This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Banff, Alberta. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

The Town of Banff is seeking a qualified consulting team to complete an Impact Assessment on the Town of Banff's groundwater aquifer, water treatment and distribution, and wastewater treatment and distribution systems. The scope of work for the Impact Assessment has been outlined by Parks Canada in the attached Terms of Reference document (Appendix A). The scope of work for the Impact Assessment is outlined in detail in the attached Terms of Reference document provided by Parks Canada (Appendix A). Any proposed deviations from the Terms of Reference will require review and approval by Parks Canada. The project is expected to consist of two core components: A) AQUIFER MODEL: A new history-matched aquifer model incorporating all historical geological/wellbore data, well tests, production data, observation well records, and temperature and precipitation records. The aquifer model should build upon all aspects of earlier aquifer models developed in 1993 and 2003. The Town does not have access to the original model file(s), so it is expected that the new model will need to be built from scratch. The Town will provide all available historical records to support model construction. The ideal 'start date' of the model is 1978 - the first year of production. The aquifer model will be used to evaluate the long-term sustainability of the community's water supply under various consumption forecast scenarios to 2042. These scenarios will necessarily include estimates of the impact of climate change on both recharge (precipitation quantity and timing, temperature, etc.) and consumption (i.e. irrigation, fire suppression, etc.). The aquifer model will also be used to support an evaluation of any historical or future impacts of groundwater extraction on important nearby surface waters including Forty Mile Creek (immediately adjacent to the wells), Whiskey Creek (spring fed, 850 m to the south), Cascade Creek (2.3 km to the northeast), and adjacent wetland areas. The spatial extents of the aquifer model should be carefully chosen to support this analysis. The Town assumes that the aquifer model will be completed using currently available data. Proponents recommending the acquisition of new geological, well test, or observation well data should describe these costs separately from their base proposal/bid. The results of the aquifer modeling should be reported separately from the Impact Assessment itself and be included as an appendix in the final IA documentation (see deliverables, below). Important outcomes of the aquifer model will be discussed in the environmental baseline section of the IA (section 3.0) and will influence the direction and extent of the effects analysis (section 4.0). The aquifer model and draft model report should be complete by April 30, 2022. B) IMPACT ASSESSMENT: The Impact Assessment report will be organized according to the headings and subsections described in section C. of the attached Term of Reference (Appendix A). Sections 1.0 through 3.0 will be completed (in draft) and reviewed with Parks Canada prior to completion of the remaining sections. A key objective of the Impact Assessment is to evaluate any historical or future impacts of groundwater extraction and effluent discharge on the hydrology and ecology on surface waters, including potential impacts to flora and fauna. Interpretations of past and future impacts should be supported by the aquifer model, hydrological flow data from creeks/rivers (from Parks Canada and Environment Canada), field observations and studies (from Parks Canada, and new data as required), and conversations with Parks Canada staff from the Banff Field Unit. Any postulated historical impacts to these water bodies should be incorporated into the environmental baseline description (s.3.1.1.). Future incremental impacts should be summarized in the effects analysis section (s.4.1.1.). A description of the environmental baseline and an evaluation of any future impacts of with respect to soils, vegetation, and wildlife is also required (re: sections 3.1.2, 3.1.3., 3.1.4., 4.1.2., 4.1.3, 4.1.4 of ToR). Separately, the Town is currently completing a new Utilities Master Plan that will cover all of the Town's water and wastewater infrastructure. The purpose of this plan is to evaluate the need for the water infrastructure upgrades over the next decade, considering the effects of population increases on consumption, and the state of existing infrastructure. The results of this project will be shared with the successful proponent. At this time, there are no new water extraction, water treatment, or wastewater treatment infrastructure projects being contemplated. It is therefore expected that the scope of the effects and mitigations analysis (section 4.0) will be focused on the incremental environmental impacts (i.e. beyond those described in the environmental baseline) related to the ongoing operation, maintenance, optimization, and life-cycle replacement of existing physical infrastructure, as well as external factors. These are most likely to be instigated by population/visitation growth, changes in community water consumption patterns, and climate change impacts (hence the need for a robust aquifer model). Work on components A) and B) should proceed in parallel, with a draft of IA sections 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 (introduction, project description, environmental baseline) of the Impact Assessment completed by April 30, 2022. Sections 1.0 through 3.0 of the Impact Assessment will be submitted to Parks Canada for review prior to completing the remainder of the Impact Assessment. It is intended that the scope of work will be completed no later than August 2022, subject to Parks Canada's internal review timelines. The Method of Contractor Selection has not been determined at this time.