SOURCES SOUGHT
99 -- Water and Sediment Sampling
- Notice Date
- 12/20/2019 10:30:09 AM
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541380
— Testing Laboratories
- Contracting Office
- OFC OF ACQUISITION GRANTS-DENVER DENVER CO 80225 USA
- ZIP Code
- 80225
- Solicitation Number
- 140G0220Q0024
- Response Due
- 12/27/2019 8:59:59 PM
- Archive Date
- 01/24/2020
- Point of Contact
- Theeke, Cheryl
- E-Mail Address
-
ctheeke@usgs.gov
(ctheeke@usgs.gov)
- Awardee
- null
- Description
- Special Notice of Intent to Award a Sole Source Procurement THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE. THIS IS A NOTICE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENT TO ISSUE A SOLE SOURCE AWARD. This Notice is to announce that the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is proposing to negotiate a blanket purchase agreement with the University of Wisconsin Water and Environmental Analysis Lab (WEAL), on a sole source basis. The USGS is working in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to evaluate the impact of agricultural conservation practices on nonpoint water quality as part of the Priority Watershed component of Focus Area 3. This evaluation of conservation practices requires laboratory services for the analysis of nutrients and sediment in agricultural surface runoff. To perform the water quality analysis, the USGS has developed methods and techniques for sample processing (splitting). The WEAL supplies the unique and specific water-sample processing as well as developed automated equipment complete the splitting process. In addition, they are managing the runoff-based samples that have periodic large sample numbers (variable timing and quantity dependent on weather). The proposed action is for services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority FAR 13.106-1(b)(1). The reason justifying this sole source procurement is that the Government believes only one responsible source can provide the services that will satisfy the agency's requirement. The following services are provided: Services, non-personal, to provide all plant equipment, labor, travel, and materials including replacement parts (unless otherwise provided herein) necessary for the analysis of water samples to produce high quality data as described in the following Work Requirements and Standards. Work Requirements and Standards: The technical requirements list current methods used by the project. The lab shall maintain those methods or equivalent in terms of sample processing, analysis, and data reporting. The laboratory shall also have the personnel and equipment necessary to process the estimated sample volume and tasks as outlined in the technical requirements. The laboratory shall complete the following technical requirements that includes sample processing, sample analysis, and data reporting tasks upon receipt of water-quality samples and the sample processing and analysis log (�autolog�), as specified in the Deliverables. The laboratory must have a documented history of being able to fulfill all the following technical requirements to maintain consistency with this long-term, on-going program. 1. Sample Handling There is an indefinite delivery and quantity that will be related to this solicitation because the timing and number of samples are dependent on the weather conditions across the five States. Below are the requirements of sample handling: 1) Shall have capacity to receive large, heavy coolers shipped by Federal Express overnight and maintain sample temperature at 4 degrees Celsius until sample preparation, preservation, and analysis. 2) Shall organize and catalog all sample bottles received. A sample processing and analysis log (�autolog�) will be emailed to the lab by USGS in Microsoft Excel format. The autolog will specify task orders and will provide the lab with site and sample bottle identification information, specify which samples are to be handled as discrete (samples with start time only) versus composite (samples with both start and end time) samples, will specify requirements for splitting composite samples (Figure 1), and will specify standard analyses and special analysis requests. 3) Shall perform temperature checks and record temperature of received samples. 4) Shall provide infrastructure (walk-in coolers) capable of storing no less than 1000 1-liter sample bottles and maintaining them at 4 degrees Celsius for up to 4 weeks. 5) Shall have capacity to manage variable workload and schedule for sample processing and analysis. Sample collection is dependent upon weather conditions year-round; therefore, the timing and workload of samples shipped to the lab may be variable. 2. Sample Processing Given the specific sample processing steps required to create a flow-composite sample that are mandatory from this project, below are the requirements for sample processing: 1) Shall have the capacity to process the estimated number of composite samples and bottles per year as listed in Table 1 in the applicable documents. 