CTR065774 Award Documents.pdf

Request for Proposal Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

1110 W. Washington St.

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Solicitation Attachment – Offer and Acceptance | Revision No. 3 | Revised 2-23

Attachment A – Offer and Acceptance Form

SUBMISSION OF OFFER: The Undersigned hereby offers and agrees to provide TMDL and Watershed Modeling and Application in compliance with all terms, conditions, specifications, and amendments in the Solicitation and any written exceptions in the Offer indicated by the latest dated version below:

Initial Offer:

4/21/23

Date Signature

Revised Offers:

Date Signature Date Signature

Date Signature Date Signature

Best and Final Offer:

Date Signature

SWCA, Incorporated

Offeror company name Signature of person authorized to sign Offer

20 East Thomas Road, Suite 1700 Jana Sterling, Vice President, Southwest

Address Printed name and Title

Phoenix, AZ 85012 Erica Gaddis, Project Manager

City, State, ZIP Contact name and Title erica.gaddis@swca.com 801.205.3769

CERTIFICATION: By signature in the above, Offeror certifies that it: Contact email address Contact phone number

1. Will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment in violation of Federal Executive Order 11246, [Arizona] State Executive Orders 2023-01, 2009-9 or A.R.S. §§ 41-1461 through -1465;

2. Has not given, offered to give, nor intends to give at any time hereafter any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, or Service to a public servant in connection with the submitted offer. Failure to provide a valid signature affirming the stipulations required by this clause will result in rejection of the Offer. Signing the Offer with a false statement will void the Offer, any resulting contract, and may be subject to legal penalties under law;

3. Complies with A.R.S. § 18-132 when offering electronics or information technology products, Services, or maintenance;

4. Has submitted this Offer as a firm offer for 180 days following the Solicitation due date and time. After 180 days, the Offer will remain open unless revoked by Offeror via written withdrawal of Offeror’s proposal in accordance with the Arizona Procurement Code;

5. Did not and will not involve collusion or other anti-competitive practices; and

6. Is not debarred from, or otherwise prohibited from, participating in any contract awarded by federal, state, or local government.

ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER

The offer is hereby accepted.

The Contractor is now bound to sell the Materials or Services listed by the attached Contract and based upon the Solicitation, including all terms, conditions, specifications, amendments, etc., and the Contractor’s Offer as accepted by the State.

The Contract shall henceforth be referred to as Contract No.

The effective date of the Contract is

The Contractor is cautioned not to commence any billable work or to provide any Material or Service under this Contract until Contractor receives purchase order, contract release document, or written notice to proceed.

5/18/23

CTR065774

May 22, 2023 mailto:erica.gaddis@swca.com

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

1110 W. Washington St.

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Solicitation Attachment – Offer and Acceptance | Revision No. 3 | Revised 2-23

State of Arizona Awarded this day of 2023

Procurement officer signature

19th May under A.R.S. § 41-2534

Notice Page

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 1 of 69

Solicitation Number: BPM005278

Description: TMDL and Watershed Modeling and Application

Solicitation Due Date and Time: As indicated in the Arizona Procurement Portal (APP)

Pre-Offer Conference: A Virtual Pre-Offer Conference will be conducted on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Arizona time.

If interested in attending, email Lorenzen.Patricia@azdeq.gov and copy Machiche.Ana@azdeq.gov for a meeting invitation.

Proposals will only be accepted online in the “State’s eProcurement System”, Arizona

Procurement Portal (APP), at https://app.az.gov until the “Bid/Offer Due Date” indicated in the

“State’s eProcurement System” for the Solicitation No. shown at the top of this page. Proposals must be in the State Procurement Office’s possession online no later than that deadline.

Submit technical inquiries about navigating and/or submitting proposals in the State’s eProcurement

System to the State’s eProcurement System Help Desk by phone at (602) 542-7600 or by email to app@azdoa.gov.

LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. No extension or grace period will be given for delays or incomplete proposals caused by internet connectivity problems, file uploading difficulties, or misunderstanding of the requirements or procedures for online submission in the “State’s eProcurement System”.

It is the responsibility of the Prospective Offeror to routinely check the APP website for Solicitation

Amendments. Additional instructions for preparing an Offer are included in this solicitation.

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting the Solicitation contact person. Requests shall be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange for the accommodation.

mailto:Lorenzen.Patricia@azdeq.gov mailto:Machiche.Ana@azdeq.gov https://app.az.gov/ https://app.az.gov/ mailto:app@azdoa.gov

Table of Contents

Request for Proposal under A.R.S. § 41-2534

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 2 of 69

Click here to return to the Table of Contents

Notice Page

Table of Contents

Solicitation Summary 3

Scope of Work 5

Special Terms and Conditions 26

Addendum A to the Special Terms and Conditions 48

Uniform Terms and Conditions 53

Solicitation Summary

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 3 of 69

1. What is the State Soliciting?

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Procurement Office (the State), as authorized under A.R.S. § 41-2501 et seq. is seeking to establish multiple Contracts to provide Total Maximum

Daily Load (TMDL) and Watershed Modeling and Application.

