Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
r
Dear WLA Members and Users,
Welcome to the Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
Tool Kit. This online tool is designed to provide
you with an introduction to a selection of U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) resources
that may be beneficial to your laboratory or
organization. The tool kit is comprised of a
synopsis of each emergency preparedness and
response resource and an accompanying link to
its web address.
The virtual tool kit contains a variety of fact
sheets on the WLA and on the Environmental
Response Laboratory Network (ERLN), guidance
documents, tools & resources, learning
opportunities, and EPA contact information.
Thank you for your support of the WLA.
WLA Tool Kit Contents
Click on a bar below to go to a section
1. FACT SHEETS
^ 2. GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS
^ 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES
^ 4. LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
^ 5. EPA CONTACTS
Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
1. FACT SHEETS
Click on a fact sheet title to jump to that document's web location.
Water Laboratory Alliance
The WLA provides the Water Sector with an integrated nationwide network
of laboratories. This network offers the capabilities and capacity to analyze
water samples in the event of natural, intentional, or unintentional water
contamination involving chemical, biological, or radiochemical contaminants.
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/upload/2009_l1 _1 9_
watersecurity_pubs_WLA_Fact_SheetJ 1192009-2.pdf
Water Laboratory Alliance:
A Drinking Water Utility Perspective
Water utilities that become members of the WLA will be provided with critical
analytical support before, during, and after a potential contamination incident.
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/upload/2009_11 _19_
watersecurity_pubs_WLA_Utility_Fact_Sheet_11192009.pdf
Environmental Response Laboratory Network Overview
EPA established the ERLN to assist in addressing chemical, biological, and
radiological threats during nationally significant incidents.
http://www.epa.gov/oemerln1/factsheets/erln_general_fs.pdf
Environmental Response Laboratory Network:
Public Health Laboratories
Public laboratories play an invaluable role in the network given their existing
relationships with federal, state, and local decision-makers and political
leadership.
www. epa.gov/oemerlnl/factsheets/erl n_public_fs.pdf
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
2. GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS
Click on a guidance document title to jump to that document's web location.
Water Laboratory Alliance Response Plan
The WLA Response Plan (WLA-RP) provides processes and procedures for coordinated
laboratory response to water contamination incidents that may require additional
analytical support and a broader response than a typical laboratory can provide. The
WLA-RP is designed to work within existing Incident Command System (ICS) structures
and procedures.
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/upload/WLAResponsPlan_
November2010.pdf
^ Sampling Guidance for Unknown Contaminants
in Drinking Water
The Sampling Guidance for Unknown Contaminants in Drinking Water provides
comprehensive direction that integrates recommendations for pathogen, toxin, chemical,
and radiochemical sample collection, preservation, and transport procedures. The
document supports multiple analytical approaches for the detection and identification of
potential contaminants in drinking water.
http://water.epa. gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/upload/2008_12_31_
watersecurity_pubs_guide_watersecurity_samplingforunknown.pdf
Guidance for Water Utilities - Building Laboratory Capabilities
for Responding to Contamination Warning System Incidents
The objective of this document is to guide water utilities in identification of preferred
analytical methods, contaminants of concern to water security, and laboratories for
building early response capabilities to possible water contamination. The document is
written for utilities building a sampling and analysis program as part of a contamination
warning system (CWS). One of the primary design goals of the sampling and analysis
component within a CWS is to develop capabilities for response to a broad range of
chemicals, radiochemicals, pathogens, and biotoxins. By identifying contaminants
of concern, preferred analytical methods, and laboratories in advance of a possible
contamination incident, utilities will be able to 1) practice methods and exercise
laboratory partnerships, 2) establish baseline contaminant occurrence and method
performance for water samples from their distribution systems, and 3) improve the
efficiency of utility-led sampling and analysis activities by developing and practicing
procedures specifically for incident response to possible contamination.
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/lawsregs/initiative.cfm
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
3. TOOLS & RESOURCES
Click on a tool or resource to jump to that document within the tool kit.
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Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT)
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/datait/databases/wcit/index.cfm
Web-based Electronic Data Review (WebEDR)
http://webedr.fedcsc.com/app/
Compendium of Environmental Testing
Laboratories
www.epa.gov/compendium
Tabletop Exercise Tool for Water Systems:
Emergency Preparedness, Response, and
Climate Resiliency (TTX Tool)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ow/SReg.nsf/description/TTX_Tool
Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool (VSAT)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ow/SReg.nsf/description/VSAT
Water Health and Economic Analysis Tool
(WHEAT)
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/techtools/
wheat, cfm
Community-Based Water Resiliency Electronic
Tool (CBWR)
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/
communities/index, cfm
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
3. TOOLS & RESOURCES
Click on the image or web link to jump to the WCIT web location.
