Addendum #1

February 22, 2024

Question:  In the bid documents it states:  “Many of our water towers have communication equipment mounted to support radio and cellular communications. This equipment (cabling, antennas, dishes, etc.), must be protected from damage.”  Can you help define what kind of protection you are requiring for the antennas and communication equipment?  

Response:  It is the Contractors responsibility to determine the best way to protect the equipment.  Lake County has specified low pressure washing.  The Contractor needs to ensure that said equipment is protected.

Question:  Tower 2 located at 18531 W. Country Lane, Grayslake, IL, has limited access for a lift.  Do we have access to the tower via the ladder on the leg?  If so - the bottom 30 feet of the ladder are missing.  Will the water district add this section so we can have access, or do we need a lift to access the entry point 30 feet up.  I have a picture attached to this email showing the ladder, and the missing section.

Response:  All of our towers require an extension ladder or lift to access the towers ladder This is a safety measure.

Question:  There are some towers that are located next to power lines.  For safety reasons we would prefer to have these lines covered by the utility department.  Can we work with the water district to make this happen, or do we need to make contact directly with the electric company?

Response:  The successful bidder shall work with the electrical company directly.

Question:  Can you clarify who is liable if the antenna and electrical equipment is NOT properly sealed and there are issues resulting from water, detergent or algaecide being sprayed on the tower.

Response:  A) The owner of the communication equipment.  B) The contractor working on or around this equipment is also responsible, if there equipment catches a cable or antenna and damages it.

Question:  ?Do we have access to the top of the tower through the man door at the base of each tower?  For almost all of the towers we do not expect to need access, but there are one or two we might need access to the top to spray a certain section due to lift or drone access being blocked by nearby trees, etc.  Who would be our point of contact for access in this case?

Response:  Not all of our towers have access through the base. Those that do, we will allow access.

Question:  Certification of Project competition / Proof of Work: Can you clarify what the county needs to certify the project is complete.

Response:  Lake County Public Works typically provides an inspector to monitor the process and verify the cleaning is acceptable.

Question:  ?Who is responsible for making sure the electrical connections, antenas, and attachments are properly sealed?  A corroded or poorly sealed connection can result in an electrical short.  If we are required to inspect that, we would like that to be clarified on the bid requirements.  As we are a washing company, and not an electrical contractor that would impact the direction of how we bid this.  Typically the owner of the communication and antenna equipment is responsible for insuring that the connections and equipment are properly sealed and up to code, and safe to be washed in a tower environment. 

Response:  Yes that is correct.

Question:  Can you help define what kind of protection you are requiring for the antennas and communication equipment?  What kind of protection are you specifying?  Can these not get wet, and we need to protect them from our wash spray?  Are there exposed electrical connections that cannot be sprayed with either the water rinse, the detergent or the algaecide that is specified in the bid specification? 

Response:  It is the Contractors responsibility to determine the best way to protect the equipment.  Lake County has specified low pressure washing.  The Contractor needs to ensure that said equipment is protected.  The contractor should do their do diligence in inspecting electrical connections to ensure worker safety.  If at any time the contractor identifies something of concern they should document it and bring it to the owners attention immediately.  

Question:  Is the primary concern damage from pressure?  

Response:  Yes.

Question:  Are there other damage concerns I don’t have listed here? 

Response:  None that we are aware of.