Environmental monitoring other than for construction

Tender description

The EPA’s Office of evidence and assessment undertakes biological monitoring of rivers and lakes in fulfilment of the needs of the water framework directive monitoring programme (Directive 2000/60/EC) and other directives as required. The EPA is seeking technical assistance with the undertaking of some of its rivers and lakes monitoring and assessment work on an annual basis to supplement the EPA’s own monitoring resources. Under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2000/60/EC), the types of water bodies requiring assessment include rivers, lakes, groundwater and transitional and coastal waters. The objective of the directive is to prevent any further deterioration in status of surface waters, groundwater and water dependent ecosystems and to restore polluted waterbodies to at least ‘good status’. Under national legislation, the EPA is responsible for the preparation of a national WFD monitoring programme to assess achievement of the objectives of the directive. Under Lot 1, the personnel required must have significant experience in sampling and identification of live invertebrate specimens to a level suitable for Q value assessment and/or suitable for assessments requiring species level identifications. Experience is also required in the identification of macrophytes and macroalgae, phytobenthos phytobenthos sampling and river hydromorphological assessment. Techn Under Lot 2, the personnel required must have significant experience in the sampling and identification of aquatic macroalgae and macrophytes to a level suitable for river assessments such as Leafpacs 2, lake assessments such as the Free Macrophyte Index and as required under the Habitats Directive.