Civil 4 - Freeman School TCE Removal

Center for Engineering Design and Entrepreneurship

Civil Engineering Department Student Project

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Project Title

REMOVAL OF CARBON TETRACHLORIDE (CCl₄) FOR FREEMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT WATER SUPPLY

Due Wednesday, October 2, 2013

 

CEDE - Civil Engineering requests a student project proposal for the following project:

 

DESIGN OF AN EFFECTIVE AND FEASIBLE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM TO REMOVE CCl₄ CONTAMINANTS FROM FREEMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT WATER.

 

SUMMARY INFORMATION

Due October 2, 2013, before 4:00 PM PST

 

One digital copy in pdf format and one hard copy of proposal must be submitted.

 

Location for Proposal Delivery:      

 

Toni Boggan,

Academic  Director, CEDE

Gonzaga University School of Engineering and Applied Science,

PACCAR 214, Spokane, WA 99258.

509-313-3913

Boggan@gonzaga.edu

 

 

Project Sponsor

The sponsor of this project is:

 

David Evans & Associates

908 N Howard St, #300

Spokane, WA 99201

Phone:(509) 327-8697.

 

Project Description:

The CEDE - Civil Engineering Department is requiring a proposal from the group of student engineers to provide comprehensive engineering efforts related to the development of a technology that will improve water quality in the Freeman School. Engineering activities will include elements of civil and environmental engineering. The student team is expected to research existing literature and compare design alternatives so that effectiveness, cost, manufacturability, appropriateness of technologies, and overall compatibility with the project goals can be used to select the most desirable solutions.

 

Tasks will include, but are not limited to the following:

 

1.         Project Literature Review:

The project team will review existing literature to obtain data to base designs and evaluation of design alternative upon.

 

2.         Collect Project Information:

The team will investigate the data range of voltages and a way to adjust the voltage output of the TEG cell.

 

3.         Water Treatment System Design:

The project team will investigate at least three alternatives and select a preferred design for a system that effectively meets the regulatory requirements and owner’s needs. 

 

4.         Treatment System Evaluation:

The team will evaluate the performance and cost of the alternatives and preferred design.

 

The project will also require the implementation of project management techniques in the completion of the engineering efforts, including interaction with the project sponsor, Freeman School staff, liaisons, project advisors, monitoring efforts and progress, updating the project schedule preparing status reports, gathering information required for design and from appropriate regulatory agencies.

 

Students will be responsible to make required presentations of the project activities with the owner (Freeman School).

 

EVALUATION PROCESS

The proposal evaluation process will be determined by the project advisor in conjunction with the CEDE, the project sponsor, and the CEDE Design Advisory Board. It will be based on the organization of the project efforts reflected in the proposal and the educational goals achieved in the completion of the proposal. Note that some efforts in the project are oriented to achieve educational goals that are not required to achieve the project sponsors goals.

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

For the Freeman School District, their drinking water comes from one well. The water system does not have an emergency water source and the nearest public water system is located about three miles north of the Freeman School.

 

The school’s well is contaminated with carbon tetrachloride at levels that exceed the 5 micrograms per liter (ug/L) maximum contaminant level (MCL), as measured in both spring of 2008 and spring of 2012. The levels of carbon tetrachloride in the school’s well range from non-detect (less than 0.05 ug/L) to 7.78 ug/L. Carbon tetrachloride is a known carcinogen.  EPA banned its use in pesticides in the 1980s and in CFC production in 1990. It is still used as an industrial solvent and degreaser.

 

In May 2012, the School District tested a nearby residential well as a potential new water source and discovered carbon tetrachloride in this well at 48.1 ug/L. The School District informed Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and DOH referred the site to the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). Ecology completed an initial site investigation under the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) in August 2012, but was unable to identify the source of contamination. Ecology will refer the site to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to further investigate groundwater contamination in the area.

 

PROJECT INFORMATION AVAILABLE

Sponsor and liaison have existing information dealing with the project. That information will be made available to the project team after project selection.

 

The project team will be using only this RFP and publicly available information to properly prepare the project proposal.

 

STUDENT PROJECT ACTIVITIES REQUIRED

The student project group will, at a minimum, provide the following efforts and deliverables in the completion of the project addressed in this proposal:

 

Scope of Activities Required to Meet Project Goals

 

Task 100                                Project Management and Coordination Activities

The student group shall organize, manage and coordinate the efforts required to accomplish the project using standard project management and contract administration techniques. Key management activities are identified below:

 

            Sub-Task 100.1                    Kick-off Meeting

The Student Team will conduct a kickoff meeting with their project advisor and sponsor liaison to gain familiarity for the project and to solicit input, gather available data and information.

 

            Sub-Task 100.2                    Routine Progress Review Meetings

Routine progress-review meetings will be conducted on a regular basis as follows:

a.      Weekly progress reports are required and are to be submitted electronically to the advisor by 5:00 pm each Thursday. Weekly progress reports must include, at a minimum, activities completed by each team member for the current week, expected work for the upcoming week, and updates to the project design budget and schedule.

b.      In addition, a complete hardcopy record of the project reports and files must be maintained by the student team and be made readily available during consultations with the advisor. Typical method would be a project notebook. The advisor and liaison will ask to review this notebook periodically to discover the status of the work being completed.

 

            Sub-Task 100.3                    Regular Advisor and Liaison Meetings

After the kick-off meeting, the Student Team will meet weekly with the project advisor, and will also meet when needed with the project liaisons. All meetings with advisor and liaison’s MUST be arranged by members of the Student Team in advance (at least 2 days prior) and include a proposed meeting agenda sent to the advisor or liaison prior (at least 2 days) to the meeting. All meetings must be documented by the Student Team in the form of meeting minutes with copies distributed within 3 days of the meeting to all team members and the project advisor and liaison’s, as above.

