&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA's Water Laboratory Alliance:
A Powerful Resource for State Primacy Agencies
Overview
The Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) launch of the
Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
marks a dynamic effort to equip
the nation's Water Sector with
a means to process a surge of
drinking water samples during
an emergency event. The WLA
is comprised of laboratories
across the country with
expertise in responding to water
contamination incidents such as
natural, accidental, or intentional
contamination occurrences.
The launch of the WLA
coincided with the second phase
roll-out of EPA's Environmental
Response Laboratory Network
(ERLN). The WLA is an integral
part of the ERLN and focuses on
water; the ERLN also addresses
other environmental matrices,
including air and soil.
How is the Water Laboratory Alliance an
opportunity for state primacy agencies?
While state drinking water primacy agencies cannot
themselves become members of the WLA, primacy
agencies will benefit from the WLA in several ways:
• First, primacy agencies will benefit as laboratory
capability and capacity within their states expands. This
will ensure that drinking water systems are more prepared
to respond effectively to contamination incidents.
• Second, primacy agencies will have access to WLA
tools and resources, such as EPA's Compendium
of Environmental Testing Laboratories (Lab
Compendium). In the event of a drinking water
contamination incident, agencies could use the Lab
Compendium to help utilities identify WLA member
laboratories that could help with
analysis of water samples.
Primacy agencies also will
have access to WLA training
programs on topics ranging
from new analytical methods to
coordinating incident response.
„
Did you know
There is no limit
on the number
of laboratories
within a state
that can apply for
membership.
Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA 817-F-10-005 | April 2010 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance
How will state and water utility
laboratories, as well as water
utilities, benefit from the WLA?
State laboratories, and other public health and
environmental laboratories - both public and
commercial - that become members of the WLA
will be provided with critical resources and
support that strengthens their capabilities before,
during, and after a potential contamination
incident.
Specific benefits include having access to:
• Emergency response exercises
• Water security-related training
opportunities
• Laboratory support for contaminant analyses
exceeding in-house capabilities or capacity
• Access to validated analytical methods for
unregulated contaminants of concern to the
Water Sector
State and utility
laboratories nationwide
will receive multiple
benefits by becoming
members of the WLA.
For water utilities, the
more WLA member
laboratories present in
a given state, the easier it
Did you know?
Utilities can
access the WLA
whether or not
their laboratory is
a WLA member.
WLA member laboratories can identify
themselves as having been designated a
WLA member laboratory, which can add to
laboratories' credibility, especially when pursuing
governmental opportunities.
Did you know? Providing support
during a contamination incident is
completely voluntary; when a WLA
laboratory is contacted, it can choose to
provide services or not provide services,
depending on its circumstances.
How can laboratories become
WLA members?
Did you know?
There are no fees
to apply or to
become a member
of the WLA.
State, utility, public
health, environmental,
and commercial
laboratories become
members of the WLA
by first applying to
be part of ERLN. For
detailed information on becoming a member of
the WLA/ERLN, go to www.epa.gov/erln/join.
html. In addition to completing and submitting
the ERLN application, laboratories must register
themselves in the EPA Laboratory Compendium
(go to www.epa.gov/compendium)
DON'T WAIT—
Tell Your State Labs to Become Members Today!
will be for utilities to have access to the analytical
capabilities and capacities offered through the
WLA. In the event that any utility experiences
a serious contamination incident or is unable to
process routine regulatory samples due to natural
disasters, such as earthquakes or hurricanes, the
WLA member laboratories can be leveraged.
How to get more information
about the WLA
For additional information on the WLA,
please contact WLA@epa.gov or see
http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/
watersecurity/wla.cfm.
Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA 817-F-10-005 | April 2010 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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