TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 5, 2008
COMMITTEE ON PURCHASING
Mr. Richard Lanyon, General Superintendent
Title
Authority to increase purchase order with the University of Illinois at Chicago under the University of Illinois Master Agreement, to conduct an epidemiological study of recreational use of the Chicago Area Waterways, in an amount of $4,328,610.00, from an amount of $3,754,451.00, to an amount not to exceed $8,083,061.00, Account 401-50000-601170, Purchase Order 3044368 (Deferred at the June 5, 2008 Board Meeting)
Body
Dear Sir:
On April 19, 2007, the Board of Commissioners (Board) passed an order authorizing the Purchasing Agent to issue Purchase Order (PO) 3044368 to the University of Illinois at Chicago to conduct an epidemiological study of recreational use of the Chicago Area Waterways (CAWs), in the vicinity of the following locations: North Side Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), Calumet WRP, Lake Michigan and the Skokie Lagoons. This project is also known as the Chicago Health, Environmental Exposure and Recreation Study or CHEERS. The project will continue through December 31, 2009.
The purpose of this study is to verify the results of the microbial risk assessment study which was conducted as part of the IEPA’s Use Attainability Analysis and to observe the incidence of gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal illnesses that occur in conjunction with actual recreational contact with the CAWs. The IEPA released a draft of bacterial water quality standards that is questionable and may be more restrictive than necessary to provide the level of protection to CAWs recreational users required by the USEPA. Therefore, the results of the epidemiological study will provide a complete and more realistic scientific assessment of the health risks that recreational users face while using the CAWs; it will also enable the IEPA to develop science-based bacterial water quality criteria that will adequately fulfill the characterized level of protection for CAWs users required by the USEPA.
The additional funding of $4,328,610.00 will cover the following objectives under this project:
1. To substantially expand recruiting efforts by hiring more recruiters to find more recreational users, (swimmers and boaters, etc.) to participate in the study.
2. To include additional measures of water quality and health as recommended by the external scientific review and advisory board of the Water Environment Research Foundation.
3. To better characterize water exposure among secondary contact recreators.
The change order is in compliance with the Illinois Criminal Code since this increase is due to circumstances not reasonably foreseeable, and is in the best interest of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
It is hereby requested that the Board authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute a change order to increase the PO, in an amount of $4,328,610.00 (115.3 percent of the current project value), from an amount of $3,754,451.00 to an amount not to exceed $8,083,061.00.
Funds are available in Account 401-50000-601170, Bond Fund.
Requested, Louis Kollias, Director of Research and Development, LK:WJS:MPC:KB:bk
Recommended, Darlene A. LoCascio, Purchasing Agent
Respectfully Submitted, Barbara J. McGowan, Chairman Committee on Purchasing
ORDERED passed by affirmative roll call vote of a majority of the Commissioners present this June 5, 2008. Approved, President Terrence J. O’Brien