&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory Resources for the Water Sector to Support Decontamination Activities Background During a contamination event at a drinking water or wastewater system, it may be necessary to analyze a surge of water samples to identify the contaminant and to support remediation. Activities that require the analysis of water samples during remediation include characterizing the extent of contamination, assessing the effectiveness of de- contamination, and determining that it is safe to return the system to service. Long-term monitoring of the water system to confirm no reoccurrence of contaminants may require further analysis of water samples. Locating laboratory resources with the appropriate analytical capabilities is an important step in any decontami- nation process. This fact sheet addresses how a utility can locate laboratory resources with the capability and capacity to analyze water samples for a wide array of chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants during an incident response. If intentional contamination is suspected, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) involvement is necessary. Utilities should notify the local FBI field office Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator, who will in turn ensure that other appropriate local, state, and federal agencies are contacted. To find the location of your FBI Field Office, refer to: http://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field/listing_by_state. How to Identify Laboratory Resources In response to a contamination event, utilities should coordinate with the appropriate state and local agen- cies. In addition, EPA's Compendium of Environmen- tal Testing Laboratories ("Laboratory Compendium") can be used to identify a laboratory with appropriate analytical capabilities. The Laboratory Compendium is an online database of approximately 400 environmental laboratories nationwide. The database contains contact information as well as details on each laboratory's spe- cific abilities to analyze chemical, biological, and radio- logical contaminants. Information within the Laboratory Compendium is searchable based on multiple criteria (e.g., laboratory location, analyte). To identify a laboratory, registered users can access the Laboratory Compendium at http://www.epa. gov/compendium. To become a registered user, a utility must first apply and be approved by EPA. Registration can be found at https://cfext.epa.gov/cetl/ IbLABSRegister.cfm. New users can access the Lab Compendium's Getting Started Guide for information on how to register. Accessing Laboratory Networks During water contamination events, EPA's Water Labo- ratory Alliance (WLA) provides the Water Sector with an integrated nationwide network of laboratories. WLA member laboratories include public health, environmen- tal, and commercial laboratories that have the ability to analyze drinking water and/or wastewater samples for chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants. This alliance of laboratories can be accessed in events with high sample analysis demand (i.e., when surge capacity is needed) or for non-routine and unregu- ------- . Laboratory Resources for the Water Sector to Support Decontamination Activities • page 2 lated contaminants. For information on the WLA, see http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/ wla/. The WLA is a component of EPA's Environmen- tal Response Laboratory Network (ERLN). The ERLN provides federal, state, and local decision makers with reliable, high quality analytical data to identify chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants collected in environmental samples (i.e., water, air, soil, etc.) in support of response and cleanup activi- ties. More than 130 ERLN/WLA member laboratories can be accessed through the Laboratory Compen- dium. For more information on the ERLN, visit http:// www.epa.gov/erln. EPA and other federal agencies support a number of laboratory networks that can be accessed to provide additional laboratory response capabilities during a con- tamination event (i.e., surge capacity). The ERLN is one of seven networks that constitute the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Networks (ICLN) (Figure 1). The ICLN is a system of federal laboratory networks that allows member networks the opportunity to access resourc- es from other consortium member laboratories. The ICLN provides a venue for the efficient coordination of analytical laboratory services for events through inter-network strategic and operational planning, communication, and coordination. More information on the ICLN can be found at http://www.icln.org. Coordination during a. Contamination Response Effort The Water Laboratory Alliance Response Plan (WLA- RP) (EPA 817-R-10-002, November 2010) establishes processes and procedures for a coordinated laboratory response to water contamination events (available at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/ wla/upload/WLAResponsPlan_November2010.pdf). Specifically, the WLA-RP addresses response to in- cidents that may require additional analytical support than a typical utility, state, or federal laboratory alone can provide. In particular, it is recommended that utili- ties reference the WLA-RP Appendix C Help Sheet for Requesting Analytical Support during an Emergency Response, to ensure that all necessary information is communicated between the utility and laboratory when requesting analytical support. As