0044042832_Sources_Sought_1.docx

Sources Sought

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting market research to determine the availability of qualified businesses capable of waste water analyses services that are Arizona Department of Health Services certified as described in the attached Statement of Work. This sources sought announcement is not a request for quote or proposal and the Government is not committed to award of a purchase order or contract pursuant to this announcement. The information resulting from this market research is simply for planning purposes to assist the Government in determining its acquisition strategy. The Government will not pay for any costs incurred in the preparation of information for responding to this notice.

All responsible sources may submit a capabilities statement detailing the ability of their service to meet the statement of work included with this announcement.

Responses to this announcement shall only be accepted through electronic mail addressed to amberry@ios.doi.gov and must be uploaded and received in their entirety no later than April 13th, 2026, at 8AM Pacific time.

Example statement of work attached.

Lab analysis for MODE 2 Project

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

The Yuma Desalting Plant (YDP) is a reverse osmosis plant located adjacent to the Colorado River in Yuma, AZ and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) located at the Yuma Area Office (YAO). The YDP was constructed in 1992 under authority of the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 to treat saline agricultural return flows from the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 2015) and water recovery for the Colorado River (Lohman, 2003). In February 2010, the YDP was brought online at an approximate 11 and 22 percent of its production capacity over a 1-month period and then at approximately one-third of its production capacity for 10 months, discharging effluent into the Colorado River for which an initial Arizona Pollutant and Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) permit for the YDP became effective. Although the YDP operations were suspended in May 2011, operation of the Water Quality Improvement Center (WQIC), a water treatment research center also located at the YAO, continues. The WQIC discharges approximately 0.4 million gallons per day (MGD) of desalinated product similar in quality to that from the desalting plant. A major modification of the permit was issued in February 2012, to allow for reduced monitoring frequencies of the effluent limitations when only the WQIC is in operation. The maximum allowable discharge limits for this permit were calculated using a maximum permitted flow of one-third of the plant production capacity, which is an estimated 22.5 MGD. An additional modification to the permit, effective from June 2016 to June 2021, states if the YDP would become operational during this term water quality would be monitored according to the schedule established in the permit for YDP. Otherwise, only the monitoring schedule for WQIC applies. To meet the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) wastewater regulatory requirements under the current permit, the effluent discharge must be regularly sampled and results reported to ADEQ.

II. WORK REQUIREMENTS

The objective of this project is for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to collect and analyze water-quality samples, and to report and archive the resulting water-quality data. The results from this water-quality sampling will provide the BOR with the data needed to continue to meet permitting requirements for discharging effluent from the WQIC into the Colorado River. This project will address the water-quality within the lower Colorado River, specifically above and below the YDP and sampling results will provide the BOR with the data needed to meet permitting requirements for discharging effluent into the Colorado River. To meet the ADEQ wastewater regulatory requirements under the current permit, the effluent discharge must be regularly sampled, and results reported to ADEQ on a quarterly, semi-annual and annual basis.

Samples will be collected at three locations: at the MODE 2 Outfall, 100 meters above the Outfall and 500 meters below the outfall. The Outfall site requires an annual, including additional QA annual blank and replicate samples, and two semi-annual samples. The 100 and 500 meter samples will need one annual sample and two semi-annual samples as well.

The analytical services required of the vendor include both Safe Drinking Water (SDW) and Waste Water (WW) parameters ranging from metals to volatile organics. Each site has specific analytical requirements per sample. Per permit conditions, all the analytical requirements for this project must be performed by a lab with Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Clinical Laboratory Certification. Additionally, the servicing lab must use the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) method.

The Outfall annual, blank and replicate samples will be analyzed for the following 108 parameters: pH, Chromium, Chromium VI, Copper, Cyanide, Hardness (CaCO3), Mercury, Selenium, Sulfides, Nitrate/Nitrite (as N), Nitrogen (Total Kjeldahl TKN), Phosphorus, and Beryllium. The semi-annual sample will require the analysis for the following parameters: pH, Boron, Chromium, Chromium VI, Copper, Cyanide, Hardness (CaCO3), Mercury, Selenium, Sulfides, Total Dissolve Solids (TDS).

The 100 meter site’s annual and semi-annual sample will be analyzed for Boron, Copper, and Hardness (CaCO3) while the 500 meter site’s annual and semi-annual samples will be analyzed for Boron and Copper.

A total of eleven samples is required for this project for this fiscal year, five annual samples and six semi-annual samples. The sampling period is from February to December 2025. Lab reports will have a turn-around time of 10-25 days and will be delivered by email in PDF and in EDD format to upload data into NWIS.

III. SUPPORTING INFORMATION

Lab must be ADHS certified Arizona Department of Health Services and must handle wasterwater samples under the EPA 531.2 method.

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