices supporting the control system shown on Drawing I‑15, including manufacturer, model, firmware/OS version, cabinet location (East or West), and ownership (Commission‑furnished or CSI‑furnished). Section 16930: Part 2.2.A.3; Drawing I‑15 4. Switch Power & UPS Please identify the power source of each IT device shown in drawing I‑15. Please identify if devices are supported by building UPS or local UPS (rack/cabinet). Section 16930: Part 2.6.A.7; Drawing I‑15 5. Fiber Cable Details Please provide fiber optic details for all communications links shown in drawing I‑15. Section 16930; Drawing I‑15 6. Remote Access Please identify any remote access points in the control system architecture shown in drawing I‑15. Section 16930: Part 3.1; Drawing I‑15 7. Backup Storage Please provide any backup server storage capability/capacity details, if present. 8. New Equipment Please identify which legacy equipment will be replaced.

A: 1 & 2. Any hardening of cybersecurity or network-switch programming would be done by WSSC 3. WSSC will provide cabinet drawing with BOM, but does not impact the contractor scope of work. 4. UPS power is shown on drawing I-15. In addition, you can reference photos from PP-2 & PP-3 5. The details requested are on the drawing set. Please reference drawing I-15 6. There are no remote access points and remote access is not permitted under any circumstances. 7. This is not part of the scope of work and will not be provided. 8. Please refer to drawing I-3.

Q (ELECTRICAL & CONTROLS): 1. What is the classification of the Electrical / Control room? Please advise the classification of the electrical/Control room. 2. Will all isolation of piping be completed by WSSC? 3. There is a fire alarm panel where one of the alternative PLCs is going to be located. Where is that moving to?

A: 1) The Hazardous Area classifications are shown on drawing G-4. Per note 3 on the drawing, the room is unclassified. 2) The WSSC plant staff will be responsible for operation of all valves and process equipment. The contractor will be responsible for coordinating shutdowns of any equipment during the construction of the project 3) The security panel is shown on E-8 near the West Alternate Control Panel (ACP). It moves slightly from the current placement, which is shown on drawing E-7.

Q (Fiber): 1. Are there any existing conduits/pathways for the new fiber runs?

A: According to the conduit schedule on Drawing I-13, all fiber conduit/pathways are shown as new.

Q (DESIGN & EQUIPMENT): 1. What are the dimensions of the new East/West PLC? Please advise the dimensions of the new East/West PLC panels 2. What is the lead time that WSSC needs for those panels to be on site? 3. Who is providing the West Alternative Control Panel and who is providing the East Alternative Control Panel? If the contractor is providing, can you provide more details on the scope of the control panels? 4. Who is providing the Pumping System PLC panel? If the contractor is providing, can you provide more details on the scope of the PLC panel? 5. Is the contractor providing VFD panels? If the contractor is providing, can you provide more details on the scope of the VFD panels? 6. Please provide specifications for acceptable material types of the items in detail C on Drawing I-28 7. Can you provide more details on the professional surveyor from page 18 on the addedum and how that applies to the scope?

A: 1) The panel is estimated to be 72-inches wide, 24-inches deep, 90-inches tall. When available, the shop drawings of the panel will be provided to the awarded contractor. 2) The expected lead time may be 6 months. Please note that the contractor does not need the PLC cabinet ready by the NTP date or by the mobilization date. There will be substantial demo work and the RVSS for pump #3 cabinet relocation that must be completed before the new PLC cabinet can be installed. 3) Provision of the West and East alternative control panels is written under Spec section 01110 page 3 as the Control System Integrator responsibilities. Please refer to the drawings and specs for details. Drawing I-29 covers the typical layout detail of the panel. 4) WSSC Water will provide the pumping system PLC panel per section 01110 page 3, item D. Please refer to the drawings and specs for details. 5) There are no VFD panels at the site. 6) Acceptable materials include Swagelok stainless steel tubing, including ball valve fittings. 7) This is standard specification language to be used if the scope requires Construction Stakeout. This is not applicable to this project.

Q (SCHEDULE & PROCUREMENT): 1. Please provide the period of performance for construction

A: The contractor will have a period of 890 days to complete the projects.

Q (COMMERCIAL / BIDDING): 1. Is there award evaluation grading criteria?

A: This solicitation is an Invitation for Bid. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible/ responsive bidder.

Q (RFI Question #7): 7. This question is regarding the insurance requirements for the project, specifically the Builder’s Risk Insurance” identified in section 7.10. This requirement states the Contractor shall purchase and maintain builders risk insurance on a replacement cost basis with a limit to or exceeding the full insurable value of the project. Please confirm that this insurance is to be based on the total contract value of the project. a. Also, within this section it’s stated that WSSC must be specifically included as a named insured. Per our insurance company, WSSC would not be a named insured on the builder’s risk but rather WSSC would be listed as an additional insured. Please confirm that this is acceptable.

A: When the Bidder is reviewing the Bonds and Insurance section to determine insurance and bonds requirements only the check boxes are required for the bidders. Builder's Risk Insurance is not required. It is acceptable to name/list WSSC as an additional insured.

