Profile and Survey of Laboratory Proficiency Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems Division of Technical Assistance and Outreach Bureau of Water Supply and Wastewater Management October 2003

Purposes of Surveys and Profile 1. Determine level of laboratory proficiency in the regulated community. 2. Identify laboratory proficiency weaknesses and strengths. 3. Compare use and effectiveness of on-site labs verses off-site labs. 4. Determine the possible impacts of the Environmental Lab Accreditation Act (ELAA). 5. Determine the regulated community’s understanding of the ELAA.

Surveys Water Systems Wastewater Systems Environmental Training Partnership Staff 350 sites 10 years of experience Profile Wastewater Systems DEP Regional Staff and system owners 170 systems approximate ratio of prevalence

Findings Water and Wastewater systems have problems with laboratory proficiency. 0%20%40%60%80%100% DNR systems 47% 90 systems 39% 2 systems 1% systems 13% Wastewater

Findings Water and Wastewater systems have problems with laboratory proficiency. 0%20%40%60%80%100% 42 systems 31% 33+ systems 25% 30+ systems 22% systems 20% DNR 2 12DNR 2 systems 2% Water

Findings Laboratory proficiency has identifiable weakness and strengths. Weaknesses Wastewater Sampling and preservation QA/QC Knowledge, skills and abilities BOD-CBOD analysis Ammonia – N analysis Fecal Coliform analysis Strengths Wastewater On-site labs comparable to off-site labs Residual Chlorine analysis Dissolved Oxygen analysis

Findings Laboratory proficiency has identifiable weakness and strengths. Weaknesses Water Sampling and preservation QA/QC Knowledge, skills and abilities Nitrate analysis Fecal Coliform analysis Strengths Water On-site labs comparable to off-site labs Residual Disinfection analysis Turbidity

Findings The Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Act will have minimal impact on: 1. Water systems because existing Chapter 109 provides a laboratory accreditation program. 2. Small wastewater systems because they currently send most of their analyses to private laboratories. 3. Large to medium large wastewater systems because many have fully staffed and equipped laboratories that will have no problems meeting ELAA requirements. The Environmental Accreditation Act will have an moderate impact on: 1. Wastewater systems having flows greater than 100,000 to 1 mgd. 2. Half the wastewater systems having flows greater than 1 mgd to 5 mgd.

Alkalinity Ammonia-N BOD/CBOD Color Conductivity Dissolved Oxygen Fecal Coliform Flow Foam Nitrate Odor Sheen Sludge Vol. Index Solids Solids (Settleable) Sulfite Temperature Turbidity Volatile Acids Ortho-phosphate Oxidation Reduction Pot. pH Residual Disinfection Conc. Current provider of analysis for systems with less than 100,000 gallons On-site Analysis Off-site Analysis

Analysis that would be done off-site as the result of the Environmental Lab Accreditation Act (most common) Ammonia -N BOD/CBOD Fecal Coliform Solids < 100, ,000 mgd to1 mgd 1 mgd to 5 mgd > 5 mgd All size systems Solids Fecal Coliform BOD/CBOD Ammonia -N BOD/CBOD Solids Fecal Coliform Note: data doesn’t support responses

Findings The smaller the wastewater system, the less the regulated community understands the requirements and impacts of the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Act. Impact on Operations and Personnel