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Home My WebLink About#5233 10 INSPECTION REPORT ROUTING SHEET To be attached to all inspection reports in-house only. Laboratory Cert. #: 5233 Laboratory Name: Town of Sparta WWTP Inspection Type: Field Maintenance Inspector Name(s): Ramon L. Cook Inspection Date: January 27, 2010 Date Report Completed: February 11, 2010 Date Forwarded to Reviewer: February 11, 2010 Reviewed by__ Tony Hatcher__________________ Date Review Completed: February 12, 2010 ___________ Cover Letter to use: Insp. Initial X Insp. Reg. Insp. No Finding Insp. CP Unit Supervisor: Dana Satterwhite Date Received: February 16, 2010 Date Forwarded to Alberta: February 16, 2010 Date Mailed: February 17, 2010 _____________________________________________________________________ On-Site Inspection Report LABORATORY NAME: Town of Sparta WWTP NPDES PERMIT #: NC0026913 ADDRESS: 140 River Road Sparta, NC 28675 CERTIFICATE #: 5233 DATE OF INSPECTION: January 27, 2010 TYPE OF INSPECTION: Field Maintenance AUDITOR(S): Ramon L. Cook LOCAL PERSON(S) CONTACTED: Bobby Shaw I. INTRODUCTION: This laboratory was inspected to verify its compliance with the requirements of 15A NCAC 2H .0800 for the analysis of environmental samples. II. GENERAL COMMENTS: The facility has all the equipment necessary to perform the analyses. Technical Assistance documents were provided for all certified parameters at the time of the inspection. Some additional quality control procedures are needed. III. FINDINGS, REQUIREMENTS, COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: pH - Standard Methods, 18th Edition, 4500 H+ B Temperature - Standard Methods, 18th Edition, 2550 B A. Finding: The temperature correction factor is not posted on the meter. Requirement: The temperature sensor in the meter must be checked at least once every 12 months against a NIST certified or NIST traceable thermometer and the process documented even if the instrument is not used for reporting temperature results. The temperature correction (even if it is zero) must be posted on the meter as well as in hard copy format (to be retained for 5 years). The meter temperature reading must be less than 1ºC from the NIST certified or NIST traceable thermometer reading. Ref: Technical Assistance for Field Analysis of pH, and Technical Assistance for Field Analysis of Temperature. Please submit a copy of the annual check documentation with your reply upon completion. pH - Standard Methods, 18th Edition, 4500 H+ B B. Finding: The laboratory does not have any information available on the pH buffer solutions in use. Page 2 Town of Sparta WWTP Requirement: All chemicals, reagents, standards and consumables used by the laboratory must have the following information documented: Date Received, Date Opened (in use), Vendor, Lot Number, and Expiration Date. A system (e.g., traceable identifiers) must be in place that links standard/reagent preparation information to analytical batches in which the solutions are used. Documentation of solution preparation must include the analyst’s initials, date of preparation, the volume or weight of standard(s) used, the solvent and final volume of the solution. This information as well as the vendor and/or manufacturer, lot number, and expiration date must be retained for chemicals, reagents, standards and consumables used for a period of five years. Consumable materials such as pH buffers and lots of pre-made standards are included in this requirement. Ref: North Carolina Wastewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification Policy. Total Residual Chlorine – HACH Method 10014 ULR C. Finding: The check standard and DPD solutions are beyond the expiration dates. Requirement: Adherence to manufacturer expiration dates is required. Chemicals, reagents, standards, consumables exceeding the expiration date can no longer be considered reliable. If the expiration is only listed as a month and year (with no specific day of the month), the last day of the month will be considered the actual date of expiration. Monitor materials for changes in appearance or consistency. Any changes may indicate potential contamination and the item should be discarded even if the expiration date is not exceeded. If no expiration date is given, the laboratory must have a policy for assigning an expiration date. If no date received or expiration date can be determined, the item should be discarded. Ref: North Carolina Wastewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification Policy based upon Standard Methods, 18th Edition - Method 1070 C. (3) (c). Total Residual Chlorine – HACH Method 10014 ULR pH - Standard Methods, 18th Edition, 4500 H+ B D. Finding: The laboratory is not indicating units of measure on the benchsheet. Requirement: Data pertinent to each analysis must be maintained for five years. Certified data must consist of date collected, time collected, sample site, sample collector and sample analysis time. The field benchsheets must provide a space for the signature or initials of the analyst, and proper units of measure for all analyses. Ref: 15AC NCAC 02H .0805 7 (g) (1). Recommendation: An example benchsheet is attached for Mr. Shaw to use. Please be reminded that example documents are provided for technical assistance. It is the laboratory’s responsibility to modify and update documentation as needed to meet certification program requirements. IV. PAPER TRAIL INVESTIGATION: The paper trail consisted of comparing field testing records and contract lab reports to Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) submitted to the North Carolina Division of Water Quality. Data were reviewed for Town of Sparta WWTP for October, November, and December, 2009. The following errors were noted: Date Parameter Location Value on Benchsheet Value on DMR 11/03/2009 Total Residual Chlorine Effluent No Data <25ug/L Page 3 Town of Sparta WWTP In order to avoid questions of legality, it is recommended that you contact the appropriate Regional Office for guidance as to whether an amended Discharge Monitoring Report will be required. A copy of this report will be forwarded to the Regional Office. V. CONCLUSIONS: Correcting the above-cited findings and implementing the recommendation, will help this lab to produce quality data and meet certification requirements. The inspector would like to thank the staff for its assistance during the inspection and data review process. Please respond to all findings. Report prepared by: Ramon L. Cook Date: January 28, 2010 Report reviewed by: Tony Hatcher Date: February 12, 2010 Certification # _______ Date: ______________________________ Facility Name: _________________________________ Analyst: ___________________________ Permit #: ______________________________________ pH Analysis Reference Method: (include edition e.g., SM 18th) Cal. Time Calibration Buffer 4.0 Calibration Buffer 10.0 *Check Buffer 7.0 Comments *pH buffer checks are to be within  0.1 pH units of the standards true value Facility/Sample location Time Sampled Time Analyzed Temp (ºC) ■ pH Result ►Buffer Check value Comment If sample is measured in directly in the stream only time analyzed would be recorded. ►Indicates a recommended drift check. (Use Buffer 7.0) Should be within ± 0.1 units of the buffer’s true value) ■ Document the temperature of the sample at the time of analysis. Note: This temperature is not to be used for reporting on the monthly monitoring report. Calibration drift check is recommended when performing analysis at multiple sampling locations, *All pH results in pH units (i.e., s.u.). Total Residual Chlorine (TRC) Reference Method: (include edition) Facility/Sample Location Time Sampled Time Analyzed TRC Result ug/L or mg/L Daily check standard obtained value ug/L or mg/L Comment TRC check standard obtained true value (acceptance range mg/L) (Should recover within ±10% of the check standard’s obtained true value) Annual Verification curve analyzed on ____________________ Temperature Reference Method: (include edition) Facility/Sample Location Temperatur eC *Time Analyzed/Time Sampled Comments *Analysis time and sampling time the same. (Ideally the sample should be analyzed in-situ). Annual Verification Date Field Personnel Notes