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Home My WebLink About#5257-final INSPECTION REPORT ROUTING SHEET To be attached to all inspection reports in-house only. Laboratory Cert. #: 5257 Laboratory Name: Brunswick County Utilities, Northwest WTP Inspection Type: Field Municipal Maintenance Inspector Name(s): Todd Crawford Inspection Date: May 12, 2011 Date Report Completed: May 24, 2011 Date Forwarded to Reviewer: May 24, 2011 Reviewed by: David Livingston Date Review Completed: May 27, 2011 Cover Letter to use: Insp. Initial X Insp. Reg. Insp. No Finding Insp. CP Corrected Unit Supervisor: Dana Satterwhite Date Received: June 3, 2011 Date Forwarded to Alberta: June 21, 2011 Date Mailed: June 22, 2011 _____________________________________________________________________ On-Site Inspection Report LABORATORY NAME: Brunswick County Utilities, Northwest WTP NPDES PERMIT #: NC0057533 ADDRESS: P.O. Box 249 Bolivia, NC 28422 CERTIFICATE #: 5257 DATE OF INSPECTION: May 12, 2011 TYPE OF INSPECTION: Field Municipal Maintenance AUDITOR(S): Todd Crawford LOCAL PERSON(S) CONTACTED: David Rourk 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 lab area was clean and well organized. All equipment necessary to perform the certified parameters were present and appeared well maintained. Improvements in quality control and documentation are needed. A description of current field lab policies and technical assistance documents for the analysis of the facility’s currently certified parameters were provided at the time of the inspection. The requirements associated with Finding A are new since the last inspection. III. FINDINGS, REQUIREMENTS, COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Documentation A. Finding: The laboratory needs to increase the documentation of purchased materials and reagents, as well as, documentation of standards and reagents prepared 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. 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. Page 2 #5257 Brunswick County Utilities, Northwest WTP Total Residual Chlorine – Standard Methods, 18th Edition, 4500 Cl G B. Finding: The time of the daily calibration check standard analysis is not being documented. Requirement: The time and date that the daily calibration check standard is analyzed must be documented each day that sample analysis occurs. Ref: Technical Assistance for Field Analysis of Total Residual Chlorine. C. Finding: Values below the lowest calibration curve standard concentration are being reported on the Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR). Requirement: The concentrations of the calibration standards must bracket the concentrations of the samples analyzed. One of the standards must have a concentration equal to or below the lower reporting concentration for Total Residual Chlorine. Ref: Technical Assistance for Field Analysis of Total Residual Chlorine. Comment: If the laboratory chooses to have a lower reporting limit of 20 µg/L for residual chlorine, you must analyze at least 20 µg/L or lower standard and report lower concentrations as < 20 µg/L or < the concentration of the chosen standard. D. Finding: The gel standard used as the daily check standard is not being analyzed on the same meter program as the samples. Requirement: Calibration checks must be analyzed on the same curve and/or program used for sample analysis. Ref: Technical Assistance for Field Analysis of Total Residual Chlorine. E. Finding: The gel standard used as the daily check standard has not been assigned a true value on the meter program used for routine samples. Requirement: Purchased “Gel-type” or sealed liquid ampoule standards used for daily calibration verification must be verified initially and every 12 months thereafter, with the standard curve. Ref: Technical Assistance for Field Analysis of Total Residual Chlorine. Requirement: Analyze a new 5-point curve in the range from 20 – 400 µg/L (e.g., 20, 30, 50, 200, and 400 µg/L). Immediately following the new curve analysis, read the gel standard on the same meter program and assign the observed value as the true value for that gel standard. The assigned values will be used for the next twelve months, or until a new curve verification is performed. The gel/liquid standard verification must be performed for each instrument on which they are to be used. If multiple instruments and/or standard sets are used, each must have assigned values specific for the instrument and standard set. Ref: Technical Assistance for Field Analysis of Total Residual Chlorine. Submit all documentation with your response to this report. Residue, Settleable – Standard Methods, 18th Edition, 2540 F Total Residual Chlorine – Standard Methods, 18th Edition, 4500 Cl G F. Finding: The sampling location is not documented 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: 15A NCAC 2H .0805 (g) (1). 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 NPDES permit # NC0057533 for January, February and March, 2011. 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 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: Todd Crawford Date: May 25, 2011 Report reviewed by: David Livingston Date: May 27, 2011