NOTICE OF INTENT TO DESIGNATE SINGLE SOURCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EXPRESS

Description of Intended Products or Services Provided:

This purchase includes consumables, custom standards, replacement parts, and repair services for Environmental Express laboratory equipment for testing environmental samples.
HPS-3951-012-100 – Custom Elemental Blend – 100mL
HPS-3951-009-250 – Custom Elemental Blend – 250mL
HPS-3951-010-B-250 – Custom Elemental Blend – 250mL
HPS-3951-011-100 – Custom Elemental Blend – 100mL
HPS-3951-010-A-250 – Custom Elemental Blend – 250mL
HPS-3951-004-B-250 – Custom Elemental Blend – 250mL
HPS-3951-004-A-250 – Custom Elemental Blend – 250mL
UC475-GN - Ultimate Cup - 50mL, Green Cap, 500pk™
SC100/SC154 - HotBlock® - 54 & 36-Position, 50mL & 100mL
F93447MM-X – DoubleWeigh Filters for TSS, 47mm, 100pk
SC505 – Disposable Watch Glass for 50mL Digestion Cups, 1000pk™
TDS100 - StableWeigh TDS Vessel, 100pk

The procurement of specialized laboratory equipment, consumables, standards, and services often sole-sourced to certified manufacturers such as Environmental Express is vital to sustaining uninterrupted operations, maintaining accreditation, and upholding compliance with FDEP and TNI standards. This continued investment enables the laboratory to fulfill its mission of protecting public health and the environment while ensuring transparency, accountability, and trust in the county's environmental management programs.

The laboratory utilizes Environmental Express equipment, including a Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) HotBlock system with controller for nutrient digestions, two Total Phosphorus (TP)/Trace Metals HotBlock digestion systems, a Total Suspended Solids (TSS) three-place manifold system, and a single-place Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) stable weight system. All of these systems were purchased and integrated into our analytical operations as part of long-term capital investments, with a total estimated value of approximately $65,000–$70,000. These instruments are essential for conducting environmental analyses such as Trace Metals, TP, TKN, TDS, and TSS, which are key indicators of water quality and are routinely analyzed to comply with the Clean Water Act, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) regulations, and other environmental monitoring requirements.

To maintain accuracy and method integrity, consumables including high-purity standards, digestion tubes, watch caps, and double-weigh filters must be purchased directly from Environmental Express, as they are specifically designed for compatibility with the existing equipment. Substituting non-certified alternatives could compromise data quality and method performance. These analyses are critical for monitoring nutrient levels and suspended matter in a variety of environmental waters. Elevated concentrations of these pollutants can lead to harmful algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and ecosystem degradation, posing risks to aquatic life and human health. Continued use of Environmental Express consumables ensures reliable, defensible data and supports regulatory compliance, environmental protection, and public health.