How to bid on Water Quality Surveillance and Response System for WSSC

What WSSC is buying and why it matters

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is looking for a consultant to help with its drinking water contamination preparedness, surveillance, and response programs. This work is part of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Surveillance and Response System (SRS) framework.

The consultant will provide technical expertise to review and improve WSSC's current systems. This includes online water quality monitoring, customer complaint surveillance, laboratory confirmation, and consequence management procedures. Services will cover contaminant prioritization, risk assessment, evaluating monitoring technologies, developing standard operating procedures, and supporting training and exercises for the Contamination Rapid Response Team.

This contract supports ongoing and future initiatives to expand monitoring, improve data analytics, enhance response procedures, and strengthen preparedness for potential drinking water contamination events. Work will be assigned through individual task orders.

Key dates and what happens at the deadline

The solicitation was published on September 04, 2026. All responses must be submitted by October 05, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET. Responses submitted after this time will not be accepted.

Who this opportunity suits

This opportunity is suitable for consulting firms with expertise in water quality, environmental protection, security, and emergency response planning, specifically related to drinking water contamination. Firms should have experience with EPA's Surveillance and Response System framework and be able to provide technical support for monitoring, risk assessment, procedure development, and training.

The work involves providing services on a task order basis, meaning individual assignments will be issued as needed, defining the scope, schedule, staffing, and compensation for each task.

How to respond to this solicitation

To access the solicitation and submit your response, you need to go to WSSC's eProcurement Portal on OpenGov Procurement. The first time you visit, there might be a brief security check.

Once on the project page, you will need to sign in or create a free vendor account. This account allows you to download plans, ask questions, join the planholders list, and submit your response. Any addenda notices will be sent through OpenGov, so it is important to be registered.

Practical tips for a competitive response

Carefully review all solicitation documents to understand the full scope of services required for WSSC's water quality surveillance and response programs. Pay close attention to the specific areas of technical expertise requested, such as contaminant prioritization, monitoring technologies, and procedure development.

Highlight your firm's experience with similar projects, especially those involving EPA frameworks or other public utilities. Provide concrete examples of how your expertise has led to improved water quality, enhanced preparedness, or more efficient response systems.

Since work will be assigned via task orders, consider how you will demonstrate flexibility and responsiveness in your proposal. Emphasize your ability to quickly mobilize resources and adapt to varying project scopes and timelines. Clearly outline your proposed staffing and how their qualifications align with the technical demands of the project.