The State anticipates awarding contract(s) with the intent to secure service coverage statewide.

Whether or not it actually enters into any contracts, how many contracts it enters into, and how the work is awarded between those contracts are all at the State’s discretion. Furthermore, the State will use any awarded contracts on an as-needed basis, with no guarantee as to its actual spending under them.

The State reserves the right to accept any item or combination of items specified in the Solicitation, unless the Offeror expressly restricts an item or combination of items in its Offer, and conditions its response on receiving all items for which it provided a proposal. In the event of such restriction, the State will evaluate if an award on such a basis will result in the best value and is in the best interest for the State. The State may otherwise determine, at its sole discretion, that such restriction is non-responsive and deem the Offeror ineligible for further evaluation.

2. What is in the Solicitation?

2.1. At the time of publication, the following documents are included in the Solicitation:

2.1.1. BPM005278 Solicitation Requirements

2.1.1.1. Notice / Cover Page

2.1.1.2. Table of Contents

2.1.1.3. Solicitation Summary

2.1.1.4. Scope of Work

2.1.1.5. Special Terms and Conditions

2.1.1.6. Addendum A to the Special Terms and Conditions

2.1.1.7. Uniform Terms and Conditions

2.1.2. BPM005278 Solicitation Instructions

2.1.2.1. Special Instructions to Offerors

2.1.2.2. Uniform Instructions to Offerors

2.1.3. Solicitation Attachments

2.1.3.1. Attachment A - Offer and Acceptance;

2.1.3.2. Attachment B – Pricing Sheet;

2.1.3.3. Attachment C - Boycott of Israel Disclosure;

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 4 of 69

2.1.3.4. Attachment D - Forced Labor of Ethnic Uyghurs Ban;

2.1.3.5. Attachment E - Confidential Information Designation;

2.1.3.6. Attachment F - Conformance Statements;

2.1.3.6.1. Supplement – Conformance Statements - Exceptions to Instructions;

2.1.3.6.2. Supplement – Conformance Statements - Exceptions to Scope of Work;

2.1.3.6.3. Supplement – Conformance Statements - Exceptions to Contract Terms and Conditions;

2.1.3.7. Attachment G - Key Personnel;

2.1.3.8. Attachment H - Letter of Insurability;

2.1.3.9. Attachment I - Organization Profile;

2.1.3.10. Attachment J - Proposed Subcontractors;

2.1.3.11. Attachment K - Experience and Capacity Response;

2.1.3.12. Attachment L - Method of Approach

2.1.3.13. Attachment M – References

2.1.3.14. Attachment N – Financial Questionnaire

2.2. The State may issue a Solicitation Amendment at any time after Solicitation publication and before the Offer due date. It is the responsibility of the Prospective Offeror to routinely check the APP website for any Solicitation Amendments and revised documents.

Scope of Work

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 5 of 69

Scope of W ork

Scope of Work

1. Purpose and Background

1.1. The purpose of this Solicitation is to establish the State’s Total Maximum Daily Load

(TMDL) and Watershed Modeling and Application Program for the State.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), is soliciting Offers for

Contractor assistance with water quality program activities supporting the Clean Water

Act (CWA) Section 303: dealing with water quality standards, Total Maximum Daily Load

(TMDL) and Watershed Modeling and Application plans; Section 304: dealing with information and guidelines; and Section 305: dealing with water quality inventory. This

Contract is intended to be multiple awarded to specialized, qualified technical experts capable of conducting standards development, developing TMDLs, crafting implementation plans, developing guidelines, creating and/or working with water quality inventories, and performing activities supporting objectives related to Sections 303, 304, and 305 of the CWA.

1.2. Background

This Scope of Work provides a list of activities which support the objectives of the Clean

Water Act (CWA) Sections 303-305. Many of these activities directly support TMDL analyses. Special emphasis is given to TMDL analyses because states are required to identify water bodies which fail to meet the State’s water quality standards and place them on the 303(d) List. Once listed, a TMDL analysis needs to be performed to determine the maximum loading on a pollutant basis that a surface water can assimilate and still attain and maintain a specific water quality standard during the specified critical conditions. For each TMDL, ADEQ is required to establish a TMDL implementation plan that explains how the allocations and any reductions in existing pollutant loadings will be achieved (A.R.S. §49-234G).

2. Definitions

2.1 Best Management Practices (BMP) - shall mean a method or combination of methods determined to be the most effective and practical means of preventing or reducing point and nonpoint source pollutants in impaired water bodies; the methods that accomplish the maximum practical cost-effective protection of public health and/or the environment.

