Comprehensive water quality monitoring programs are essential to assessing water quality throughout the state of Michigan. The Michigan Water Chemistry Monitoring Project (WCMP) is one program that provides the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) with a solid foundation of knowledge on which to base management decisions and prioritize efforts as an agency. Consistent with the 1997 Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (now EGLE) report entitled, “A Strategic Environmental Quality Monitoring Program for Michigan’s Surface Water” (Strategy) and its updates in 2005 and 2017, overall monitoring goals are to:1) Assess the current status and condition of individual waters of the state and determine whether standards are being met; 2) Measure temporal and spatial trends in the quality of Michigan surface waters; 3) Provide data to support EGLE water quality protection programs and evaluate their effectiveness; and 4) Detect new and emerging water quality problems. EGLE is initiating this RFP for services of a qualified analytical laboratory to analyze ambient surface water samples collected as part of the Michigan Water Chemistry Monitoring Project (WCMP). Routine WCMP sampling will be performed by EGLE or its partners throughout the state of Michigan between ice-out (typically February) and November 30 of each year of the contract period. Additional, non-routine sampling outside of the WCMP may also occur as needs arise throughout the year. During the term of the Contract, the Contractor will analyze up to approximately 300 mercury samples per year; 400 copper, lead, and chromium samples per year; and 300 nickel, cadmium, zinc, and manganese samples per year. Samples may be collected in response to high stream flow conditions created by rainfall or snowmelt events; however, most samples will be collected monthly, bi-monthly, or seasonally.