2) Shall split composite samples with 4-liter churn within 3 days of receipt of the sample autolog, unless otherwise specified in autolog by USGS, and transfer unfiltered sample into clean analysis vials containing the appropriate analyte, as defined by the analyte method (Table 2). 3) Shall use the custom splitting record provided by USGS electronically as part of the autolog to produce a single flow-weighted composite sample based on sample event characteristics. 4) Shall document in writing any deviation from the splitting record, along with an explanation of the circumstances. 5) Shall filter composite sample into clean analysis vial containing the appropriate preservative, as defined by the analyte method (Table 2). 3. Sample Analysis The subject laboratory must have and maintain certification for all analytical processes (except sediment) under Wisconsin State Statue NR 149 or equivalent; certification for the sediment processes will be managed under the USGS contract laboratory program. Other requirements for the sample analysis include: 1) Shall use autolog to determine requested standard analyses and special request analyses for discrete and composite samples. 2) Shall provide acceptable analytical performance on project target analytes listed in Table 2 as specified by USGS parameter code (parm_cd) and USGS method code (meth_cd) in the USGS National Water Information System Help System (https://help.waterdata.usgs.gov/code/method_cd_query?fmt=rdb&inline=true 3) Shall be able to analyze the estimated number of samples required by constituent by year as listed in Table 2. 4) Shall participate in the Standard Reference Sample Project, administered by the USGS� Quality Systems Branch (https://bqs.usgs.gov/srs/). 5) Shall conduct routine laboratory equipment blanks and random replicate runs of samples with results documented and provided to USGS on an annual basis. 4. Sample Bottle Maintenance Samples bottles shipped to the lab are re-useable and should be returned after the sample water is removed. Below are the requirements for bottle washing, redistribution of bottles and coolers: 1) Shall have the capacity to clean the estimated number of sample bottles (Table 1). 2) Shall clean sample bottles and equipment used for compositing using methods as described in the USGS National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data for inorganic constituents (http://water.usgs.gov/owq/FieldManual/chapter3/Ch3_contents.html and https://water.usgs.gov/owq/FieldManual/chapter3/final508Chap3book.pdf). 3) Shall include sample bottles that were sent to the laboratory but were unused in any analysis; these bottles shall also be cleaned and returned to the sender. 4) Shall return ship to each state their bottles and coolers using FedEx Ground. Billing account numbers for shipping expenses will be provided by USGS. 5. Data Reporting and Invoicing The subject laboratory must have a current system that allows the transfer of data and billing that comply with the current project requirements. These requirements include: 1) Shall report data using applicable value qualifier codes as defined by the USGS (https://help.waterdata.usgs.gov/code/val_qual_cd_query?fmt=html). 2) Shall use a Lab Information Management System (LIMS) for rapid and accurate transfer of measurements from the analytical machines to an electronic database. 3) Shall generate two tab-delimited files to store and transfer sample-level and result-level data from analyses into a format specified by USGS (Tables 3 and 4) to allow for batch file upload of results into the USGS water-quality database, National Water Information System (NWIS) QWDATA. 4) Shall transfer tab-delimited sample and result files via email to USGS upon completion and review of all analyses, and review and entry of analytical results into the LIMS as specified in the Reporting Requirement Checklist. 5) Shall provide invoices in a format acceptable by both parties; cost shall be segregated by state of origin of samples and by site. 6) Shall submit invoices electronically monthly and accompanied by an accounting summary. 6. Reporting Requirement Checklist This solicitation requires the selected lab to perform a variety of tasks are critical to the long-term data and processing involved with this ongoing project. The below table identifies the requirements that are needed for any data reporting and delivery actions required through the solicitation: Task Description Specifications Requirement Sample Handling Ability to handle, store, and manage periodic sample numbers Samples are based on weather so there is an indefinite sample delivery and quantity associated with this contract No samples will be missed or not stored correctly once received by the lab Sample Processing Completed sample processing Process the specified splitting actions defined by the autolog provided by the USGS for each sample or set of composite samples All processing of discrete and composite samples will be done within 3 days of receiving the autolog Sample Analysis Complete