PFAS Risk Screening Project Phase 4 – GIS Model Refinement and Application

Tender description

This Contract is for the project titled GIS Model Refinement & Application. This project is one of six work packages under the overarching PFAS Risk Screening Project which is now entering Phase 4. The wider PFAS Risk Screening Project, aims to assess and tackle the risks arising from a group of “forever chemicals” which are contaminating soil, groundwater and surface waters and also pose a risk to human health. These chemicals are causing a global pollution problem. And the nature and scale of the problem in the UK is only now being fully realised. Lot 1: Previous phases of the project have led to the development of a high-level risk screening model. This multi-layered GIS model helps to identify potential problem zones across England using a multi-criteria analytical approach to evaluate risk. The model allocates scores based on respective weightings applied to key criteria – all designed around the source-pathway-receptor type strategy. Based on the outputs of the model, and our growing understanding of the nature and extent of the PFAS problem, under Phase 4 we intend to focus on specific facilities and zones of concern to both validate the model and target resource. The focus of this work package is GIS Model Refinement & Application. The overarching objective is to continue to build on the outputs of the preceding phases, to act on recommendations and to refine, enhance and update the GIS model. This will be achieved using internal and external datasets and information gained from wider research and related projects. This work package includes the continued hosting of the model on a Jacobs’ platform for the duration of this project, until a time when it can be transferred onto EA systems. The model has been designed to identify higher risk zones of PFAS impact across the Country. An added component to this work package is the evaluation of the outputs from the model with a focus on patterns and clusters of higher risk sites. To be followed by subsequent interpretation of the data highlighting any such zones of concern, endeavouring to present a hypothesis and obtain evidence for these findings and to recommend further actions to better understand the local nature and scale of the problem. Also, to provide a risk ranking on a regional basis to facilitate future regulatory focus under the appropriate regime.