#5615_11_2012_FINAL

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NCDENR
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natura
Division of Water Quality
Beverly Eaves Perdue Charles Wakild, P. E.
Governor
5615
Mr. Dusty Metreyeon
Metwater, Inc
1000 Woodhurst Drive
Monroe, NC 28110
Director
December 21, 2012
Resources
Dee Freeman
Secretary
Subject: North Carolina Wastewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification (NC WW/GW
LC) Maintenance Inspection
Dear Mr. Metreyeon:
Enclosed is a report for the inspection performed on November 6, 2012 by Jason Smith. 1
apologize for the delay in getting this report to you. Where finding(s) are cited in this report, a
response is required. Within thirty days of receipt, please supply this office with a written item for
item description of how these finding(s) were corrected. If the finding(s) cited in the enclosed
report are not corrected, enforcement actions may 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. If you wish to obtain an electronic copy of
this report by email or if you have questions or need additional information, please contact us at
828-296-4677.
Sincerely,
E
Gary Francies
Certification Unit Supervisor
Laboratory Section
Enclosure
cc: Jason Smith
Master File
DENR DWQ Laboratory Section NC Wastewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification Branch
1623 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1623
Location: 4405 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27607-6445
Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone]
Internet: www.dwglab.org
An Equal Opportunity 1 Affirmative Action Employer
Nne
orthCaroli.na
aturall'y

INSPECTION REPORT ROUTING SHEET
To be attached to all inspection reports in-house only.
Laboratory Cert. #:
Laboratory Name:
Inspection Type:
Inspector Name(s):
Inspection Date:
Date Report Completed:
Date Forwarded to Reviewer:
Reviewed by:
Date Review Completed:
Cover Letter to use:
Unit Supervisor:
Date Received:
Date Forwarded to Linda:
Date Mailed:
Metwater Inc.
Field Commercial Initial
Jason Smith
November 7, 2012
December 6 2012
December 6, 2012
Todd Crawford
December 7, 2012
® Insp. Initial ❑ Insp. Reg.
❑ Insp. No Finding ❑ Insp. CP
❑ Corrected
Gary Francies
12/7/2012
12/21 /2001
� "A ( a f-I I I a L1_1_

LABORATORY NAME:
ADDRESS:
CERTIFICATE #:
DATE OF INSPECTION:
TYPE OF INSPECTION:
AUDITOR(S):
LOCAL PERSON(S) CONTACTED:
1. INTRODUCTION:
On -Site Inspection Report
Metwater, Inc.
1000 Woodhurst Drive
Monroe, NC 28110
5615
November 7, 2012
Field Commercial Initial
Jason Smith
Dusty Metreyeon
This laboratory was inspected by a representative of the North Carolina Wastewater/Groundwater
Laboratory Certification (NC WW/GW LC) program to verify its compliance with the requirements of 15A
NCAC 2H .0800 for the analysis of environmental samples.
II. GENERAL COMMENTS:
This is the initial NC WW/GW LC inspection of the laboratory. The analyst operates multiple facilities and
has all equipment necessary to perform the analyses. Current quality assurance policies for Field
laboratories and approved procedures for the analysis of the facility's currently certified parameters were
provided at the time of the inspection. Contracted analyses are performed by Water Tech Labs, Inc.
(Certification #50).
Current quality assurance policies for Field Laboratories and the approved procedures for the analysis
of the facility's currently certified parameters were provided at the time of the inspection. The
aforementioned approved procedures have undergone revision since the inspection and contain new
requirements. Current versions will be enclosed with the laboratory's 2013 certificate.
III. FINDINGS REQUIREMENTS COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
Documentation
A. Finding: Sample collection times are not documented.
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: 15A NCAC 2H .0805 (g) (1).
B. Finding: Sample analysis times are not documented.
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

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#5615 Metwater Inc.
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: 15A NCAC 2H .0805 (g) (1).
Comment: Where applicable, one time may be documented for collection and analysis with the
notation that samples are measured in situ or immediately at the sample site.
C. Finding: The log books used to record daily analyses are not signed or initialed daily.
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: 15A NCAC 2H .0805 (g) (1).
D. Finding: The laboratory needs to increase the documentation of materials and reagents.
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: Quality Assurance Policies for Field Laboratories.
Proficiency Testing
E. Finding: The preparation of Proficiency Testing (PT) samples is not documented.
Requirement: PT samples received as ampules must be diluted according to the PT provider's
instructions. The preparation of PT samples must be documented in a traceable log or other
traceable format. The diluted PT sample becomes a routine environmental sample and is added
to a routine sample batch for analysis. Ref: Proficiency Testing Requirements, February 20,
2012, Revision 1.2.
F. Finding: The laboratory is not documenting Proficiency Testing (PT) sample analyses in the
same manner as environmental samples.
Requirement: All PT sample analyses must be recorded in the daily analysis records as for any
environmental sample. This serves as the permanent laboratory record. Ref: Proficiency
Testing Requirements, February 20, 2012, Revision 1.2.
Comment: The analysis of PT samples is designed to evaluate the entire process used to
routinely report environmental analytical results; therefore, PT samples must be analyzed and
the process documented in the same manner as environmental samples.
G. Finding: The calibration of the meter is not verified with a standard (buffer) following calibration.
Requirement: Use a pH meter accurate and reproducible to 0.1 pH unit (as demonstrated daily
by acceptable performance of a check standard buffer) with a range of 0 to 14 and equipped with

