Request for Proposals: Quantifying Performance of Source Water Protection Measures

Deadline: 14-Nov-23

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is accepting proposals for quantifying the performance of source water protection measures to improve utilities’ decision making project.

Project Objectives

• To advance source water protection and watershed-level point and non-point source pollution prevention, interception, and remediation strategies and to quantify the costs and benefits by focusing on high-priority situations.
• To identify and prioritize performance measures for both point and non-point source pollution that need to be applied to different protection activities to assess the economic value, return on investment, value of ecosystem services, as well as operational, water quality and quantity, and ecological outcomes.
• To develop a framework for measurement of these performance metrics at local, regional, and watershed scales.
• To provide clear and robust guidance to help utilities (a) identify targeted areas for source water protection that are relevant to their core business, (b) implement meaningful strategies and options based on current understanding of performance, and (c) prioritize meaningful performance measurement of interventions at the watershed scale.

Budget

• Applicants may request up to $200,000 in WRF funds for this project.
• Project Duration: The anticipated period of performance for this project is 24 months from the contract start date. The submission of one open access peer-reviewed journal paper can go beyond the project end date.

Expected Deliverables

• A stand-alone comprehensive literature synthesis document, including annotations for the list of publications and resources used.
• A user-friendly utility-facing guidance document that includes:
  • SWP performance quantification methodologies and a synthesis of utility case studies across different geographic regions and utility sizes in North America.
  • A chapter on PFAS issues from a utility SWP perspective.
  • A chapter and supporting technical appendix that summarizes the knowledge gaps, research needs, and preliminary project concepts for recommended future research projects, including recommended means to address those remaining gaps.
• A utility-focused invitation-only virtual workshop for peer-to-peer information exchange and identification of future research needs, along with workshop planning and all supporting materials (e.g., agenda, presentations, meeting notes, and workshop summary).
• Broader outreach:
  • Webcast.
  • One submitted open access peer-reviewed journal paper.
  • Additional outreach products as applicable (such as conference presentations).

Eligibility Criteria

• Proposals will be accepted from both U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based entities, including educational institutions, research organizations, governmental agencies, and consultants or other for-profit entities.
• Researchers who are late on any ongoing WRF-sponsored studies without approved no-cost extensions are not eligible to be named participants in any proposals.
• WRF encourages participation from water utilities and other organizations in WRF research. Participation can occur in a variety of ways, including direct participation, in-kind contributions, or in-kind services.

For more information, visit WRF.