NC0025577_Lab Inspection_19981009

R�.
NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT' OF
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
DIVISION OF WATER QUALITY
October 9, 1998
155
Mr. Leonard A. Green
Red Springs Waste Treatment Lab
217 South Main Street
Red Springs, NC 28377-
SUBJECT: Laboratory Certification Maintenance Inspection
Dear Mr. Green:
3r4
V'L
O ; f .1 3 'i 9
FAYTE$ 9 RilLL E
ORME
C
Enclosed is a report for the inspection performed on June 25, 1998
by Ms. Harvi C. Cooper. Within thirty days, please supply this office with a
written item for item description of how these violations were corrected. A
response is not required for comments or recommendations unless
specifically requested. If the violations cited in the enclosed report are not
corrected, enforcement actions will be recommended. For certification
maintenance, your laboratory must continue to carry out the requirements
set forth in 15A NCAC 2H .0800.
Copies of the checklists completed during the inspection may be
requested from this office. Thank you for your cooperation during the
inspection. Please contact us at 919-733-3908, if you have questions or
need additional information.
Sincerely,
James W. Meyer
Laboratory Section
Enclosure
cc: Norman L. Good
Harvi C. Cooper
Fayetteville Regional Office
LABORATORY SECTION
4405 REEDY CREEK ROAD, RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27607-6445
PHONE [phone] FAX [phone]
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER - 50% RECYCLED/10% POST -CONSUMER PAPER

ON -SITE INSPECTION REPORT:
LABORATORY NAME & ADDRESS:
Red Springs WWTP Lab
217 South Main Street
Red Springs, NC 28377
CERTIFICATE NO.: 155
DATE OF INSPECTION: June 25, 1998
TYPE OF INSPECTION: Maintenance
EVALUATORS: Harvi C. Cooper
LOCAL PERSON CONTACTED: Leonard Green
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:
Lab is small but well organized. Several violations were found and some
further quality control procedures need to be documented and implemented.
III. VIOLATIONS, REQUIREMENTS, COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Total Residual Chlorine
Violation: 'The annual calibration verification documented for May of 1998
included four standards instead of five. The units of measure were not
documented for the concentration of the standards.
1
Comment: Lab is currently using the manufacturer's curve for the Hach DR/3
spectrophotometer to quantitate Total Residual Chlorine samples. The annual
calibration verification consisted of four standards 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5
mg/L. The laboratory minimum reporting concentration is 0.2 mg/L as is
stated in ,the certification application. The daily calibration check
standard concentration is 1.0 mg/L.
Requirement: For analytical procedures requiring analysis of a series of
standards, the concentrations of these standards must bracket the
concentration of the samples analyzed. One of the standards must have a
concentration equal to the laboratory's lower reporting concentration for
the parameter involved. For colorimetric analyses, a series of five
standards for a curve prepared annually or three standards for curves
established each day or standards as set forth in the analytical procedure
must be analyzed to establish a standard curve. The curve must be updated
as set forth in the standard procedures, each time the slope changes by
more than 10 percent at mid -range, each time a new stock standard is
prepared, or at least every twelve months. Each analyst performing the

Page 2
Red Springs WWTP
analytical procedure must produce a standard curve. ref: NCAC 2H .0805
(a) (7) (I) pg. 6 and 7.
Violation: Lab is not currently documenting the units of measure for Total
Residual Chlorine standards or samples on the bench worksheet and
calibration documentation sheet.
Requirement: All laboratories must use printed laboratory bench worksheets
that include a space to enter the signature or initials of the analyst,
date of analysis, sample identification, volume of sample analyzed, value
from the measurement system, factor and final value to be reported and each
item must be recorded each time samples are analyzed. The date and time BOD
and coliform samples are removed from the incubator must be included on the
laboratory worksheet. ref: 15A NCAC 2H .0805 (a)(7)(H) pg. 6.
Violation: ,Lab is reporting Total Residual Chlorine in mg/L but the
Discharge Monitoring Report indicated ug/L.
Requirement: Monitoring results shall be summarized for each month and
reported on a monthly Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR)Form. ref: NPDES
Permit No. NC0025577
Specific Conductance
Violation: ,Lab is not currently documenting the units of measure for
Specific Conductance standards or samples on the bench worksheet.
Requirement: All laboratories must use printed laboratory bench worksheets
that include a space to enter the signature or initials of the analyst,
date of analysis, sample identification, volume of sample analyzed, value
from the measurement system, factor and final value to be reported and each
item must be recorded each time samples are analyzed. The date and time BOD
and coliform samples are removed from the incubator must be included on the
laboratory worksheet. ref: 15A NCAC 2H .0805 (a)(7)(H) pg. 6.
Violation: Lab is currently calibrating with two buffers daily, but is not
checking the calibration with a third buffer.
Comment: Calibration documentation was only available for June 1998. The
documentation indicated a problem with high readings for the two buffers
used for calibration. The 4.0 buffer was documented as reading from 4.6 to
5.0. The 7.0 buffer was documented as reading from 7.5 to 8.0 pH units.
Requirement: Lab must document the calibration of the pH meter each day
samples are analyzed with a low and a high buffer. The calibration must be
checked with a third buffer with the results documented. If the meter
response shows a difference greater than 0.1 pH unit from expected value,

Page'
Red Springs WWTP
look for trouble with the electrodes or potentiometer. Ref: Standard Methods
18th Edition Method 4500-H+ 4.a. pg 4-68
Recommendation: The meter and probe. in use at the time of the on -site
inspection was malfunctioning and another meter must be secured immediately
in order to continue with the required daily monitoring. It is recommended
that a pH meter be borrowed if possible until the new budget allows the lab
to repair the unit currently in use or replace it with a new unit. Due to
the short hold time for pH samples (15 minutes) a portable unit. is highly
recommended.
Violation: Lab is not documenting the time of analysis of pH samples.
Comment: The time collected and sample collector for all samples is
documented at the bottom of the Daily Laboratory Tests worksheet. The time
each type of sample is collected is not documented individually.
Requirement: A record of date collected, time collected, sample collector,
and use of proper preservatives must be maintained. ref: 15A NCAC 2H .0805
(a) (7) (M) pg. 7. In order to document that the 15 minute hold time is met
for pH analysis, the time of analysis must also be documented.
IV. DATA REVIEW:
Data review consisted of a review of
North Carolina Wastewater/Groundwater
required preservation and hold times.
for randomly selected dates from April
and compared to Discharge Monitoring
laboratory's NPDES permit.
V. CONCLUSION:
the Chain of Custody procedure for
samplesto check for adherence to
Bench sheets and analytical reports
1997 through June 1998 were reviewed
Reports for the parameters on the
Six violations were cited. Five of the violations cited relate to three
requirements of the Laboratory Certification Program Administrative Code
15A NCAC 2H .0800. The laboratory's analytical quality assurance document
must be updated to incorporate administrative code requirements. If the
subsequent inspections reveal that the above cited violations were not
corrected, enforcement actions will be recommended. Correction of the above
cited violations should help this lab document the quality of data
produced, and meet North Carolina certification requirements.
Report Prepared by: Harvi C. Cooper Date: June 25, 1998
Reviewed by Norman Good 10/5/98