San Antonio Water System

Sealed proposals are requested by the San Antonio Water System for the construction of approximately 42,000 linear feet of 60-inch water transmission main for the Water Resources Integration Program Pipeline Segment 1A Project, SAWS Job No. 14-8603.

To view additional project information, as well as obtain the plans and specifications for this project, visit our website located at www.saws.org and click on the Business Center. Then select Bidder, Consultant, and Vendor Registration, which is located on the left-hand side of the screen. Select the Register Now button and proceed with registration. For difficulties downloading plans and specifications, contact the Contracting Department at 210-233-3372.

For questions regarding this solicitation, technical questions or additional information, please contact Diana Dwyer, in writing via email to: Diana.Dwyer@saws.org or by fax to (210) 233-5218 until 4:00 p.m. (CT) on September 22, 2014. Answers to the questions will be posted to the website by 4:00 p.m. (CT) on September 26, 2014 as a separate document or included as part of an addendum.

A mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. on September 10, 2014 at the San Antonio Water System’s Customer Service Building, first floor, Conference Room 145, 2800 U.S. Hwy 281 North, San Antonio, Texas. Please be advised that under no circumstances shall any late or non-attendee(s) to the Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting be allowed to submit a Proposal for the project.

Site visits will be non-mandatory. SAWS will arrange for access to the project site from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on September 17 and 18 2014, The Bidder, must submit to SAWS a written request to access the site by 5:00 p.m. on September 10, 2014. The written request must specify the name, phone number and email of the person(s) who will be onsite, which parcels the Bidders wish to access, the time period (hours) within the specified dates for which access is needed, and identify what investigations they intend to perform.

Sealed proposals will be received by the Contract Administration Division, 2800 U.S. Hwy 281 North, Customer Center Building, Suite 171, San Antonio, Texas 78212, until 2:00 p.m., October 3, 2014. Proposals will then be publicly opened and read aloud in Contract Administration, Suite 169, Customer Center Building, 2800 U.S. Hwy 281 North, San Antonio, Texas. Each proposal must be accompanied by a cashier's check, certified check, or bid bond in an amount not less than five percent of the total price proposal. SAWS reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.

This solicitation requires a Qualification Package, Good Faith Effort Plan, and Conflict of Interest Questionnaire, which should be included as part of the proposals and will become part of the construction documents.

This contract is contingent upon release of funds from the Texas Water Development Board.

Any contract or contracts awarded under this Invitation for Competitive Sealed Proposals (IFCSP) are expected to be funded in part by financial assistance from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). Neither the State of Texas nor any of its departments, agencies, or employees are or will be a party to this IFB or any resulting contract.

Equal Opportunity in Employment – All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, national origin, political belief or affiliation, age, disability or genetic information. The contractor shall carry out applicable requirements of 40CFR Part 33 in the award and administration of contracts awarded under TWDB financial assistance agreements. Failure by the contractor to carry out these requirements is a material breach, which may result in the termination of the awarded financial assistance.

This contract is subject to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “fair share policy”, which includes EPA-approved “fair share goals” for Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) firms in the Construction, Supplies, Equipment and Services procurement categories. EPA’s policy requires that applicants and prime contractors make a good faith effort to award a fair share of contracts, subcontracts, and procurements to MBE and WBE firms. Although EPA’s policy does not mandate that the fair share goals be achieved, it does require applicants and prime contractors to demonstrate use of the six affirmative steps. The current fair share goals for the State of Texas are as follows:

MBE: CONSTRUCTION 12.94%; SUPPLIES 9.68%; SERVICES 10.84%; EQUIPMENT 7.12%. WBE: CONSTRUCTION 8.72%; SUPPLIES 9.34%; SERVICES 5.72%; EQUIPMENT 5.39%.

All laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors on projects funded directly by or assisted in whole or in part by and through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on projects of a character similar in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code.

Pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 14 and the Copeland Act, 40 U.S.C. 3145, the Department of Labor has issued regulations at 29 CFR parts 1, 3 and 5 to implement the Davis-Bacon and related Acts. Regulations in 29 CFR 5.5 instruct agencies concerning application of the standard Davis-Bacon contract clauses set forth in that section. All grants, cooperative agreements, and loans funded under the CWSRF and DWSRF shall include the standard Davis-Bacon contract clauses found in 29 CFR 5.5(a), which shall also be incorporated in any resultant covered contracts that are in excess of $2,000 for construction, alteration or repair (including painting and decorating).

Comply with all federal requirements applicable to the Loan (including those imposed by the 2014 Appropriations Act and related SRF Policy Guidelines) which the Participant understands includes, among other, requirements that all of the iron and steel products used in the Project are to be produced in the United States (“Buy American Requirement”) unless (i) the Participant has requested and obtained a waiver from the Agency pertaining to the Project or (ii) the Finance Authority has otherwise advised the Participant in writing that the Buy American Requirement is not applicable to the Project.

Comply with all record keeping and reporting requirements under the Clean Water Act, including any reports required by a Federal agency or the Finance Authority such as performance indicators of program deliverables, information on costs and project progress. The Participant understands that (i) each contract and subcontract related to the Project is subject to audit by appropriate federal and state entities and (ii) failure to comply with the Clean Water Act and this Agreement may be a default hereunder that results in a repayment of the Loan in advance of the maturity of the Bonds and/or other remedial actions.