2.2 Consultant- shall mean a highly specialized individual or firm having significant input and responsibility aspects of a project and possessing unusual or unique capabilities for assuring success of the finished work.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 6 of 69

2.3 Contract Officer Representative (COR) - shall mean an authorized representative of the Eligible Agency that is responsible for administering a contract and monitoring the contractor’s performance.

2.4 Health and Safety Plan (HASP) - shall mean a written document that describes the process for identifying the physical and health hazards that could harm workers, procedures to prevent accidents, and steps to take when accidents occur.

2.5 Key Personnel - shall mean those persons who are essential to carrying out the work of the project. Personnel may include, but are not limited to, professional, clerical, and field positions.

2.6 Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) - shall mean a Quality Assurance Project

Plan for collecting, identifying and evaluating scientific data/information.

2.7 Remediation - shall mean cleanup or other methods used to remove or contain a

Hazardous or Regulated Substance or Material.

2.8 Restoration - shall mean the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed in order to protect and enhance public health and the environment.

2.9 Sampling Analysis Plan (SAP) - Shall mean a guidance for documenting the procedural and analytical requirements for Total Maximum Daily Load projects involving the collection of water, soil, sediment, or other samples taken to characterize sources of pollutants within the project area.

2.10 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) - shall mean a regulatory term in the Clean

Water Act describing a plan for restoring impaired waters that identifies the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive while still meeting water quality standards.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 7 of 69

3 Requirements

3.1 Regulatory Requirements:

• A.R.S. Title 49, The Environment

• A.R.S. Title 45, Waters

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Code of Federal Regulations (CR) Title 40

• American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM)

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

• Arizona Hazardous Waste Management Act

• Clean Water Act (CWA)

• Clean Air Act

• Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

• Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)

• Toxic Substance Control Act

• Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• All other applicable Federal, State, County and Local rules and regulations

3.2 Additional Requirements:

As part of requirements in any Task Order awarded, depending on Task Order

Requirements, Contractor may be required to submit the quality control measures they will have in place to ensure integrity of the data, by way of a Quality Assurance Project

Plan (QAPP). The Contractor may submit their own QAPP, provided that it meets the requirements of EPA’s QA/G-5 Guidance for Quality Assurance Project Plans (2002) or

ADEQ’s QAPP Review checklist provided to the Contractor for use upon contract award

(Exhibit A - Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) Review Checklist). Contractor must also have an individual quality system that complies fully with the American National

Standard ANSI/ASQC E4-1994, Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for

Environmental Data Collection and Environmental Technology Programs.

4 Scope of Work

4.1 Scope Summary

Contract services include performance of desktop investigations; summarizing all relevant and available monitoring records; compiling, reviewing and summarizing public and private records; investigating land ownership and land use; reviewing and summarizing designated uses and other water quality standards; identifying data gaps and making recommendations to address data gaps; performing site investigations and site visits; conducting preliminary data analyses; identifying pollutant sources, permitted and non-permitted point discharges, nonpoint source discharges; identifying pollution

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 8 of 69 source data gaps and making recommendations to address data gaps; environmental monitoring to meet objectives identified in the Task Order Scope of Work (TOSOW);

developing conceptual models and reviewing candidate models; designing, calibrating, and validating the model; conducting model sensitivity analyses and scenario evaluation;

calculating TMDLs including waste loads, allocations, and margin of safety; creating a model development report; familiarizing ADEQ staff with the model; preparation of all aspects of a TMDL report following the provided template; designing restoration and remediation plans based on the TMDL implementation plan; enacting restoration and remediation plans; performing special studies; aiding in the development and enactment of Community Engagement Plans; conducting and providing materials for stakeholder meetings; and responding to EPA and Public Comments on Draft TMDL Report.

ADEQ is not requesting development or purchase of any software.

ADEQ may request Contractors perform some or all of these tasks. Contractors should familiarize themselves with the statutes/codes that govern the activities of ADEQ, especially the Arizona Revised Statutes and the Arizona Administrative Code, which contains the Water Quality Standards and the Impaired Waters Identification Rule.

The Contractors awarded for this contract will be eligible to receive task orders for completing projects for the State. The contractors and the State will develop the scope, schedule, and budget for each task order based upon time needed to complete the task and program funding. The contractors will submit a proposal for each task order requested by the State. Contractors are expected to provide the highest quality services and will provide monthly reporting through monthly work reports on each task order to identify project status, schedule, and budget for cost tracking. The contractors shall provide project management, technical support personnel, equipment, supplies, materials, and effort necessary to perform the specified task orders at a level of quality that consistently meets or exceeds expectations.

Qualified contractors may compete for and be awarded one or more of the services requested in this Scope of Work, however only those contractors that exhibit a high level of expertise will be selected for each service.