an incident progresses, the type of laboratory capa- bilities required to meet a utility's analytical needs may change. During the initial phases of a response, labo- ratories capable of conducting rapid screening may be needed to quickly identify the contaminant. During the later stages of a response, it may be necessary to ac- cess laboratories that are able to conduct confirmatory analyses to assess whether it is safe to return a system to service. Since multiple laboratories may be needed throughout the response process, a utility may need input from their state laboratory to ensure appropri- ate methods and resources are utilized. Utilities should also consult with local or state jurisdictions for any pri- macy agency requirements, processes or procedures. Figure 2 describes the process of identifying and utiliz- ing laboratory resources during the different stages of response to a water contamination event including key decision points, contacts, and resources. Additional in- formation on key contacts and resources is provided in Tables 1 and 2. Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Networks (ICLN) • Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) National Plant Diagnostic Network (NPDN) Laboratory Response Network (LRN) Watt Environmental Response Laboratory Network (ERLN) ir Laboratory All ianc Department of Defense Lab Network (DLN) e (WLA) WLA Response Plan (WLA-RP) National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) Veterinary Laboratory Response Network (Vet-LRN) Figure 1. Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Networks ------- . Laboratory Resources for the Water Sector to Support Decontamination Activities • page 3 1 Notification of Potential Contamination • Note unusual results from routine monitoring tests • Observe illnesses associated with exposure to drinking water • Notice or receive information about evidence of tampering ~^^^_ Initial Response • Identify contaminant if unknown or confirm contaminant if known • Use appropriate personal protective equipment 1 Determine Analytical Needs • Types of Analyses • Data Use • Data Turnaround • Method • Number of Samples • Data Reporting • Quality Assurance/Quality Control -^^^- Identify Potential Laboratory Resources* • State and local primacy agencies • Laboratory Compendium (ERLN/WLA labs) • EPA Regional Laboratory Contact *lf Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA), select agent, or radiological agent is suspected, call EPA Regional Laboratory Contact immediately (Table 1) "^^ Confirm Laboratory Capabilities • Use of approved methods (e.g., for select agents) "^^^ Qtanoc nf Re. ^\ _. Kespor Remedia Recove ^r Is 'V^^ ^^^. known? ^^^ NO YFS ^ r ~ • • ^ : ; ather Additional Infor =ield Screening Rapid Screening Site Characterization Symptoms (if illnesses Threat Information Coordinate w/ EPA Re .aboratory Contact (Ta Establish Agreement, Contract or Purchase Order ^^^^^^^^^|P • Establish directly with laboratory • For significant events, utilize EPA contact to access appropriate laboratories "^^^- Ship Samples • Ensure proper Chain of Custody for collection and shipping processes ^^ Laboratory Analysis • Laboratories conduct sample analysis -•- I Reassess Analytical Needs as Response Progresses ise tion jry_ mation ) gional ble 1) YES W Have analytical needs changed? 1 NO r Long-term Monitoring • Continue analysis until recovery is complete Figure 2. Water Utility Process for Identifying Laboratory Resources ------- . Laboratory Resources for the Water Sector to Support Decontamination Activities • page 4 Key Points of Contact As noted previously, utilities should contact their state or local primacy agency regarding availability of laboratory resources. In the event that a utility is unable to identify laboratory capabilities or if additional support is needed (e.g., to test for a select agent/ chemical warfare agent or to determine an unknown contami- nant), they may communicate with their EPA Regional Laboratory Contact. Please see Table 1 for contact information. Additional EPA resources are listed in Table 2. Table 1. EPA Regional Laboratory Contacts EPA REGION 1 CONTACT INFORMATION Region 1 (ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, Rl) Region 2 (NY, NJ, PR, VI) Region 3 (PA, DE, MD, VA, WV, DC) Region 4 (NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, TN, KY) Region 5 (OH, Ml, IN, IL, Wl, MN) Region 6 (AR, LA, TX, OK, NM) Region 7 (IA, MO, NE, KS) Region 8 (ND, SD, MT, WY, CO, UT) Region 9 (AZ, NV, CA, HI) Region 10 (ID, WA, OR, AK) Ernest Waterman (waterman.ernest@epa.gov) | (617) 918-8632 John Bourbon (bourbon.john@epa.gov) | (732) 321-6706 Cindy Caporale (caporale.cynthia@epa.gov) | (410) 305-2732 Gary Bennett (bennett.gary@epa.gov) | (706) 355-8551 Dennis Wesolowski (wesolowski.dennis@epa.gov) | (312) 353-9084 David Neleigh (neleigh.david@epa.gov) | (281) 983-2209 Michael F. Davis (davis.michael@epa.gov) | (913) 551-5042 Mark Burkhardt (burkhardt.mark@epa.gov) | (303) 312-7799 Brenda Bettencourt (bettencourt.brenda@epa.gov) | (510)412-2311 Barry Pepich (pepich.barry@epa.gov) | (360) 871-8701 Table 2. Additional Contacts EPA RESOURCE CONTACT INFORMATION Environmental Response Laboratory Network Water Laboratory Alliance WLA Email ERLN/WLA Helpline Schatzi Fitz-James (fitz-james.schatzi@epa.gov) (202) 564-2521 Latisha Mapp (mapp.latisha@epa.gov) | (202) 564-1390 WLA@epa.gov (703) 818-4200 Office of Water (4608-T) EPA 817-F-12-003 www.epa.gov/watersecurity September 2012 ------- |