F--RFI For Remove Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

Amendment 001 Attaches Typical Ground Water Chemistry table. The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), US Geological Survey (USGS) is issuing this Request for Information (RFI) as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in, experience, and the resources to support this requirement for the potential need for services. The USGS may have a need to install and operate a Treatment System to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from groundwater pumped from wells in accordance with the technical requirements/specifications listed below. This is not an announcement of a Solicitation. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.215-3, Request for Information for Solicitation and Planning Purposes (October 1997), this notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP). The DOI, USGS intends to assess the responses to include in its decision-making. This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the government to contract for services. The government will not pay for any information provided as a result of this notice and will not recognize or reimburse any cost associated with RFI submission. Responses to this RFI will not affect a potential offeror's ability to respond to any RFP that might follow. Please ensure that any sensitive or protected information is marked as such, as this information will be kept confidential except as provided by law. Background: The USGS conducts research at science centers located across the United States. These science centers are administratively positioned within the DOI, USGS. These science centers use water drawn from various sources, including ground water. For purposes of this RFI, consider a generic USGS research center to operate up to three high-capacity non-potable wells that supplies ground water for rearing of aquatic animals and research purposes. For this RFI, the wells each have a maximum capacity of 1,200 gallons per minute and operate in a lead-lag-standby sequence. Consider a well depth of 70 to 80 feet used to pump water to redundant (two) water towers that maintain a water column head of 45 feet. Minimum flow should be planned for 500 gpm, typical high flow is 1,000 gpm. Absolute maximum pumping capacity is 1,200 gpm. Water from the towers is then distributed to the rest of the facility, comprising outdoor ponds, internal laboratories, and aquaculture systems. The wells draw a combined volume of approximately 260 million gallons annually for facility and research purposes. Groundwater Contamination: USGS is concerned that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) may contaminate ground water sources that are being used for its research purposes. The PFAS are a family of anthropogenic substances with a wide range of industrial applications. Due to their specific properties, PFAS have been used as ingredients in many formulations of firefighting foams designed to fight flammable liquid fires at airports since the 1960s. PFAS can and have been released into the environment during firefighting events, testing of firefighting equipment or firefighting training exercises. Due to the persistence, mobility, bioaccumulation potential and toxicity of several members of the PFAS family these substances are regarded as environmental contaminants of concern. The PFAS compounds of concern are identified in the List. Concentrations to be considered in this RFI range from 20 parts per trillion (ppt) to 1,000 ppt for a single compound and from 20 to multiple 1,000 ppt for a mixture of compounds. Ground water concentrations have the potential for seasonal and withdrawal (pumping)-related concentration fluctuation. USGS is looking for a system that will remove PFAS from groundwater to achieve concentrations of less than 20 ppt or below established drinking water standards or promulgated health advisory levels. Groundwater chemistry is expected to vary from site to site and may fluctuate from season to season. Scope of Services: Several technologies are available for the treatment of PFAS in water. They may be grouped in four main categories: 1. Adsorption technologies, including activated carbon, resins, and novel absorbents; 2. Flocculation technologies; 3. Liquid-liquid separation technologies, including nanofiltration and reverse osmosis, foam fractionation, and distillation; and, 4. Destructive technologies, including electrochemical degradation, sonochemistry, UV radiation, plasma destruction and incineration. The above list is not exhaustive, and you are not limited to selecting the proposed technologies from the ones listed above. You may propose a system consisting of one or more technologies to achieve the required removal rate of PFAS. Typically, prior to preparation of the system design, a Basis of Design Report needs to be submitted. In preparation of the Basis of Design Report, you may have to collect additional data and/or conduct pilot test. This shall also indicate any need for pretreatment of groundwater, for example removal of ferrous iron, if present, to prevent system clogging. A System Design Report must be submitted for review prior to procurement, installation, and startup of the system. The Design Report shall include verifiable source of information for removal efficiency. The system shall have fully automatic control to minimize human intervention in its operation. It shall be robust and have sufficient redundancy to provide uninterrupted supply of