Westernport Ranges Water | WRW-2026-114
Groundwater & Surface Water Quality Monitoring Services, 2027–2030. Revision 1, 19 October 2026.
S1. Purpose and baseline quantities
WRW requires a reproducible programme that identifies changes in receiving-water quality and distinguishes credible trends from sampling or analytical artefacts. The consultant shall plan, sample, arrange analysis, validate data, explain exceptions and provide practical interpretation. The baseline network comprises 38 groundwater bores sampled quarterly and 12 surface-water sites sampled monthly. This represents 152 bore visits and 144 surface-water visits in each complete service year, before quality-control samples, and 608 and 576 visits respectively over four years. Do not treat the surface-water programme as quarterly.
Sites are distributed across three operating clusters within approximately 150 km of Box Hill. Codes GW01–GW38 and SW01–SW12 are stable identifiers. For planning, bores have nominal depths of 8–35 m and all-weather vehicle access, although wet ground can prevent access after rainfall. Four bores, GW07, GW14, GW26 and GW33, have below-ground access chambers subject to confined-space controls. No uncontrolled chamber entry is authorised. Detailed coordinates and induction access arrangements will be provided after award; tenderers should base their response on these stated conditions rather than invent site-specific measurements.
S2. Mobilisation and programme
Within ten business days of commencement submit a sampling and analysis plan, contact tree, annual work calendar, equipment register and site risk assessment framework. Agree the first January round at mobilisation. Groundwater rounds occur in February, May, August and November, with no more than a five-business-day shift without written approval. Surface-water rounds occur in the second full working week of each month where safe conditions permit. Notify WRW promptly of access delays and agree a recovery date; a dry bore or unsafe site must be recorded, never silently omitted.
The Project Manager is WRW's routine contact and attends a monthly progress call. Provide a two-person field team, leave coverage, a nominated technical reviewer and an escalation arrangement for unexpected results. Anticipated pollution, unsafe conditions or materially unusual results must be telephoned to WRW's nominated operational contact as soon as practicable on identification, followed by a written record that day. The final data deadline does not delay this notification.
S3. Field sampling and analytical work
Sampling shall follow the applicable parts of AS/NZS 5667, with the selected parts, editions and departures documented in the sampling and analysis plan. Explain groundwater stabilisation criteria, low-flow or other justified purging arrangements, water-level measurement, sample preservation, decontamination and chain of custody. Surface-water collection must describe representative sampling position, avoidance of disturbed sediment, weather observations and safe access. Record field pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and turbidity using calibrated meters. Record groundwater levels against the established reference point before purging.
The baseline laboratory suite for both matrices is major ions, dissolved metals, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrate/nitrite and ammonia. Surface-water samples additionally require E. coli; groundwater requires alkalinity. Include bottles, preservation, filtration where applicable, analytical holding-time management and a documented process for results outside the laboratory's accredited scope. The proposed laboratory must be NATA-accredited for the relevant tests and matrices. Accreditation of an organisation alone is insufficient if the required method is excluded. Any substitute method requires prior written acceptance.
Include at least one field duplicate per ten primary samples in each matrix, rounded up within each round, equipment blanks where reusable equipment contacts samples, and appropriate transport blanks where justified by the analytical method. The plan must state acceptance criteria and response to failures. Maintain calibration records, signed chain-of-custody forms and sample receipt temperature records. WRW expects transparent qualification of rejected or suspect data, not deletion of inconvenient results. Repeat work caused by the consultant's avoidable handling error is at the consultant's cost.
S4. Data format and delivery
Deliver validated field and laboratory data in WRW's EQuIS-compatible electronic data deliverable format within ten business days of each sampling event. For this contract an event is one completed site visit; rolling uploads are required if a round spans several days. A business day excludes Victorian public holidays and weekends. A slower laboratory turnaround is the consultant's responsibility to resolve and does not reset the clock. Supply associated laboratory reports and a validation and exception log with each upload.
For tender planning, the WRW import comprises linked CSV tables: Location (LocationID, matrix), Sample (SampleID, LocationID, collection datetime with time zone, sample type, depth and units), Result (SampleID, analyte code, method, result, unit, detection limit and qualifier), and Field (SampleID, parameter, value, unit and calibration reference). Dates use ISO 8601; retain non-detect qualifiers and never substitute zero for a non-detect. Use the exact WRW site codes and documented analyte mappings. A test schema will be agreed at mobilisation. Describe pre-upload validation, duplicate detection, correction history and one test import before the first production submission.
S5. Reporting and acceptance
Provide a short monthly exception summary and an annual interpretive report for each calendar year. Annual reports are due on the last business day of January following the reporting year; the 2030 report is due 31 January 2031. Include completeness against the sampling plan, QA/QC performance, hydrochemical context, seasonal and spatial trends, appropriate comparisons with agreed assessment criteria, limitations and prioritised recommendations. Do not imply an exceedance proves causation. A Senior Hydrogeologist, or a suitably experienced Principal Hydrogeologist nominated to perform that role, must review the groundwater interpretation.
WRW will review routine submissions within five business days and annual reports within ten. Correct consultant errors within five business days of notification while retaining a version history. Acceptance depends on complete, traceable records and usable imports; delivery of a PDF laboratory report alone is insufficient. WRW may request a brief presentation of annual findings to its operations and environment staff.
S6. Safety, environment and personnel
Comply with applicable Victorian occupational health and safety duties, the Environment Protection Act 2017 (Vic) and relevant environmental controls. Although this RFT uses WHS as an umbrella heading, Victorian OHS terminology and obligations apply. Prepare site-specific safe work arrangements addressing traffic, uneven banks, water contact, manual handling, lone work prevention, heat, bushfire conditions, livestock and decontamination. Stop work where conditions exceed the assessment. Carry spill response materials and manage purge water and disposable equipment to avoid spreading contamination or aquatic weeds.
Every deployed field worker must hold current first aid. Workers assigned to the four chamber sites must also hold a current confined-space ticket, supported by training records meeting WRW's two-year refresher rule. The ticket does not replace permits, atmospheric assessment, rescue planning or competent supervision. Tenderers must provide the nominated team's training evidence or identify gaps and a credible rectification plan before mobilisation; these operational requirements are distinct from the corporate pass/fail gates. No worker may attend a relevant site without the required current credentials.
S7. Boundaries and change control
The baseline excludes new bore construction, remediation, continuous telemetry, ecological surveys and emergency spill response. Identify separate resources and written approval for any requested additional work. Price the baseline in Schedule H, including laboratory services, travel, quality-control samples, data validation and reporting. WRW will provide authorised site access and available historical datasets after award. The consultant must identify limitations in those records rather than assume that historical gaps can be reconstructed.