Drinking water analyses - tthms & HAA5

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) is conducting a Best Value Bid solicitation for drinking water analyses services focusing on Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic Acid (HAA5) testing across South Carolina's public water systems. The procurement is divided into two geographic lots: Lot 1 covering 23 counties in the Upstate, Midlands, and Pee Dee regions, and Lot 2 covering 22 counties in the Midlands, Pee Dee, and Low Country regions. Qualified laboratories will perform regulatory monitoring analyses in compliance with Federal Regulations 40 CFR Parts 141 and 142, with approximately 1,000 to 1,400 samples expected annually per method. Mandatory qualifications include certification by DHEC's Office of Environmental Laboratory Certification and at least two state or federal program references demonstrating similar drinking water analysis work completed within the previous two years. The evaluation will be conducted on a best value basis, with weightings as follows: cost (60%), laboratory design and equipment (10%), written procedures (10%), experience and qualifications (10%), and sample kit quality (10%). Sealed bids must be submitted online by December 8, 2022, at 2:30 PM ET, with questions due by November 22, 2022, at 5:00 PM ET. Award notification is scheduled for December 14, 2022, with an anticipated contract start date of January 3, 2023.

The solicitation does not specify any explicit set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or small businesses. Subcontracting of analytical work is generally prohibited, with exceptions only permitted in cases of major equipment failure and requiring DHEC Bureau of Water approval. The contract will have an initial term of one year with four optional one-year renewals, creating a potential maximum contract period of five years. While specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, the contract will involve per-sample pricing for TTHM and HAA5 analyses, with pricing to remain fixed throughout the contract duration. Contractors will be responsible for delivering sample kits to regional offices, managing chain-of-custody procedures, reporting analytical results within 21 days via electronic submission and the Compliance Monitoring Data Portal, invoicing bi-monthly, and replacing lost or damaged samples at no additional cost. Each lot will be awarded to a different offeror, ensuring that no single laboratory receives both geographic region contracts. The comprehensive technical documentation required includes laboratory blueprints, equipment listings, written procedures, EPA performance evaluation study results, method detection limit studies, quality control documentation, analyst resumes, and representative sample kits.