SOW _ TRACE ORGANIC LABORATORY SERVICES_5_19_.pdf

DRAFT

Trace Organic Laboratory Services

Scope of Work

1. INTRODUCTION

A. The City of Atlanta (City) currently operates four (3) wastewater treatment plants

(called Water Reclamation Centers, WRC), and seven (7) combined sewer overflow

(CSO) control facilities in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Two (2) of the WRCs

(R.M. Clayton, and Utoy Creek) and four (4) of the CSO control facilities (Clear

Creek, Tanyard Creek, North Avenue, and Wes Area) are in the west watershed, which includes the north and west portions of Atlanta proper and drains into the

Chattahoochee River. The other WRC (South River) and the remaining two CSO control facilities (Custer Avenue and East Area) are in the east watershed, which includes the south and east sections of Atlanta. The east watershed drains into the

South River. However, effluent from the South River WRC is discharged into the

Chattahoochee River.

B. R.M. Clayton, Utoy Creek, and South River WRCs all employ activated sludge processes to treat wastewater. Influent wastewater is passed through preliminary treatment systems that consist of coarse screens, vortex grit removal systems and fine screens to remove solids. Following preliminary treatment, more solids removal is accomplished in primary sedimentation basins. And then, wastewater is further treated in the activated sludge process to remove biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), suspended solids (SS), and phosphorus and to accomplish nitrification. Filters are used to reduce SS discharged from the activated sludge process. Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection is provided to kill pathogenic organisms.

Finally, post aeration is used to increase the dissolved oxygen (DO) level of the treated effluent discharge.

C. CSO may occur during wet weather periods when stormwater flow and sewage flow together exceed the hydraulic capacity of the sanitary sewer interceptor to the

WRC, thereby initiating a flow to the CSO control facility. As combined sewer-water flows through the CSO control facility, it is treated and discharged into a receiving stream.

D. Because the WRCs and the CSO control facilities discharge to waters of the United

States, the discharges are regulated by National Pollutant Discharge Elimination

System (NPDES) program, which is implemented by the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Georgia Environmental

Protection Division (GA EPD) of the State of Georgia.

E. R.M. Clayton, Utoy Creek and South River WRCs are under a combined permit while the CSO control facilities have separate NPDES permits, and each permit contains requirements for sampling, analysis, flow monitoring, rainfall monitoring, and reporting that must be carried out on a routine basis for as long as the permit is effective. In addition to the routine requirements, the permits also stipulate that special testing which includes priority pollutant scans, and whole effluent toxicity testing is to be conducted.

F. The City also has a pretreatment program that monitors the discharges from industries located in the metropolitan Atlanta area. The Inspection and Monitoring

Group of the Bureau of Watershed protection runs the pretreatment program.

G. The purpose of this solicitation is to secure the services of a laboratory to perform the analyses necessary for compliance with the NPDES permits and the pretreatment program requirements that the Wastewater Services Laboratory cannot perform.

H. The contractor shall be responsible for any fines imposed by GA EPD and EPA on the City for failure to analyze samples in accordance with the requirements set forth herein. To protect the City from the contractor non-performance of sample analysis, the City will require a performance bond for the entire contract amount, which will be used to reimburse the City for nonperformance by the Contractor including levied fines by any regulatory agencies.

I. The following sections contain a detailed scope of work and project specifications for the analysis and reporting tasks. Also included are the requirements for laboratory submittals that must be furnished to the City for consideration of contract award.

2. DEFINITIONS

A. CFR - Code of Federal Regulations

B. Chain of Custody Form - A form to be signed by the designated person appointed by the contractor at the time of sample delivery.

C. Contract Documents - The Contract Documents include the following:

Analyst Certificates

Laboratory Certificates

Business License

D. CSO control facility – Combined Sewer Overflow -A facility designed and constructed to control, treat, and release a combined sewer overflow discharge.