4.2 Data Review

Summarize Relevant Data. The Contractor shall compile, review, and summarize all existing data relevant to completing the objective(s) identified in the TOSOW. The summary shall be prepared as specified in the TOSOW.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 9 of 69

Monitoring Data. The Contractor shall compile, review, and summarize all relevant and available monitoring records. This may include stream flow measurements, water quality sample results, sediment sample results, soil data, physical integrity data (i.e., Rosgen-style stream stability/geomorphology assessments), cross-sections, discharges records, water level records, water production records, diversion and return flow data, lake levels, weather data, air quality sample results, bioassessment data, fish tissue toxicity results, bioaccumulation data, vegetative data, field logs, and any other relevant environmental data. It may be necessary for the Contractor to review Standard

Operating Procedures (SOPs), Quality Assurance Program Plans (QAPPs), and /or

Sampling and Analysis Plans (SAPs). An organized cross-reference table with each sample site ID, relevant site name and/or alias(es), and the location of all monitoring sites is required. Additional information such as period of record, number of records, etc. may also be presented in this table. A map (paper and digital copies compatible with ArcGIS software) showing the location of each monitoring location is required. If a site’s location is not identifiable, the site should still be reported, however, usage of its data will be left to the discretion of the ADEQ project manager.

Historic, Existing, and Future Land Ownership and Land Use. The Contractor shall compile, review, and summarize Federal/State/Local government records, available private records, conduct interviews with knowledgeable persons and, as necessary, perform site visits to determine historic, existing, and future land ownership and land use within the watershed and that has impacted/will impact the watershed. To complete this land ownership and land use review, the Contractor may need to review maps; title records; imagery; facility maps, schematics, operation plans, and records; land management plans; permit information; consent decrees; compliance orders; Preliminary

Assessment/Site Investigations (PA/SI’s) and Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analyses

(EECA’s); Best Management Practices (BMPs); and historic investigations, reports, and news articles. It may be necessary for the Contractor to provide a map/maps (paper and digital copies) showing historic, current, and/or future land ownership and/or land use.

Historic, Existing, and Future Water Use. The Contractor shall compile, review, and summarize Federal/State/Local government records and available private records, conduct interviews with knowledgeable persons and, as necessary, perform site visits to determine historic, existing, and future water use within the watershed and that has impacted/will impact the watershed. To complete this water use review, the Contractor may need to review maps; title records; imagery; facility maps, schematics, operation plans, and records; management plans; permit information; consent decrees;

compliance orders; Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigations (PA/SI’s) and

Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analyses (EECA’s); Best Management Practices (BMPs);

and historic investigations, reports, and news articles.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 10 of 69

Identify Designated Uses and Water Quality Standards. The Contractor shall summarize the applicable relevant water quality standards and identify numeric and/or narrative endpoints. It may be necessary for the Contractor to include a history of all relevant

303(d) Listings and to provide an explanation of the relevance. It may be necessary for the Contractor to provide a map (paper and digital copies compatible with ArcGIS software) showing the extents of previous and current listings and well-organized tables containing listing data.

Other Data. As specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall provide a summary of data relevant to the objectives identified in the TOSOW.

Identification of Data Gaps. The Contractor shall identify all significant data gaps. The relevance of identified data gaps as compared to the objectives identified in the TOSOW shall be summarized. The Contractor shall provide recommendations to address relevant gaps.

Perform Site Visit. As specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall perform a site visit.

If the TOSOW includes creation of a model of a waterbody to calculate loads and make allocations or if the TOSOW includes creation of an alternative analysis, the Contractor’s staff who will be performing the model development or alternatives analysis must attend a site visit with ADEQ staff. The length of the site visit will be commensurate with the size and complexities of the project. Contractor staff shall be compensated for the actual number of hours spent performing the site visit and preparing documentation related to the site visit.

Perform Preliminary Data Analysis. As specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall provide a preliminary data analysis to determine data sufficiency/data gaps; to identify necessary delists; to assist with development of a conceptual model; etc. Preliminary data analysis may include comparison of data to standards; creation of rating curves;

creation of flow and/or load duration curves; use of statistics to calculate averages, maximums, minimums, etc.; creation of schematics or other drawings; etc.

Identification of Pollutant Sources. The Contractor shall identify all historic, current, and potential sources of a specified pollutant to a waterbody.

Permitted Discharges. The Contractor shall identify historic, current, and planned permitted discharges in the watershed through review of Federal/State/Local government, and available private records; site inspections; review of remote sensing information; interviews of knowledgeable persons; and/or any other methods approved by ADEQ.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 11 of 69

Non-permitted Point Source Discharges. The Contractor shall identify historic, current, and potential non-permitted point source discharges in the watershed through review of

Federal/State/Local government, and available private records; site inspections; review of remote sensing information; interviews of knowledgeable persons; and/or other methods approved by ADEQ.

