Laboratory
The District made the decision to construct a laboratory on-site
to increase efficiency, quality, and accuracy of sampling and analysis required to meet EPA permit conditions and to monitor and control important treatment processes more effectively.
The lab is certified to performs analysis:
- Under the Clean Water Act:
- Specific conductance
- pH
- Total suspended solids (TSS)
- Volatile suspended solids (VSS)
- Oil and grease (two analysis methods)
- Total solids (TS)
- Ammonia
- Chlorine
- Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
- Chemical oxygen demand (COD)
- Total coliforms
- Fecal coliforms
- Under the Safe Drinking Water Act:
- Total coliform
- Fecal coliform
- Conductivity
- Turbidity
- Chlorine residual
- Other analyses performed by the laboratory:
- Volatile acid
- Alkalinity
- Soluble BOD
- Metals
- Digester gas analysis to determine methane
- Carbon dioxide
- Hydrogen sulfide concentrations
A successful wastewater treatment operation and industrial pretreatment program requires accurate, reliable, and timely laboratory results. The laboratory reports and data must meet the highest degree of scrutiny and be defensible if questioned due to their effect on many process decisions. Good process decision making is enabled by having confidence in the quality and accuracy of laboratory results.
A certified laboratory must perform the analysis to obtain and maintain certifications recognizable by the State and the EPA.
- Requirements for certification include:
- Written standard operating procedures (SOP’s)
- Demonstrate competence
- Audits
- Quality assurance/Quality control procedures
- Inspections by the State Bureau of Laboratory Improvement
The District’s laboratory facility provide many benefits operating an efficient and effective treatment operation.
