bottled vs.tap: - Virginia Water Environment Association

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Laboratory Practices Committee News18th Annual Good LaboratoryPractices ConferenceBy Mala Burton, LPC ChairThe VWEA-VA awwa Joint LaboratoryPractices Committee (LPC) hosted its 18thAnnual Good Laboratory Practices Conferenceat the Omni Hotel in Charlottesville,Virginia on August 6-7, 2012. The conferencewas a huge success with attendanceof approximately 200 professionals fromall over the state, with 50-plus vendors andbooth representatives exhibiting the latestin water and wastewater technology andmethodology. We were very excited thatGrace LeRose, Virginia Water EnvironmentAssociation (VWEA) president, and KathyRabalais, VWEA administrator, were able tojoin us at the conference.After the opening remarks and introductionsfrom yours truly, the recipient of the2012 Lab Analyst Excellence Award winner,Maxine Burkett of the City of Norfolk UtilityDepartment, was announced and recognized,along with conference details and alittle bit of history about the Lab PracticesCommittee.The first day of the conference consistedof one full-day bacteriological workshop andfour half-day workshops, two in the morningand two in the afternoon.The August 6 workshop sessions consistedof the following:Full-day workshop:• Microbiology Methods forDrinking Water Laboratoriesby Meg Carlson and Beth Clatterbuckof Fairfax WaterThis workshop introduced water microbiologyand various certified methodsfor bacterial testing of drinking water,including quality control procedures andcompliance requirements.Half-day workshops:• Methodology for Specific Methods &Troubleshooting for Ion Chromatographyand Discrete Analyzersby Richard Jack, Ph.D. of Dionex-Thermo Scientific and Stuart Smith ofSeal Analytical, Inc.This workshop provided instruction onbasic troubleshooting techniques andmethodologies associated with IonChromatography and Discrete Analyzeroperation. It also provided informationon how the instruments work to aid introubleshooting problems and in preventivemaintenance to avoid future issues.• A Systematic Approach to MeetingAccreditation Requirementsby Stacie Metzler of HRSDThis workshop covered the quality systemrequirements for both commercial andnon-commercial laboratories being certifiedunder the Virginia Environmental LaboratoryAccreditation Program (VELAP),including internal audits, demonstrationof capability, traceability, corrective action,and training documentation.• Instrument Methodology for SpecificMethods & Troubleshooting for ICP/ICP-MS & GC/GCMSby Lorraine Foglio of PerkinElmer and BillAtkins of Bruker Daltonics Inc.This workshop provided instruction onbasic troubleshooting techniques andmethodologies associated with ICP/ICP-MS and GC/GCMS and informationon understanding how the instrumentswork in order to aid in preventing, diagnosing,and correcting problems.• Laboratory Methodologies for BOD,TSS, Total & Ortho Phosphate, andTotal & Free Chlorineby Kim Stubbs of the City of Richmond,Greg Hudson and Tamara Hostetter ofEnviroCompliance Laboratories, andChris Griffin of HACHThis workshop focused on wet chemistryanalysis and methodologies, techniquesand calibration requirements, along withperformance evaluation, maintenance,and troubleshooting.During the course of the first day, we hadour second annual taste-testing event, withover 60 participants tasting blind samples ofvarious water system supplies. ParticipantsVWEA President Grace LeRose welcomesworkshop attendees.Keynote session.18 The Conduit – Fall 2012
were asked to describe six factors – appearance,odor, flavor, hardness/softness, mouthfeel, and aftertaste. Newport News Waterworkstook first place as the highest ratedsample, with Fairfax Water coming in a closesecond. It is interesting to note that boththese water plant facilities use ozone in thetreatment process. (Lab fact: ozone is knownto be effective in producing clearer water withreduced tastes and odors.)After the workshops there was a MexicanFiesta reception in the vendor exhibit area,which included a ticket bar. Attendees wereable to enjoy wonderful food, relax with arefreshing beverage, and talk with the exhibitorsabout their products.The second day of the event had 113attendees and consisted of a morning sessionwith two presentations and an afternoontechnical program consisting of 12 presentations.We were delighted to have GraceLeRose, VWEA president, graciously providethe opening