Nonpoint Source Discharges. The Contractor shall identify historic, current, and potential nonpoint source discharges in the watershed through review of

Federal/State/Local government, and available private records; site inspections; review of remote sensing information; interviews of knowledgeable persons; and/or other methods approved by ADEQ.

Identification of Pollution Source Data Gaps. The Contractor shall summarize the adequacy of known pollutant source information and identify data gaps. The Contractor may need to offer solutions for future monitoring that will help distinguish and quantify pollutant loads. The Contractor may need to offer solutions for making load allocations to undistinguished pollutant sources (i.e., when sources such as natural background and historic air emissions from activities such as smelting need to be discerned).

Environmental Monitoring. The Contractor shall perform environmental monitoring to meet the objectives identified in the TOSOW. Environmental monitoring may include measuring/sampling flow, water quality, sediment, soil, physical integrity, cross sections, water levels, weather components, air quality, fish tissue toxicity, BMP evaluation, vegetation monitoring, or habitat factors. All work supporting this monitoring shall be governed by a QAPP and SAP that is approved by ADEQ. All deviations from the QAPP and SAP shall be agreed to in writing with the ADEQ project manager. Samples must be analyzed by a laboratory licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services

(ADHS), unless otherwise specified in the TOSOW and agreed to in writing with the

ADEQ project manager. Laboratory detection limits must meet the data quality objectives. Locational information for monitoring sites must be provided in compliance with ADEQ’s locational data policy. After the monitoring is completed, the Contractor shall compile, review, and summarize all environmental monitoring data collected in fulfillment of the TOSOW. The summary shall be prepared as specified in the TOSOW.

At a minimum, the report shall include the QAPP, the SAP, calibration records, field notes, location maps (paper and digital copies, if both are available), chain-of-custody copies, laboratory reports, and equipment output files.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 12 of 69

4.3 Develop Modeling Approach

Develop Conceptual Model. The Contractor shall develop a conceptual model as specified in the TOSOW. The conceptual model shall be based on site specific information, such as the information included in the Data Review. At a minimum, the conceptual model shall consider the following:

1) general physical setting, hydrologic system, and chemical characteristics of the watershed;

2) land use and likely pollutant sources;

3) model calibration target criteria; and

4) identified scenarios requiring evaluation.

A summary shall be prepared as specified in the TOSOW. Watershed segments or sources requiring TMDL calculation and load allocation should be specified.

Candidate Model Review. As specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall evaluate model approaches and model codes suitable to calculate TMDLs, make load allocations, and/or evaluate scenarios considering the conceptual model and data available for model construction. When the model will be used for TMDL calculation, the model must be able to simulate the watershed conditions, including pollutant loading for the pollutants of concern. The model shall be readily available, easy to implement, not overbuilt (i.e., not to exceed the Task Order requirements), and possible to complete within the specified timeframe. It must be operable within ADEQ’s personal computer

(PC) framework. The Contractor shall provide a list of candidate models that meet these criteria and discuss the merits, drawbacks and capability of each. The Contractor shall recommend and justify a specific modeling approach which will yield the results specified in the TOSOW. The Contractor shall provide a report detailing this review and supporting the recommended model approach.

4.4 Model Development

Data Use. ADEQ shall be knowledgeable of all data the Contractor will utilize for model development and ADEQ shall agree with the use of this data before the model is developed. It is assumed the Contractor will use the credible data identified in the Data

Review as the basis for the model, unless otherwise noted in the TOSOW. All manipulations of “raw” data shall be approved by ADEQ before they are employed.

These manipulations include data created from “raw” data by the application of statistics or substitutions, the partial use of data sets, substitute data, etc. so as to render the data usable in the model.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 13 of 69

Model Design, Calibration and Validation. The Contractor shall design a model based on the conceptual model. The model framework must be approved by ADEQ before the model is executed. The Contractor shall calibrate the model(s) using site-specific data.

After calibration, the Contractor shall validate (i.e., verify) the model by evaluating its ability to predict the conditions of one or more other sets of site-specific data. In consultation with ADEQ staff, the model shall be modified and rerun until the calibration target criteria are achieved. The Contractor shall provide model design details and a summary of the calibration and validation steps in the Model Development Report.

Sensitivity Analysis. The Contractor shall determine the model’s sensitivity to the input variables by performing a sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis shall be used to quantify model uncertainty in the predictive model runs. The Contractor shall provide a discussion regarding model sensitivity in the Model Development Report.

Scenario Evaluation. The Contractor shall perform predictive model simulations required to evaluate various scenarios of pollutant loading, storm events, effects of changes in standards, and effectiveness of Best Management Practices (BMPs). When specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall perform a cost benefit analysis for the various BMP alternatives considered. The Contractor shall provide an explanation of the setup of each scenario and the results in the Model Development Report.