laboratory analysis of split samples Analytical performance on project target analytes listed in Table 2 and lab is USGS accredited All sample analysis will be completed within 2 days of completing the splitting processing Sample Bottle Maintenance Return shipping of clean bottles and coolers to respective states Method specified by USGS National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data as specified in Table 1. Within 2 weeks of the splitting of the whole-water samples Data Reporting Transfer of analytical data in batch files to USGS via email Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) that stores analytical results and generates tab- delimited batch files. Data transferred in electronic format and system specified by USGS Within 1 month of sample analysis Invoicing Monthly invoices Invoices will be billed monthly and segregated by State/project location Monthly invoices 7. Deliverables The contractor shall provide deliverables in accordance with the Reporting Requirement Checklist. 8. Applicable Documents The applicable documents are those documents identified in the technical requirements. Table 1. Sample processing methods and estimated annual numbers Sample Processing and Cleaning Method Estimated number of bottles Discrete Sample Processing USGS Open-File Report 2008-1015 1,000 Composite Sample Processing USGS Open-File Report 2008-1015 600 Composite Sample Cleaning USGS National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data 6,500 Cleaning of un-used client bottles USGS National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data 200 Figure 1. Example splitting record indicating the appropriate amount to be split out of each bottle and combined to make the single composite sample for analysis. Table 2. Analytical method and estimated annual sample numbers Analyte common name USGS parameter code USGS method code Method number Estimated number of sample analyses Chloride 00940 FCN01 STDMETH 4500 CL G 1530 NO2+NO3 00631 CDR14 STDMETH 4500 NO3 I 1530 Ammonium 00608 PHN03 STDMETH 4500 NH3 H 1530 Orthophosphate 00671 ASC11 STDMETH 4500 P G 1530 NH3+orgN 00625 KJ026 USEPA 351.2 1530 Total Phosphorus 00665 CL179 USEPA 365.4 1630 Suspended Sediment 80154 SED34 ASTM D-3977-97B 1630 Total Organic Carbon 00680 COMB4 STDMETH 5310 B 250 Dissolved Organic Carbon 00681 COMB4 STDMETH 5310 B 250 Table 3. Format of sample level batch files for transfer to USGS; this information is generated by USGS and provided with the splitting record Table 4. Format of result level batch files for transfer to USGS; Sample Integer code for each sample must match those provided in the sample level batch file described in Table 3. Figure 2. Examples of tab-delimited batch-file pairs (qwsample and qwresult) are shown below (reformatted for this document). 9. Performance Standards and Monitoring Plan The contractor will be evaluated based on ability to perform the requirements identified in the reporting checklist as well as current ability to conduct those requirements. Given the depth and continual status of the project and in order to maintain consistency, the selected lab must have the personnel and equipment to process and adapt to the anticipated sample volume and manage the specific splitting process for the whole water samples. In addition, all solicitations shall currently meet the certifications identified within the technical requirements and can invoice and transfer the data in the specified format. The selected lab will be evaluated quarterly to ensure that data processing, quality, and management meets the USGS project goals. This evaluation includes documentation of sample processing time from the time the sample processing autolog is sent to the sample analysis results. In addition, a review of the sample analysis results will be conducted annually to ensure the reporting limits meet those defined by the methods listed in the applicable documents. This is a sole source notice published for informational purposes only and not a request for competitive quotes. Therefore, no solicitation document exists for this requirement. However, all responsible parties interested in responding to this notice are invited to submit a capability statement that provides sufficient details for consideration by the Government, NLT 15:00 Mountain Time on December 27, 2019 via email to: ctheeke@usgs.gov. The determination not to compete the contract based on the responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Phone calls will not be accepted in response to this notice. All information submitted should support the offeror's capability to provide the services required and shall be furnished at no cost or obligation to the Government. Responses must be in writing and must provide clear and concise documentation indicating an offeror's bona fide capability to provide these services. Verbal responses are not acceptable and will not be considered. The Government reserves the right to cancel this requirement.
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