welcome.The first morning presentation was givenby Joe Slayton of EPA on Laboratory QualitySystems. He is currently the senior scientistfor the USEPA Region III Regional Laboratoryin Fort Meade, Maryland (Office of AnalyticalServices and Quality Assurance, OASQA).He has been with the EPA for over 38 yearsas a biologist, microbiologist, physicalscientist, inorganic chemist, organic chemist,quality assurance officer, technical directorand senior scientist. Joe has performedmany thousands of analyses for the NPDES(National Pollutant Discharge EliminationSystem), SDWA, RCRA (Resource ConservationRecovery Act), and Superfund programsand has also served as a laboratory inspectorfor these same programs since 1979. He hasinspected many hundreds of permittee, commercial,state and federal laboratories andparticipated in the review of Region III Stateaccreditation and certification programs.Joe has also served on many nationalagency workgroups in such areas as:Superfund SOW, RCRA Organic Methods,NELAC/NELAP Quality Systems Committeeand Board of Directors, SDWA Lab CertificationManual, Detection Limit Policy, 304HCommittee for NPDES and the PBMS Committee.He has written numerous technicalarticles and guidance documents and hastestified as an expert witness in a number ofcivil and criminal cases.The second morning presentation wasgiven by Walter Higgins of EPA on the TheRoad to Zero Net Energy. Walter Higginsis an Environmental Scientist with EPARegion 3 and the Lead of the EPA Region 3Energy Team (focusing on energy efficiencyoutreach to WWTP staff and management).Prior to EPA, Walter worked for an environmentalengineering firm and an excavatingcompany performing various duties suchas public outreach on water quality, onsitesewage system evaluation, designs andinstallation. He also served for almost 10years as a soil scientist for the PA CountyHealth Department. He currently acts as aproject officer overseeing DE’s federal capitalizationgrant which funds the DelawareWater Pollution Revolving Loan Program.He also oversees the Special AppropriationAct Project which matches grants to localcommunities for wastewater, stormwater, anddrinking water improvement projects.The Tuesday afternoon technical programswere held concurrently in groups ofthree and covered the following topics:• Quality Control Checks & PerformanceStudies by Joe Slayton of EPA• PT Standards: Understanding, HelpfulInformation and Manufacturingby Henry Beauchamp of Phenova• Proficiency Testing Data Managementby Tanya Rahn of ERA• Advances in Lab WorkflowAutomation and Data Defensibilityby Jerry Lominac of PerkinElmer• When a Method is New to You:Incorporating Methods for HexavalentChromium and Perchlorate in FairfaxWater’s Repertoire by Susan Miller ofFairfax Water• Automation: the analysis of TotalAmmonia by Ion Selective Electrodeby Jeanine Miller-Nelson of Fairfax Water• Use of Defined Substrate Technologyfor Testing Water Samples: What is aNumber – MPN vs. CFU by Gil Dichterof IDEXX Labs• Toxicity CSI by Beth Thompson andLaura Shealy of Shealy Consulting, LLC• From Pilot to Full-ScaleImplementation: Methanol Additionto Denitrification Filters by LaurenZuravnsky of Greeley and Hansen• The Basics of Environmental SampleCollection by Lauren Grimmer of HRSD• Nutrient Measurement Using IonSelective Electrodes by Kelly Sweazeaof Thermo Scientific• Online Solid Phase Extraction forWastewater Analysis by Richard Jackand Joey Redovich of Thermo FisherScientific.The GLP Conference is always anexcellent opportunity to meet and networkwith fellow professionals from all over thecountry, have some fun, and fulfill any educational/trainingrequirements by earningCPEs (for wastewater and water operators)and CECs. There is always something foreveryone to take back with them to sharewith their colleagues. However, none ofthis would have been possible without thesupport of our sponsors and the hard workand dedication of our committee members.A very special thank-you goes out to the followingpeople for all their time and effort inhelping put this conference together: SherryWilliams (registration), Robin Parnell andKim Stubbs (programs), Alicia Connelly andWendy Harding (workshops), Chris Griffin(exhibits), Stuart Wilson (local arrangements),and Greg Hudson (LPC vice chair).Taste-testing table.Workshop.Exhibit area.Kathy Rabalais,the VWEA administrator.Exhibitor Gil Dichter with IDEXX.Fall 2012 – The Conduit19
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