TMDL Calculation. The Contractor shall calculate the TMDLs and load allocations for the pollutants of concern for locations agreed upon during the model design phase. The

TMDLs and allocations should be made to ensure that water quality standards will be met at the specified critical conditions/scenarios. ADEQ must agree with the rationale supporting the assignment of load and waste load allocations and the Margin of Safety

(MOS) before the TMDLs are calculated. In the Model Development Report, the

Contractor shall explain how the TMDLs and allocations will protect water quality standards. In the Model Development Report, the Contractor will compare the existing loads to the load capacities and show the load reductions necessary to meet water quality standards. The Contractor will provide the rationale for the calculation of each element of the TMDLs.

Model Development Report. The Contractor shall provide a comprehensive modeling report which shall include, but is not limited to, the items in the following outline. Per item 6 below, “Loads, TMDLs, and Allocations” shall be included as specified in the

TOSOW. In the Model Development Report, the Contractor shall clearly describe all data used to support the model. All “raw” water quality data used in the model shall be reported in a tabular format. All data resulting from “raw” water quality data manipulation shall also be included in a tabular format. All “raw” data manipulations shall be clearly

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 14 of 69 explained. The Contractor shall explain why the manipulation was necessary; how it was performed; what the end result was. If data included in the Data Review is not utilized in the model, the Contractor shall explain why. The Contractor shall provide a draft version of this report to ADEQ no less than two weeks before model familiarization.

1) Introduction

a) Problem Statement

b) Setting

2) Conceptual Model

3) Model Framework

a) Model Code Selection

b) Coverages, Data Sets, Assumptions

c) Pre-model calculations

d) Rates and constants

4) Model Calibration

a) Calibration Targets

b) Sensitivity Analysis

c) Model Verification

5) Modeled Scenarios

a) Scenario Descriptions

b) Scenario Results

6) Loads, TMDLs, and Allocations

a) Existing Loads and Load Capacity

b) Margin of Safety

c) Critical Conditions

d) TMDLs

e) Load Allocations

f) Waste load Allocations

g) Linkage Analysis

7) Summary and Conclusions

a) Model Limitations

b) Model Predictions

c) Recommendations

8) References

9) Appendices

a) Data Not Used

b) Model Input Files

c) Sensitivity Runs

d) Scenario Results

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 15 of 69

Model Familiarization. Two weeks prior to commencement of model familiarization, the

Contractor shall provide ADEQ with the model, including all data input and support files.

Commensurate with the complexity of the model, the Contractor shall provide videoconference and/or on-site technical assistance to ADEQ staff sufficient to allow

ADEQ the opportunity to comprehend the model’s framework, manipulate input and output files, and understand scenario evaluation. Contractor staff shall be compensated for the actual number of hours spent with ADEQ staff installing the model and staff receiving model familiarization. The Contractor shall plan to meet with other ADEQ staff which may have questions regarding the model. The Contractor shall allocate time to refine and re-run the model, as commissioned by ADEQ.

4.5 Preparation of TMDL Report

The Contractor shall provide a comprehensive TMDL report. If a TMDL report outline is not specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall use the following outline. The

Contractor and ADEQ should make any variations to this outline before the Contractor commences writing. Descriptive information regarding these elements can be found in

EPA guidance documentation available at: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-

10/documents/2002_06_04_tmdl_guidance_final52002.pdf . The Contractor shall use the data included in the data summary to provide the foundation for a comprehensive and defensible TMDL report.

● Report Template:

○ SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION

○ SECTION 2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

○ SECTION 3 SETTING

■ 3.1 GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY

■ 3.2 CLIMATE

■ 3.3 LAND COVER

○ SECTION 4 WATER QUALITY STANDARDS AND NUMERIC

ENDPOINT TARGETS

■ 4.1 WATER QUALITY STANDARDS

○ 4.1.1 Designated Uses

○ 4.1.2 Water Quality Criteria

○ 4.1.3 Antidegradation Policy

■ 4.2 TMDL NUMERIC ENDPOINT TARGETS

■ 4.3 SUPPLEMENTAL CRITERIA AND SCREENING VALUES

○ SECTION 5 DATA EVALUATION

■ 5.1 WATER QUALITY DATA – STREAMS AND LAKES

■ 5.2 WATER QUALITY DATA – WELLS AND GROUNDWATER

■ 5.3 SEDIMENT DATA

■ 5.4 FISH TISSUE DATA

■ 5.5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/index.html http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl/index.html