water to the Center. Appropriate alarms shall be provided for routine maintenance and system malfunction. The system shall allow for future expansion, shall the need for water usage increase in future. Please provide a rough estimate of the cost, consisting of engineering cost; capital equipment cost, including installation; and operating cost, including any regeneration cost, if needed. Facility Locations: The USGS has facilities located throughout the United States. This RFI may be applicable to any of these locations. POCs: Beth Wilson, Contract Specialist, contact@example.gov. THERE IS NO SOLICITATION AT THIS TIME; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released it shall be synopsized in beta.SAM website (https://beta.sam.gov). It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. Submission of any information in response to this RFI is purely voluntary. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement. Submittals: If your organization has the potential ability to meet this requirement, please provide the following information: 1) Organization name, address, email address, Web site address, telephone number, and size and type of ownership for the organization. 2) Tailored capability statements addressing the particulars of this effort, with appropriate documentation supporting claims of organizational and staff capability. If significant subcontracting or teaming is anticipated in order to deliver technical capability, organizations should address the administrative and management structure of such arrangements. 3) Scope of services. 4) Project schedule. 5) Rough order of magnitude cost separately for each of the proposed services. (Any expenses including travel, lodging and other reimbursable expenses shall be included in the fee for the proposed services.6) Examples of your team's previous successful project (if available) Evaluation: The government will evaluate market information to ascertain qualifications and potential market capacity to 1) provide services consistent in scope and scale with those described in this notice and otherwise anticipated; 2) secure and apply the full range of corporate financial, human capital, and technical resources required to successfully perform similar requirements; 3) implement a successful project management plan that includes: compliance with tight program schedules; cost containment; meeting and tracking performance; hiring and retention of key personnel and risk mitigation; and 4) provide services under a performance based service acquisition contract. BASED ON THE RESPONSES TO THIS RFI, THIS REQUIREMENT MAY BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES OR PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION, and multiple awards MAY be made. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions. Time of Response: Interested parties who consider themselves qualified to perform the above-listed services are required to provide a rough estimate of the cost, consisting of engineering cost; capital equipment cost, including installation; and operating cost, including any regeneration cost, if needed. Please submit a response to this RFI by 5:00 PM EST on March 31, 2021. All responses under this RFI can be electronically submitted via e-mail to contact@example.gov. List. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) of potential concern in ground water supplies to USGS research facilities. Range of concern for individual compounds are from 20 parts per trillion (ppt) to up to 1,000 ppt individually, and from 20 ppt to multiple 1,000 ppt for mixtures. 1. N-Ethyl Perfluorooctane sulfonamide (NEtFOSA); CAS # 4151-50-2 2. N-Ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA); CAS # 2991-50-6 3. N-Ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamidoethanol (NEtFOSE); CAS # 1691-99-2 4. Perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA); CAS # 754-91-6 5. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA); CAS # 335-67-1 6. Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS); CAS # 1763-23-1 7. Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HPFO-DA; GenX); CAS # 13252-13-6 8. Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS); CAS # 375-73-5 9. Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS); CAS # 355-46-4 10. Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA); CAS # 375-22-4 11. Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA); CAS # 335-76-2 12. Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA); CAS # 307-55-1 13. Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA); CAS # 307-24-4 14. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA); CAS # 375-95-1 15. Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeA); CAS # 376-06-7 16. Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA); CAS # 2058-94-8 17. 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (DONA); CAS # 919005-14-4 18. Perfluorooctadecanoic acid (PFODA); CAS # 16517-11-6 19. 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perflorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS); CAS # 39108-34-4 20. 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perflurooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS); CAS # 27619-97-2 21. Perfluoro-1-heptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS); CAS # 375-92-8 22. Perfluoro-1-pentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS); CAS # 2706-91-4 23. Perfluoro-n-heptanoic acid (PFHpA); CAS # 375-85-9 24. Perfluoro-n-pentanoic acid (PFPeA); CAS #2706-90-3