REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR CONTRACTUAL SERVICES FORM

RETURN TO:
Department of Environment and Energy
245 Fallbrook Blvd
Lincoln, NE 68521
Phone: (402) 471-2186
Fax: (402) 471-2909

Invitation for 2018 SOURCE WATER PROTECTION PROJECT PROPOSALS The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) is inviting proposals for source water protection projects. Funding is authorized through section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act as administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the NDEQ and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. These funds are a potential source of support for drinking water protection projects in Nebraska. Program overview, grant process, general program information, funding priority, project requirements and format are outlined in the attached guidance. Any questions you may have regarding this invitation must be submitted in writing, or by email to the Source Water Coordinator, to the address below no later than April 13, 2018. All questions and their answers will be posted on the NDEQ website by April 20, 2018. Proposals must be submitted to the NDEQ office in Lincoln by 4:00 PM Monday April 30, 2018. Please direct all questions and requests and proposals to: Source Water Coordinator Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Telephone: (402) 471-2186 Website: http://deq.ne.gov ndeq.moreinfo@nebraska.gov Protecting Drinking Water For Life with the Nebraska State Revolving Fund NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INVITATION FOR SOURCE WATER PROTECTION PROJECT PROPOSALS FUNDING UNDER SECTION 1452 OF THE FEDERAL SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT PROGRAM OVERVIEW ESTIMATED ANNUAL FUNDS $100,000+ ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS Political subdivisions, in Nebraska, that operate a public water system serving a population of 10,000 or less that can show financial hardship with groundwater sources. Hardship eligibility criteria: MHI (Median Household Income) of the political subdivision population must be less or equal to 120% of the statewide MHI reported in the 2008-2012 ACS five-year estimate of $51,381. Applicants that don’t meet the hardship eligibility may submit a financial hardship report to the Department for additional consideration justifying the grant request. To obtain your MHI refer to your community data sheet on the AWIN page of our website: http://deq.ne.gov/NDEQProg.nsf/OnWeb/AWIN ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES Projects that provide long-term benefits to drinking water quality, quantity, and/or education. Eligible projects include: Contaminant source identification – research / investigation. Contaminant pathway removal – includes the closure of abandoned or unused wells. Contaminant removal – pollution prevention and waste reduction Contaminant source management – implementation of best management practices (BMPs), ordinance development, and implementation of a Source Water or Wellhead Protection Plan. Information and education sharing – workshops, brochures, meetings, and media campaigns. Development of a Drinking Water Protection Management Plan which is an alternative to 9-element watershed management plans. These plans will focus on wellhead protection areas. Plans must address implementable groundwater best management practices. (For additional information please refer to the Fact Sheet attached) Required Match 10% of Total Project Cost INELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES Activities related to the operations and maintenance of drinking water systems including: treatment, transmission, distribution, consolidation or storage. Land purchases. Projects that only develop a traditional Source Water or Wellhead Protection Plan and do nothing toward implementation of the plan; these plans should not be confused with a Drinking Water Protection Management Plan. Projects requesting only personnel expenses. Projects geared towards the security aspect of Source Water, such as security fencing and cameras. APPLICATION DEADLINE April 30, 2018 4:00 PM REQUIRED COPY Hand deliver or mail original proposal to the following address. Proposals must be delivered to or received by the NDEQ office in Lincoln on or before 4:00 PM Monday April 30, 2018. Late proposals will be returned. Mail or hand deliver applications to: Source Water Coordinator Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Telephone: (402) 471-2186 Hand deliver: 1200 N Street, Suite 400, The Atrium Lincoln, Nebraska 68508 Mail to: PO Box 98922 Lincoln, NE 68509-8922 Facsimile and email submissions will not be accepted Late proposals will not be accepted Phone 402-471-2186 Toll Free: 877-253-2603 GRANT PROCESS Project proposals will be reviewed by staff at NDEQ, Nebraska Health and Human Services, and representatives of other organizations. Projects recommended by the reviewers will be forwarded to the Director of NDEQ for approval. Timetable: April 13, 2018 All questions regarding this invitation must be received in writing. April 20, 2018 All written questions regarding this invitation and their answers will be posted on the NDEQ website or mailed to potential applicants that specifically request such. April 30, 2018 Proposals, including a DUNS number, must be received at the NDEQ Lincoln office by 4:00 PM of this due date. May 2018 Proposals are reviewed by committee. June 2018 Projects selected and sponsors notified. Funding is made available to begin projects pending approval of a final Work Plan and finalization of a funding agreement. September 2018 Proposals should plan for projects to start no earlier than September 1, 2018 as ALL project funding is dependent on NDEQ’s receipt of the EPA Capitalization Grant. Contracts will not be signed prior to NDEQ receiving funds. Project contract may be signed once funding has been received. GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION Source Water Protection Grants are available for proactive projects geared toward protecting Nebraska’s drinking water supplies by addressing drinking water quality, quantity and/or education. Eligible applicants are political subdivisions in Nebraska that operate a public water system, serving a population of 10,000 or less that can show financial hardship with groundwater sources. Rather than providing the grant to complete one task, it is preferred that grants be provided to help establish and develop comprehensive local source water protection programs, enhance cooperation and education among citizens, local government, businesses, and agricultural producers. Grants can be used for the development of a Wellhead Protection Plan, but only in conjunction with the implementation of pollution prevention tasks. Funding is available to develop Drinking Water Protection Management Plans which are an alternative to 9-element watershed management plans. These plans will be specific to Wellhead Protection Areas. Plans must develop implementable groundwater best management practices. The purpose of this plan is to provide an analytic framework for managing efforts to restore and protect a community’s drinking water. With the development and approval of this plan, communities may be eligible to apply for Clean Water Act section 319 Nonpoint Source Program grants to assist in the implementations of these management practices. **For more information please refer to the Fact Sheet attached. Grants cannot be used for only personnel expenses, to purchase land, or for operations and maintenance activities. In addition, activities specific to the treatment, transmission, distribution, consolidation, or storage of the drinking water system which includes mapping of the water distribution system are not eligible. Examples of projects that have previously been funded can be found on the NDEQ website: http://deq.ne.gov/NDEQProg.nsf/OnWeb/SWPGMain Applicants that receive funding must adhere to EPA’s Subaward Policy, CFR §200.320, which states that procurement of services or supplies of more than $3,000 must obtain price or rate quotations from at least three qualified sources. It is highly recommended to obtain price or quotes prior to application submission to ensure costs remain within project budget and to expedite the start of project work. For additional information on EPA’s Subaward Policy, please visit https://www.epa.gov/grants/grants-policy-issuance-gpi-16-01-epa-subaward-policy-epa-assistance-agreement-recipients Project areas include: Wellhead protection areas - groundwater systems, Officially designated future wellhead protection areas, and Populations served by the community Public Water Supply System.