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 16 of 69

○ SECTION 6 SOURCE ASSESSMENT

■ 6.1 POLLUTANT TRANSPORT MECHANISMS

■ 6.2 POINT SOURCES

■ 6.3 NONPOINT SOURCES

○ 6.3.1 Agricultural Sources

○ 6.3.2 Stormwater Nonpoint Sources

○ SECTION 7 TECHNICAL APPROACH

■ 7.1 TECHNICAL APPROACHES CONSIDERED

■ 7.2 SELECTED APPROACH

○ SECTION 8 LINKAGE ANALYSIS

■ 8.1 SPATIAL PATTERNS

■ 8.2 SEASONAL PATTERNS

○ SECTION 9 TMDL DEVELOPMENT

■ 9.1 LOADING CAPACITY AND ALLOCATIONS

○ 9.1.1 Waste load Allocations

○ 9.1.2 Load Allocations

■ 9.2 SEASONALITY AND CRITICAL CONDITIONS

■ 9.3 MARGIN OF SAFETY

○ SECTION 10 IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING

■ 10.1 PROGRAM FOR IMPLEMENTATION

■ 10.2 MONITORING PROGRAM FOR TRACKING PROGRESS

○ SECTION 11 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

○ SECTION 12 REFERENCES

4.6 Deliverable Review Period

The Contractor shall make staff available to discuss findings and deliverables with

ADEQ. The Contractor shall answer all questions regarding deliverables. If ADEQ identifies additional work needing completion, and if this work is beyond the scope of the

TOSOW, a Task Order Amendment to the TOSOW or a separate TOSOW will be issued.

4.7 Public Participation Process

Stakeholder Meetings. The Contractor shall make the appropriate staff available to meet with stakeholders when necessary. Stakeholder meetings may be held to allow for data and/or knowledge transfer, to discuss the TMDL process, to provide insight for technical aspects of the project such as model selection, model results, and TMDL and load allocation, and to discuss potential implementation scenarios or activities. When the

Contractor is asked to make a formal presentation, the Contractor shall provide ADEQ with a draft version of the presentation (in digital format) at least one week prior to the presentation. The Contractor shall make all recommended changes to the presentation and shall provide the project manager with the final presentation at least three days prior to the presentation.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 17 of 69

Community Engagement Plan. The Contractor may assist in the preparation and implementation of the Community Engagement Plan that may include: project planning and support, public meeting/public hearing, fact sheet preparation, public notices, information repositories, site mailing list, responsiveness summary support and close out.

Responses to EPA and Public Comments on Draft. The Contractor may be asked to respond to comments and questions received during the public review and comment period, pursuant to A.R.S. 49-234.

4.8 Implementation

Restoration and Remediation Design. This activity includes all tasks necessary to develop a preliminary, intermediate, and final design document for restoration or remediation activities. Tasks used for project scoping, scheduling, and technical and cost tracking and reporting shall be as directed by the Task Order.

Restoration and Remediation Action. This activity includes all tasks necessary to implement the design remedy in accordance with the Task Order, which may include implementation and start-up, operation and maintenance, and the on-going operation of long-term treatment systems for groundwater and surface water restoration measures.

Contractor Oversight. This task provides for the Contractor reviewing reports, work plan(s), Contractor approaches and fieldwork such as sampling and remediation system design/install or provide expert witness testimony. This task may include, per the

TOSOW, providing oversight support for any of the following areas: site investigations

(desktop and field), water quality monitoring, sediment and soil monitoring, BMP monitoring, remediation and restoration design/action, operations and maintenance, removal support/action, and expert witness.

4.9 Equipment, Methods, and Analytic Tools

The Contractor shall develop, install, document, and/or demonstrate equipment as specified in the TOSOW. Equipment may include instruments like sampling/monitoring devices; methods may include techniques used in the field, laboratory, and office;

analytic tools may include those used for assessment, statistical analysis, numeric modeling, etc. As specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall provide documentation and training related to the equipment, methods, or analytic tools to ADEQ staff.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 18 of 69

4.10 Effectiveness Evaluation

As specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall analyze environmental monitoring data

(such as that included in the Data Review) to determine the effectiveness of BMPs. The

Contractor shall prepare an Effectiveness Evaluation Report which should include the objectives of the evaluation, relevant historic studies, a description of the data set used in the evaluation, the method/methods used to make the determination, and the findings.

The Contractor may also include recommendations for additional monitoring or Best

Management Practice (BMP) considerations.

4.11 Special Studies

As specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall perform a special study. Special studies may include Use Attainability Analyses and/or Development of Site-Specific

Standards; remote sensing; fate and transport modeling; rates and constants development; source identification by using technology such as tracers, microbial source tracking, bioaccumulation, or age dating techniques; geomorphological studies;

vegetative evaluation; x-ray fluorescence; wildlife evaluation; calculating/determining load reductions from projects; cost benefit analyses. If a special study requires sample collection, a QAPP and SAP will need to be written and approved in writing by the ADEQ project manager before the study is performed. All special studies will require documentation that includes the objectives of the study, a discussion of the methods employed, the results, and conclusions.