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#5615 Metwater Inc.
temperature -compensation adjustment. The meter must be calibrated with at least two buffers. In
addition to the calibration buffers the meter calibration must be verified with a third standard
buffer solution. The calibration and check standard buffers must bracket the range of the samples
being analyzed. A portion of the buffer solutions should not be used for more than one calibration.
Discard any used buffer portions. Ref: NC WW/GW LC Approved Procedure for Field Analysis of
pH.
Comment: The check standard buffer must read within a range of ± 0.1 pH units to be
acceptable. If the meter verification does not read within ±0.1 S.U., the meter must be recalibrated
before any samples are analyzed.
H. Finding: Values were reported that exceed the method specified accuracy of 0.1 units.
Requirement: By careful use of a laboratory pH meter with good electrodes, a precision of ±0.02
unit and an accuracy of ±0.05 unit can be achieved. However, ± 0.1 pH unit represents the limit of
accuracy under normal conditions, especially for measurement of water and poorly buffered
solutions. For this reason, report pH values to the nearest 0.1 pH unit. Ref: Standard Methods,
4500 H+ B-2000, (6).
PH — Standard Methods, 4500 H+ B-2000
Dissolved Oxygen — Standard Methods, 4500 O G-2000
Total Residual Chlorine — Standard Methods, 4500 Cl G-2000
I. Finding: Calibration checks or verifications are not performed at the end of the day.
Requirement: When performing analyses away from the certified laboratory's primary location,
a post analysis calibration verification using the check standard buffer must be analyzed at the
end of the run. It is recommended that a mid -day check standard buffer be analyzed when
samples are analyzed over an extended period of time. The post analysis check standard
buffer(s) must read within ±0.1 S.0 or corrective actions must be taken. Ref: NC WW/GW LC
Approved Procedure for Field Analysis of pH.
Requirement: When performing analyses away from the certified laboratory's primary location, a
post analysis calibration verification must be analyzed at the end of the run. The post analysis
calibration verification standard concentration must be at mid range. It is recommended that a
mid -day calibration verification be performed when samples are analyzed over an extended period
of time. The value obtained for the post analysis calibration verification check standard must read
within 10% of the true value of the post analysis calibration verification check standard. If the
obtained value is outside of the ±10% range, corrective action must be taken. Ref: NC WW/GW
LC Approved Procedure for Field Analysis of Total Residual Chlorine.
Requirement: When performing analyses away from the certified laboratory's primary location,
a post analysis calibration verification must be analyzed at the end of the run. It is
recommended that a mid -day calibration verification be performed when samples are analyzed
over an extended period of time. The calculated DO value must verify the meter reading within
±0.5 mg/L. If the meter verification does not read within ±0.5 mg/L of the theoretical DO,
corrective action must be taken. Ref: NC WW/GW LC Approved Procedure for Field Analysis of
Dissolved Oxygen.

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Dissolved Oxygen — Standard Methods, 4500 O G-2000
Comment: The Mooresville Regional Office requested that we investigate unusually high Dissolved
Oxygen results for Ridgewood Farm MHP WWTP (NPDES permit #NC0070289) stream samples
reported for July 6, 2012. Reviewing the calibration records, a trend was noticed that may explain the
results. The analyst records the percent saturation at calibration. This is generally in the range of 95-
102%. Over time, the percent saturation gradually increased and reached a maximum of 117% saturation
on the day in question (July 6). The Dissolved Oxygen probe membrane was changed on July 13 and the
percent saturation returned to normal levels. It appears that the unusually high results were directly
related to the increase in percent saturation.
Recommendation: The manual for the meter does not give any guidance for the acceptability of the
percent saturation. It was recommended that the membrane be replaced if the percent saturation
exceeds 105%, since this was the point that it appeared to increase more rapidly. It was also
recommended that, in addition to the percent saturation, the analyst record the Dissolved Oxygen reading
of moisture saturated air, in mg/L, immediately after calibration.
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 Cross Country Campground (NPDES permit #NC0022497) for July, August, and
September, 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 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: Jason Smith Date: December 6, 2012
Report reviewed by: Todd Crawford Date: December 7, 2012