EPA - Southeast Missouri Water Treatment Systems & Services - MRAS

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the General Services Administration (GSA), is conducting market research to address groundwater contamination issues in Southeast Missouri. The contract focuses on providing safe, alternative water sources to properties affected by contaminated wells due to historic lead mining activities in the region. The overarching goal of this initiative is to mitigate health risks associated with heavy metal contamination, particularly lead, arsenic, cadmium, barium, and chromium. This project spans across Washington, Jefferson, St. Francois, and Madison Counties in Missouri.

The scope of work involves several critical tasks aimed at ensuring safe drinking water for affected communities. Initially, the contractor will replace existing bottled water services with Point-of-Use (POU) water treatment systems for residences identified as having contaminated well water. This includes installing new POU systems at additional residences as they are identified and collecting post-treatment samples to evaluate the effectiveness of these systems over time. The contractor will also be responsible for ongoing maintenance tasks such as replacing filters and repairing faulty POU systems.

In addition to installation and maintenance efforts, the contractor must engage with residents to secure access agreements for system installations and address any concerns or questions they may have regarding the process or results of water analysis. All data collected during this project must be accurately entered into an EPA database for tracking purposes. Regular reporting on project progress is essential for meeting EPA's acceptance criteria for all plans and actions undertaken.

This effort forms part of a broader EPA initiative under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) aimed at addressing environmental hazards posed by legacy mining operations in Southeast Missouri's Old Lead Belt region. By focusing exclusively on residential properties including homes, daycares, child high-use areas, and recreational spaces the project seeks to protect vulnerable populations from exposure to harmful contaminants found in groundwater supplies.