 

      Sub-Task 100.4        Project Schedule / WBS /Gantt Chart and Budget

The Student Team will develop a project schedule that identifies durations and timing of work activities. A Gantt chart will be required and a determination of the critical path.

 

      Sub-Task 100.5        Project Organization

The Student Team will assign leads for each project scope of work task and major sub-task to ensure project work is spread equally and can be performed on a timely basis.

 

Sub-Task 100.6        Quality Assurance/Quality Control

The Student Team will perform a methodical QA/QC effort in a manner suitable to the project advisor and liaison, to prevent incorrect, sub-standard or dangerous results from being included in the end of semester project reports.

 

Task 100 Deliverables

• Electronic copy of agenda for team meetings.
• Electronic updates to project design budget and schedule that includes budget and personnel hours for each sub-task in the entire project.
• Electronic copy of resolutions and action items for each meeting.
• Electronic copy of the schedule.
• Electronic copy of Student Team roles and responsibilities.
• Statement on the QA/QC activities for reports submitted at the end of each semester to describe the review and checking procedure employed.

 

Task 200                                Project Data Collection

Work collaboratively with project staff and other reliable sources to develop pertinent project data suitable for design. Data include CCl₄ concentrations, flow rates of water used by the school, and flow rates used for irrigation purposes. Proposal submitted is to identify data needs and collection methods for project.

 

            Sub-Task 200.1                    Literature Review

The Student Team will perform a thorough literature review to form the basis of design and modification to the project equipment. Topics will include at least removal treatment technologies and CCl₄ carcinogenic pathways (consumption and/or contact).

 

            Sub-Task 200.2                    Review Water Samples and Water Quality Data

The Student Team will review water sample and water quality data to provide a basis for assessing different approaches for removing CCl₄ from the water.

 

            Sub-Task 200.3                    Review Regulations

The Student Team will identify regulatory requirements to ensure treatment meets requirements.

 

Task 200 Deliverables

• Electronic copy of literature, data and mapping, reports or surveys completed for the project and to be included in the project report.
• Bibliographic references and annotations for significant literature used, suitable for use in conference publication.
• Provide appropriate written summary of regulations that would apply to the project.

 

 

 

Task 300                                Project Design Efforts

The student team will develop alternative ideas for treating the water based on the project data gathering task. The designs will include sizing analyses; mass balance and flow balance evaluations; drawings, plans or sketches; and descriptions of each alternative and issues affecting operation. The specifics will be determined by the team in the project proposal.

 

Task 300 Deliverables

• Electronic copy of alternative descriptions.

 

Task 400                                Project Evaluation Criteria

Determine appropriate constraints for the project to be used to evaluate how each alternative meets Freeman School District goals.

 

Task 400 Deliverables

•  Provide appropriate written summary of Evaluation Criteria and how they would apply to the project.

 

Task 500                                Project Costs  

The student team will develop cost estimates for constructing and operating the alternative designs.

 

Task 500 Deliverables

•  Provide appropriate written summary of cost estimates.

 

Task 600                                Project Sustainability Evaluation

The Student Team will evaluate the sustainability of each identified design alternative. The focus will be on the energy needed to construct and then operate each alternative.

 

Task 600 Deliverables

• Provide appropriate written discussion of the sustainability of each design alternative.

 

Task 700                                Select Preferred Alternative

The Student Team will utilize the information developed in the previous tasks to determine which alternative best provides the Freeman School District with “clean” water.

 

Task 700 Deliverables

• Provide appropriate written discussion of the Evaluation Criteria scoring, costs, and sustainability that provided the basis for identifying the preferred alternative.

 

Task 800                                Project Reports, Publications and Presentations

The project team is required to prepare a final report suitable for the CEDE.

 

Task 800 Deliverables

•  Reports, publications and presentations in electronic format in a timely manner.

 

 

PROJECT SCHEDULE

Timeliness of project completion is critical. The project schedule contains some specific milestones and also must accommodate the academic calendar.

 

The student group will use the general dates below to develop the comprehensive schedule required for the proposal.

 

Information on Proposals Available:                                   September 4, 2013

Teams Selected:                                                                   September 6, 2013

Sponsor Workshop                                                               September 11, 2013

Civil CEDE Mandatory All Student/Advisor Meeting        September 18, 2013

Labor Day                                                                              September 27, 2013

Proposals Due Date                                                             October 2, 2013

Founder’s Day Holiday / Midterms                         October 21, 2013

Roundtable Project 30 % Progress Meeting                     October 30, 2013

Thanksgiving Holiday                                                           November 27 – 29, 2013

Project Status Presentation 50% Progress                       December 11, 2013

Project Status Report Due                                                   December 13, 2013

Reading Days                                                                       December 14 – 16, 2013

Classes Begin                                                                       January 14, 2014

Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday                                           January 20, 2014

President's Day Holiday                                                       February 17, 2014

Roundtable 60% Progress Meeting / Social                     February 19, 2014

Spring Vacation                                                                    March 10 – 14, 2014

Good Friday – Easter Holiday                                             April 18 – April 21, 2014

Final Reports Due                                                                 April 25, 2014

Final Design Presentation                                                   April 30, 2014

 

PROJECT BUDGET

The student group will include a budget that details the costs of completing the project design tasks. This budget is not the “engineers estimate” to complete the implementation of the design; it is the costs to perform the engineering tasks and does not include the value of project team personnel hours. This requirement is also implied and contained in Task 100, but is also highlighted here.