33 Miss. Code R. § 15-E
INTRODUCTION
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH), Bureau of Public Water Supply (Department), will use the Small System Technical Assistance Set-Aside & Local Assistance and Other State Programs Set-aside of the DWSRF EC in an Emerging Contaminants Testing Program. The program will be surveying the State's drinking water system to identify, plan, and assist water systems in testing their system to identify emerging contaminants for treatment projects. Emerging contaminants are defined as those listed on EPA's Contaminant Candidate Lists (CCL1- CCL5).
SELECTION PROCESS
The contract for coordination of the program will run on a State Fiscal Year Basis. A contract is currently being developed in accordance with State contracting requirements.
A Request for Qualifications will be advertised statewide. Qualifications received will be reviewed by the Department to select the best qualified candidate for the agency. Recommendations for award of a contract will be presented to the Board at their regularly scheduled Board meeting; following authorization by the Board, the coordination contract will be awarded.
PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
The state will use the Small Systems Technical Assistance (up to 2%) set-aside from the BIL EC FFY-2022 Cap Grant to provide funding for EC Test to ultra small systems serving a population of 300 or less. With approval by the Board, the state intends to use this set-aside to fund a contract for providing professional services to water systems with a population of less than 300. This assistance with will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis to water systems serving a population of 300 or less.
The state intends to use the first 10% of the 15% set-aside amount which is allowed from the FFY-2022 BIL EC Cap grant to provide funding for sampling for PFAS for water systems with population less than 1,000 but greater than 300 that are not currently required to sample for UCMR-5.
The state intends to use the remaining 5% of the 15% set-aside amount which is allowed from the FFY-2022 EC Cap grant to provide funding for sampling for PFAS for water systems with population less than 3,300 and greater than or equal to 1,000 that are not currently required to sample for UCMR-5.
With approval by the Board, the state intends to use this set-aside to fund contract(s) for providing professional services for EC testing to water systems of three separate size categories: A.) ultra-small systems serving a population of 300 or less B.) very small systems serving a population of less than 1,000 and greater than or equal to 300 and C.) small systems serving a population of less than 3,300 and greater than or equal to 1,000. This assistance will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis to water systems serving a population that falls within these categories.
The activities described herein will be accomplished through a four-part process: identification of testing projects from our priority list and/or communication with the Program's Project Management Staff or the Department's Regional Engineers; communication with public water supply; mobilization of contractor to identified site to develop plans and perform testing; and confirmation that the work has been performed.
Identification - The contractor will survey our priority list and/or communication with the Program's Project Management Staff or the Department's Regional Engineers while identifying the proper set-aside category to fund the potential testing.
Communication - Staff from the contractor will meet with system officials to inform them of the program, explain what Emerging Contaminants Testing looks like for their system, and encourage them to take advantage of funding through our program.
Mobilization - Once the communication phase has been completed and the system request to move forward, staff of the contractor will mobilize to the selected site and commence with the plan and testing of the System's drinking water. Acceptable methods of testing will be determined and outlined by the Department then communicated to the contractor.
Confirmation - Staff of the contractor will provide the Program's Project Management staff with results and recommendations for an Emerging Contaminants Treatment Project.
SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETING ACTIVITIES
The schedule for completing Emerging Contaminants Testing Program activities under this work plan will be the schedule established by set contractual dates.
AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Program will be monitoring contractors throughout the process to ensure effective completion of contractual assignments.
EVALUATION PROCESS TO ASSESS THE SUCCESS OF SET-ASIDE ACTIVITIES
The success of these set-asides will be defined by the ability of the MSDH through the solicited contractor(s) to identify, plan, and assist water systems in Emerging Contaminants Testing that lead to Emerging Contaminants Treatment Projects to create safer drinking water for all consumers of Mississippi's drinking water.
33 Miss. Code. R. § 15-E