Q (RFI Question #8): 8. This question is regarding the insurance requirements for the project, specifically the Equipment Installation & Maintenance (7.12) chart. Item 9, Installation Floater, has an insurable value equal to 100% of the contract value. Item 8, Builder’s Risk, also has an insurable value of 100% of the contract value. Since the builder’s risk is already covering 100% of the contract value, is a lesser insurable value of up to $2.5M acceptable for the installation floater?

A: Builder's Risk insurance is not required for this project. However, Installation Floater is required.

Q (RFI Question #1): 1. Will the bids be publicly opened and read aloud either in-person or virtual?

A: The Bid Results will be published online in the Awards section: https://my.wsscwater.com/contractmanager/award/pubawardlist.faces.

Q (RFI Question #6): 6. Can the sign-in sheet from the first site visit be shared?

A: The Site Visit sign-in sheet has been sent to the person who is registered in WSSC's Supplier Portal.

Q (Addendum Access): We are unable to download the actual addendums. The link takes us to a screen that shows "what's changed" but there is no link on the files at the bottom to download and review. It is hard to determine if we have all the information without being able to download the actual addendum.

A: To view the Addendums, go to Addenda and Notice. Go to the Addendum you want to review and click "see what changed". The entire solicitation will populate in your view. Scroll down to you see a highlighted green section (this is the change). In the case of Addendum 1-4, the change was fixing the issue of the A-Plans and Drawings not downloading for the vendors to see. It took several times for the Plans and Drawings to download properly, hence the four Addendums.

Q (RFI Question #13): 13. This question pertains to the eProcurement portal. We are unable to download copies of the addendums. The link takes us to a screen that shows “what’s changed” but there is no link to the files at the bottom to download and review. It is hard to determine if we have all the new and previous information without being able to download the actual addendum. Is there a way to get downloadable copies of the individual addendums with their associated attachments?

A: See response to question #25.

Q (RFI Question): Drawing sheet, I-16 shows (2) existing Venturi flow meters (tags: 412A and 411A). The instrument schedule states (2) flow indicating transmitters are required (tags: FIT-411 and FIT-412). The specified spec section 13402-7, item 2.06 calls out a Rosemount 3490C Controller. However, this controller is only applicable for radar sensor. Please advise.

A: An addendum will be made to address this concern. A different device will be listed in lieu of the Rosemount 3490C in the specification. An approved equal may be used if the Substitution Procedure is followed.

Q (RFI Question): Please clarify if a new Fiber Optic Distribution Box – (FOD )is required? There are two (2) shown on drawing sheet, I-15 but looks greyed out. Specification section 16947-4, item 2.4 A., states to provide one. Please confirm.

A: Specification section 16947-4, item 2.4 A states “as shown on drawings” which, in this case, includes Drawings I-3 and I-15. The three new FOD’s shown on Drawing I-15 are within the responsibility of WSSC Water (see spec section 01110-7).

Q (Temporary Power and Controls): Is a temporary PLC and/or SCADA interface required to maintain operations during construction? If so, who will be responsible for providing this scope?

A: Please refer to Specification 01356, item 1.3 A, which states the “Contractor shall prepare a detailed MOPO and commissioning plan that addresses all the MOPO requirements herein”. Plans are to be submitted per item 1.6. Please note that item 1.5 D.2 states that "No interruption to power is acceptable."

Q (Temporary Power and Controls): What level of performance and redundancy is required for any temporary systems?

A: Please see the response to question # 29.

Q (Temporary Power and Controls): If temporary controls are required, please provide the applicable wiring schematics.

A: Please see the response to question # 29.

Q (Ceiling-Mounted Junction Box): Drawing E-8, Note 4, calls out a ceiling-mounted junction box. Please confirm the intended size, number of terminals, and purpose of this junction box.

A: Please refer to drawings E-12, as well as E-7, E-8 and I-27 for the purpose of the box. The contractor shall size the box based on their configuration when they install it.

Q (Selector Plug Cabinet): A “Selector Plug” cabinet is identified for demolition under Section 01356, but it is not referenced elsewhere in the documents. Please further describe the scope associated with this cabinet. Please also identify its location on the drawings and provide any available wiring schematics.

A: Please see Drawing E-7 for the location of the cabinet. Please review section 01356 for the scope associated with the cabinet.

Q (Calibrations): Please confirm that existing equipment will not need to be calibrated or configured.

A: All existing instrumentation devices at the Anacostia 2 WWPS shall not require calibration or configuration unless expressly authorized by the WSSC Project Manager. For any new instrumentation being installed during construction, contractors are required to follow the specification documents provided.

Q (Stilling Wells): Are the stilling well's existing?

A: No, the stilling wells are new, not existing.

Q (Stilling Wells): Will the installation of the new Float Switches impose a confined space hazard?

A: As stated in the specifications, the Contractor is required to account for all details in formulating his own complete plan for implementation of the project. If entry to the wet well is included in the contractor’s plans, then confined space procedures would be required.

Q (E-Builder): Would WSSC be open to considering an alternative construction project management platform to E-Builder, such as Procore, for project tracking and communication?

A: No, not at this time.

Q (Temporary Power and Controls): Are any temporary controls required by the system integrator beyond those identified in Section 01500?

A: Please see the response to question # 29.