VDH’s mission is to promote and protect the health and wellbeing of all Virginians. It is the agency’s vision to make Virginia the healthiest state in the nation. VDH intentionally improves health by providing the best possible data to inform harm reduction strategies for overdoses from fentanyl. VDH measures success and outcomes, builds relationships, educates, and creates policies that improve health as it relates to fentanyl use in the Commonwealth. Drug use and addiction affect all communities in Virginia. In 2022, there were 2,490 drug overdose deaths among Virginians, and over 11,500 overdose emergency department visits related to opioids. Almost eight out of ten (79%) drug overdose deaths involved fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and tramadol. VDH provides resources to prevent and respond to drug overdoses and other outcomes in Virginia. VDH and other state agencies work to improve health outcomes and reduce injury and deaths from drugs, including fentanyl. B. VDH is providing up to $350,000 in funding to one contractor that is familiar and capable of administering the WWS pilot program for fentanyl and norfentanyl. C. Funding will be provided to one contractor to implement a sampling program in up to three sewersheds. All proposals shall at a minimum include a proposal to conduct wastewater sampling for fentanyl and norfentanyl in the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant sewershed. D. Proposals for two sites must also include the Hopewell Wastewater Treatment sewershed. Proposals for three sites must include a site in the Hampton Roads region. Proposals must include sampling of influent to the wastewater treatment plant and three to four sub-sewershed locations serving a population of at least 3,000 people. Offerors will be required to provide an approximate percentage of funding that will be utilized in each sewershed. E. Funds shall not be used for any of the following: wastewater sampling for constituents other than fentanyl and norfentanyl; fund raising; research; legal services; clearinghouses; lobbying. Program Requirements: The specific goal of soliciting proposals for this pilot project is to evaluate the following factors related to wastewater sampling for fentanyl and norfentanyl: 1. Whether grab sampling provides equally reliable results compared to composite samples. 2. Whether the time of day for grab samples significantly impacts sample results. 3. Whether once weekly sampling is equally reliable compared to twice weekly sampling. 4. Assessment of signal loss through the sewer collection system. 5. The feasibility of tracing the country of origin for fentanyl in wastewater. 6. The feasibility to assess per capita fentanyl consumption rates. 7. Review the ability to use collected wastewater data for fentanyl and norfentanyl to inform harm reduction strategies.
