A. Testing Kits. The contractor shall furnish surface water sample collection kits for thirty (30) samples grouped in five (5) sets of six (6). The kits shall include all items necessary for sampling, preservation, chain of custody forms (COC), and shipping to the laboratory. This includes but not limited to; Provide sampling containers, equipment, coolers, and appropriate preservation materials and equipment, trip blanks and other QA/QC samples as necessary. B. Receiving. The City of Clemson SWMD staff will collect samples in contractor furnished kits and send them off to the contractors laboratory in a prepaid shipping package. 1. The Contractor must preserve a copy of the COC form at all times in the project file and maintain the project file for ten (10) years. A secure Chain of Custody leads to the production of a legally defensible report. The Chain of Custody document must include: • name or initials of the individual collecting the specimen; • each person or entity subsequently having custody of it; • the date the sample was collected or transferred; • employer or agency; • sample number; • sample location; • client’s name, and • a brief description of the sample The laboratory must properly preserve the samples (e.g., refrigerate) as required by ELAP and EPA holding time criteria and the criteria of the methodologies being employed.
