TDEC_QW_Statement_of_Work_PR_Lab_June2024.docx

TDEC Ambient Groundwater Quality Project Statement of Work/Preference Work Statement General Information This document describes work to be completed by an outside laboratory contractor for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center (LMG-WSC) as part of the TN Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Ambient Groundwater quality network project, in which groundwater and spring water samples will be collected from the aquifer units across the state of TN. The water samples will be collected from specific regions across the state depending on the year and region specified. The groundwater samples collected will be analyzed by the contractor for gross alpha and gross beta radiochemistry, as part of a larger suite of constituents that will be analyzed by the USGS National Water Quality Lab.

Background Groundwater quality is a critical component for quantifying groundwater resources as groundwater quality can limit water available for specific uses. The ambient monitoring network being established by this project will be designed to characterize the groundwater quality of principal and secondary aquifers across the State of Tennessee. As part of the project, historical water-quality datasets will be evaluated to design the geographic distribution of sites in the network and the specific water-quality parameters to be collected at each well. Not all parameters need to be collected at every site, as the hydrogeology of the aquifer will control likely constituents of importance and concern. Gross-alpha and gross-beta will be collected in the bedrock units of the state and areas identified with gross-alpha and gross-beta present in the groundwater.

Scope:

After conversations with the cooperator, we have divided up Tennessee into geographical zones to sample: 1) Western TN, 2) Western Highland Rim and Central Basin, 3) Eastern Highland Rim and Cumberland Plateau, and 4) Smokies/Blue Ridge Province. The region(s) sampled will be rotated annually in agreement with TDEC-DOWR. Gross-alpha and beta will be sampled from the Western Highland Rim and Central basin, the Eastern Highland Rim and Cumberland Plateau, and the Smokies/Blue Ridge Province.

Reconnaissance and Field Sampling:

· Groundwater quality samples will be collected following USGS Techniques and Methods (National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data (NFM) | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov) ). Water will be pumped from the well or spring into an environmental chamber and once field parameters are stabilized, a water sample will be collected in the appropriate bottle ware for the constituents selected for that site.

· Sample quantification and reporting must be performed by individual(s) with 5 years of experience and a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in a physical science. The individuals doing this work must also have access to equipment and expertise appropriate for this analysis. The LMG-WSC does not have the necessary equipment to perform this work, and the NWQL is no longer analyzing radionuclides and neither are their contract laboratories.

· During field sampling, quality assurance and quality controls (QA/QC) samples (~10%) will also be collected. Most samples (major/trace, nutrients, VOCs, and pesticides) will be analyzed at the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado. Radionuclides (gross-alpha and gross-beta) will be analyzed by the contract lab selected as part of this PR.

Work Requirements Technical requirements Specific work elements include:

1) Collected bottles of water (samples) with required information (site location, Site ID number, date, time, etc.) will be shipped to the analysis laboratory. Samples will be collected in 500 ml HDPE bottles with a preservative of 5ml nitric acid. Samples will be shipped in coolers and include enough packaging to prevent breakage.

2) Samples will be processed in a timely manner following established protocols related to logging samples in and prepping the samples for analysis. Samples should be analyzed at 72 hours after collection and 30 days after collection (twice). If any discrepancies are found between the enclosed samples and the Chain of Custodies the contract lab will contact the USGS personnel to clarify. Following sample processing, the water samples will be analyzed on a gas-flow proportional counting system or scintillation detector system with calibrated standards of know radionuclide concentrations. All raw data from the analysis will be available to the USGS upon request.

3) The detection and reporting limit for gross-alpha and gross-beta for the contract lab, should be below thresholds for human health consumption and the gross alpha EPA method 900.0 detection limit of 3 pCi/L and the gross beta EPA method 900.0 detection limit of 4 pCi/L.

4) Sample quantification and reporting must be performed by individual(s) with a minimum of 5 years of experience and a bachelor’s degree in hydrology related to physical sciences. Confirmation, identification, and quantification of gross alpha and gross beta concentrations in samples must meet standards outlined in the contract lab's operating procedures. Sample results will be checked for quality assurance/quality control by a lab manager for accuracy. Questionable results will be discussed with USGS personnel before reporting.

Supporting Information Place of Performance: Water samples will be collected in a variety of aquifer units and springs under study across the state of Tennessee. Samples will be labeled and carefully stored in the field after collection and shipped to the analyzing laboratory once a sample set is complete. Quantification of gross-alpha and gross-beta concentrations in the water samples will be conducted at the analyzing laboratory.

Government Furnished Property: The USGS LMGWSC will provide all needed sampling supplies, shipping to lab, transportation to monitoring sites, and Chain of Custodies as part of this work.

Special Considerations: Acceptance of the data is based on the laboratory QA/QC performance and the quality of the delivered data. Data must meet transmission deadlines, be inclusive of data requested per sample, and provided in a compatible electronic format.

References US. EPA Gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity in drinking water method 900.0; Method 900.0: Gross Alpha and Gross Beta Radioactivity in Drinking Water (epa.gov)