E. EPA – Environmental Protection Agency

F. GA EPD – Environmental Protection Division of State of Georgia

G. PCB - Poly chlorinated biphenyls

H. WET - Whole effluent toxicity

H. WRC - Water Reclamation Center

3. TESTING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

A. Samples (grab and/or composite) will be collected by the City of Atlanta, Wastewater Services Personnel and delivered to the contractor. When samples cannot be delivered by the City of Atlanta Wastewater Services personnel, the contractor shall be required to pick up the samples. The contractor shall state fees to pick up samples in his/her bid. In the event, samples are required to be shipped;

the contractor shall be responsible for shipping and the cost associated with shipping. Shipping fees must be included in the base price for each type of laboratory analysis. Results from labor analysis must be submitted electronically back to the City.

B. The contractor shall provide sample bottles, sample identification labels, shipping labels and Chain of Custody forms at the time of sample bottle pick-up.

C. The contractor upon receipt of purchase order must comply with the terms of this agreement within five (5) business days thereafter. All analyses must be initiated within the specified holding time of each method presented in 40 CFR Part 136.

D. The tests will be conducted in accordance with the methods presented in 40 CFR Part 136. The data must comply with QA/QC requirements of 40 CFR Part 136 and other appropriate QA/QC requirements for Standard Methods for analytes not addressed by 40

CFR Part 136.

E. The contractor shall use methods that enable pollutants to be reported at levels as provided in their proposal.

F. If the contractor believes that an alternative method should be used (e.g., due to matrix interference), the contractor shall obtain prior written approval from the City of Atlanta, Wastewater Services Laboratory to use that method.

G. If an alternative method is specified in this bid the contractor shall use that method unless otherwise directed by the City of Atlanta Wastewater Services

Laboratory.

H. Where no approved analytical method exists, the contractor may use a suitable method but must provide a description of the method. The “suitable method” means a method that is sufficiently sensitive to measure as close to the detection limit provided as possible.

I. The contractor shall provide consulting on new or unusual testing requirements and/or procedures.

J. The contractor shall indicate the method used for each pollutant. If a method has not been approved for a pollutant for which the contractor is providing data, the contractor may use a suitable method to measure the concentration of the pollutant and provide a detailed description of the method used or a reference to the published method. The description shall include the sample holding time, preservation techniques, and the quality control methods used. In such cases, indicate the method used and attach to the test results report a narrative description of the method used.

K. The contractor shall provide the method detection limit (MDL), minimum level

(ML), or other designated method endpoint reflecting the precision of the analytical method used.

L. All analytical results shall be reported using the actual numerical values determined by the analysis. Even if analytical results are below the detection or quantification level of the method used, the actual data shall be reported, rather than reporting “non-detect” (ND) or “zero” (0).

M. The contractor shall attach an explanation and any supporting documentation with the test results report for any dilutions made and any problems encountered in the analysis.

N. In the event results are disputed, the contractor shall be required to have testing performed by a third-party arbitration laboratory to settle the dispute.

The City shall designate this arbitration laboratory.

O. The contractor shall complete chain-of-custody forms and a logbook for documentation of sample deliveries and shall keep copies of chain-of-custody forms. Completed chain-of-custody forms and copies of logbooks shall be provided to the City of

Atlanta.

P. The contractor shall keep test results in hard copy and electronic format for five

(5) years. The test results shall be provided to the City upon request during the five (5) year period at no additional cost to the City.

Q. Test results for samples will be reported within ten (10) business days via electronic deliverables to:

Thomas Bourne

Wastewater Services

Laboratory 805 Selig

Drive

Atlanta, Georgia 30336

Telephone: (404) 215-5620

Fax: (404) 696-2084

E-mail: tbourne@atlantaga.gov

R. Invoices must accompany the hard copy and electronic format of test results and be submitted within ten (10) business days of sample receipt. Quality assurance data must also be submitted with the hard copy confirmation by mail. The mailing address is:

Thomas Bourne

Wastewater Services

Laboratory 805

Selig Drive

Atlanta, Georgia 30336

++End of Document mailto:tbourne@atlantaga.gov