4.12 Technical Assistance

Project Initiation Meeting. Upon award of a Task Order, the Contractor shall attend a project initiation meeting/teleconference with ADEQ staff to discuss the project objectives, data sets, data exchanges, site visits, public meetings, deliverables, and other project details needing clarification or arrangement.

Plan Development. As specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor shall develop a plan.

Plans may include workplans, QAPPs, SAPs, health and safety plans (HASP), TMDL

Implementation Plans (TIPs), or TMDL Alternative/Watershed Improvement Plans

(WIPs). The TOSOW will include the steps necessary to complete the plan and the plan format. TIPs may require reviewing the TMDL Report; site visit(s); attending stakeholder meetings; facilitation; BMP development; determining load reductions based on BMPs;

establishing timelines, milestones, and methods for determining effectiveness.

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 19 of 69

Technical Review. The Contractor shall provide technical review as specified in the

TOSOW. This may include review of workplans, QAPPs, SAPs, TMDL Reports, models, and literature. The Contractor shall provide a written evaluation as specified in the

TOSOW.

Five Year Review. This task provides for the contractor to perform five-year reviews that may include: documents review, document revision, project planning and support, site visit, site inspection/technology review, and producing a five-year report prior to contract expiration.

Implementation Alternatives Analysis. As specified in the TOSOW, the Contractor may be asked to provide a written alternatives analysis which considers past, present, and/or future improvements to a waterbody. Such document may include review and analysis of applicable standards, projected growth or land use changes, projected water use changes, spatial or temporal variables, cost benefit analysis, milestones, schedules, funding mechanisms, resources, or other considerations as requested by ADEQ. The format for the plan will be identified in the TOSOW.

Standards Development/Implementation Procedures. The Contractor may be asked to assist ADEQ with standards development and/or developing detailed procedures for implementing Arizona’s numeric and/or narrative water quality standards. Specific tasks will be listed in the TOSOW.

4.13 Submittals / Deliverables

Document Format. When a document format beyond what is mentioned within this

Scope is necessary, it will be specified in the TOSOW. With respect to terminology and units, the Contractors shall use “industry standards”.

File Format. Deliverables shall be provided in digital formats compatible with the most current ADEQ software. All files shall be organized and readily usable. Electronic files can be transferred via E-mail, FTP site, or mailed media. Currently, ADEQ utilizes

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 (Word, Excel, Access), ESRI’s ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS 10.7, and Oracle. ADEQ has a standard configuration for the desktop, and models developed as a result of this Contract must fit within the framework.

The Contractor shall provide the Project Manager with all code/algorithms, pre-processing data and files, and post-processing data and files that were used in the approach utilized for data analysis, TMDL calculation and scenario evaluation. At the end of the project, the Contractor shall guarantee that ADEQ has the most recent set of

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 20 of 69 data input files related to modeling. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to itemize any relevant, anticipated costs related to modeling in the Contractor’s Task Order Offer

(TOO). The Contractor shall provide digital map information using the datum and projection specified in the TOSOW or in the project initiation TMDL meeting.

ADEQ is not requesting development or purchase of any software.

Revisions. The Contractor shall revise deliverables upon receipt of comments from

ADEQ. Turnaround time for revisions will be specific to the TOSOW.

5 General Requirements

5.1 Contractor’s Personnel

5.1.1 Professional staffing:

Contractor agrees and understands that some work, when requested in the

Task Order SOW, may require the performance of a Professional Engineer

(PE) and /or a Registered Geologist (RG), registered in the State of Arizona and consistent with the applicable rules and by-laws of the Arizona Board of

Technical Registration. Plans, specifications, reports and other professional documents, as required by the Using Agency, must be sealed by such registered professional and must be acceptable to the Using Agency Project

Manager or Project Coordinator in form, timeliness, contents and presentation.

"All staff referenced must be currently employed by the vendor" to make the evaluation of the vendor accurate and better represented.

Regardless of position, role or duties, Contractor shall only assign personnel who are appropriately alert, fit, qualified, trained, and equipped for their assignments.

Unless a particular Order specifies certain numbers of personnel, Contractor shall:

a. Provide adequate numbers of appropriately qualified and authorized personnel as necessary to carry out the Services successfully;

b. Assign, at minimum, the key personnel identified in the Accepted Offer to the positions, roles, and/or duties indicated therein; and

c. Not remove or reassign any of those key personnel without State’s prior consent, which State may withhold at its discretion.

5.2 Required Monitoring and Reporting

Vendor Performance Report (VPR) (Exhibit D) The Contractor shall perform all duties under this Contract in a manner acceptable to the Department. The using agency Project Manager also known as Contract Officer Representative will

Solicitation No. BPM005278

TMDL

and Watershed Modeling and Application

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality - Procurement Office

Solicitation Requirements | Revision No. 3.2 | Revised 02-23 | Page 21 of 69 complete a VPR after completion of a Task Order or at the end of each Fiscal Year.