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Home My WebLink About#125 2012-Final INSPECTION REPORT ROUTING SHEET To be attached to all inspection reports in-house only. Laboratory Cert. #: #125 Laboratory Name: Tar River Regional WWTP Laboratory Inspection Type: Municipal Maintenance Inspector Name(s): Jeffrey R. Adams Inspection Date: March 29, 2012 Date Report Completed: April 10, 2012 Date Forwarded to Reviewer: April 10, 2012 Reviewed by: Jason Smith Date Review Completed: April 11, 2012 Cover Letter to use: Insp. Initial X Insp. Reg. Insp. No Finding Insp. CP ___ Corrected Unit Supervisor: Dana Satterwhite Date Received: April 11, 2012 Date Forwarded to Linda Chavis April 20, 2012 Date Mailed: April 20, 2012 _____________________________________________________________________ On-Site Inspection Report LABORATORY NAME: Tar River Regional WWTP Laboratory NPDES PERMIT #: NC0063096 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1180 Rocky Mount, NC 27802-1180 CERTIFICATE #: 125 DATE OF INSPECTION: March 29, 2012 TYPE OF INSPECTION: Municipal Maintenance AUDITOR(S): Jeffrey R. Adams LOCAL PERSON(S) CONTACTED: Angela Boswell, David Gardner, Stacy Parks, Amanda James and Andy Hicks 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 laboratory was clean and well organized. The laboratory had already implemented the matrix spiking policy for its Ammonia, TKN, Nitrate-Nitrite and Total Phosphorous analyses, the new lower reporting limits for all residue analyses, and the new nutrient addition requirement for BOD prior to the inspection. The facility has a dedicated temperature-controlled BOD laboratory, which appears to contribute to the consistency of quality control results for BOD testing (e.g., Glucose - Glutamic Acid standard recoveries). The facility has all the equipment necessary to perform the analyses, however, some quality control procedures need to be implemented. The laboratory is reminded that any time changes are made to laboratory operations; the laboratory must update the Quality Assurance (QA)/Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) document(s). Any changes made in response to the Findings, Recommendations or Comments listed in this report must be incorporated to insure the method is being performed as stated, references to methods are accurate, and the QA and/or SOP document(s) is in agreement with approved practice and regulatory requirements. In some instances, the laboratory may need to create a SOP to document how new functions or policy will be implemented. The laboratory was given a packet containing North Carolina Laboratory Certification quality control requirements and policies during the inspection. The requirements associated with Findings A, and B are new policies that have been implemented by our program since the last inspection. Page 2 #125 Tar River Regional WWTP Laboratory III. FINDINGS, REQUIREMENTS, COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: General Laboratory A. Finding: The laboratory needs to increase the documentation of materials and reagents used or made in the laboratory. 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 (where specified). 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 primary standards, chemicals, reagents, and materials used for a period of five years. Consumable materials such as pH buffers, lots of pre-made standards and/or media, solids and bacteria filters, etc. are included in this requirement. Ref: North Carolina Wastewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification Policy. Chloride – Standard Methods, 18th Edition, 4500 Cl C B. Finding: The laboratory is not analyzing matrix spikes for chloride analyses. Requirement: Unless the referenced method states a greater frequency, spike 5% of samples on a monthly basis. Laboratories analyzing less than 20 samples per month must analyze at least one matrix spike (MS) each month samples are analyzed. Ref: North Carolina Wastewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification Policy. Total Residual Chlorine – Standard Methods, 18th Edition, 4500 Cl G C. Finding: The laboratory’s calibration curve verification does not bracket Proficiency Testing (PT) sample concentrations. 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. Ref : 15A NCAC 2H .0805 (a) (7) (I). A copy of the new annual 5-point Total Residual Chlorine curve verification documentation must be submitted with the response to this report. Recommendation: The laboratory’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit limit is 28 µg/L for Total Residual Chlorine. It is recommended that the laboratory verify the internal calibration using the concentrations: 20, 30, 50, 200 and 400 µg/L. This will verify the analytical range used to measure Proficiency Testing (PT) samples as well as environmental samples. Recommendation: It is recommended that the values obtained not vary by more than 10% of the known value for standard concentrations greater than or equal to 50 g/L and not vary by more than 25% of the known value for standard concentrations less than 50 g/L. The overall correlation coefficient of the curve must be ≥0.995. Page 3 #125 Tar River Regional WWTP Laboratory IV. PAPER TRAIL INVESTIGATION: The paper trail consisted of comparing laboratory benchsheets and contract lab reports to Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) submitted to the North Carolina Division of Water Quality. Data were reviewed for the Tar River Regional WWTP Laboratory (NPDES permit #NC0030317) for November and December, 2011 and January, 2012. No transcription errors were detected. The facility appears to be doing a good job of accurately transcribing data. V. CONCLUSIONS: Correcting the above-cited findings and implementing the recommendations 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: Jeffrey R. Adams Date: April 10, 2012 Report reviewed by: Jason Smith Date: April 11, 2012