&EPA
Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT)
The WCIT database assists in planning for and responding to drinking
water and wastewater contamination threats and incidents. As a
planning tool, WCIT supports vulnerability assessments, emergency
response plans, and site-specific response guidelines. As a response
tool, WCIT provides contaminant data to help responders (including
utilities) make appropriate response decisions.
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/datait/databases/wcit/index.cfm
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
3. TOOLS & RESOURCES
Click on the image or web link to jump to the WebEDR web location.
&EPA
Web-based Electronic Data Review (WebEDR)
The WebEDR application performs automated data evaluation
on Environmental Response Laboratory Network electronic data
deliverables. WebEDR performs a standardized evaluation of the overall
quality of the data and provides reviewers with tools to measure the
data against different measurement quality objectives.
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http://webedr.fedcsc.com/app/
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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&EPA
Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
3. TOOLS & RESOURCES
Click on the image or web link to jump to the Laboratory Compendium web location.
Compendium of Environmental Testing
Laboratories
EPA's Compendium of Environmental Testing Laboratories (Laboratory
Compendium) is an online database of environmental laboratories
nationwide that is available
to EPA; federal, state, and
local emergency responders;
laboratory personnel; and (with
limited access) water utilities.
The database contains each
laboratory's specific capabilities
to analyze chemical, biological,
and radiological contaminants.
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www.epa.gov/compendium
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
3. TOOLS & RESOURCES
Click on the image or web link to jump to the TTX Tool web location.
&EPA
Tabletop Exercise Tool for Water Systems:
Emergency Preparedness, Response, and
Climate Resiliency (TTX Tool)
The PC-based Tabletop Exercise Tool for
Water Systems contains materials that
assist those interested in planning
and facilitating tabletop exercises
that focus on Water Sector-related
preparedness and response issues.
The TTX Tool includes scenarios for
water and wastewater utilities that
cover topics such as floods, hurricanes,
earthquakes, tornadoes, pandemic flu,
and contamination. The new TTX Tool is
designed to provide the Water Sector with the necessary resources to plan,
conduct, and evaluate tabletop exercises. Tabletop exercises allow water
systems to practice, test, and improve emergency response plans (ERPs) and
procedures. The TTX Tool simplifies the process of planning and conducting
tabletop exercises, and provides resources that aid in the development of
customized scenario-driven, discussion-based tabletop exercises.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ow/SReg.nsf/description/TTX_Tool
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
3. TOOLS & RESOURCES
Click on the image or web link to jump to the VSAT web location.
Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool (VSAT)
VSAT is a risk assessment tool for drinking water, wastewater, and
combined systems of all sizes. It assesses both man-made and natural
disaster threats (hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes). VSAT is
consistent with standard risk assessment methodologies and enables users
to perform customized risk assessments. It also has the ability to generate
risk assessment reports and emergency response plans.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ow/SReg.nsf/description/VSAT
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
3. TOOLS & RESOURCES
Click on the image or web link to jump to the WHEAT web location.
&EPA
Water Health and Economic Analysis Tool (WHEAT)
WHEAT is a free consequence and analysis tool for drinking water systems.
It generates consequence results based on two scenarios: release of
a hazardous gas and loss of operating assets. WHEAT was designed to
assist utilities in quantifying consequences of public health impacts, utility
financial costs, and regional economic impacts.
WHE
W ATE RHcalth & Economk
Analysis Tool
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/techtools/wheat.cfm
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
3. TOOLS & RESOURCES
Click on the image or web link to jump to the CBWR web location.
&EPA
Community-Based Water Resiliency Electronic Tool
(CBWR)
The CBWR electronic tool strengthens community preparedness in the
event of water service interruptions by offering almost 350 resources to
develop and implement water resiliency initiatives. The tool features a self-
assessment that provides users with questions tailored to their stakeholder
group and culminates in a self-assessment summary report detailing the
strengths and weaknesses of current resiliency efforts. Users are then
provided with recommendations on CBWR resources which can be utilized
to enhance resiliency.
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http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/communities/index.cfm
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
4. LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Click on the image or web link to jump to the Training Center's web location.
&EPA
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Water Laboratory Alliance Training Center
The purpose of the WLA Training Center is to familiarize WLA member
laboratories, WLA users, and Water Sector stakeholders with WLA response
procedures, sample handling recommendations, and supporting tools.
The training program ensures that WLA member laboratories and Water
Sector stakeholders can take advantage of the benefits of the WLA, and
operate effectively in the event of a water contamination incident involving a
biological, chemical, or radiochemical contaminant.
http://owpubauthor.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/training.cfm
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA)
TOOL KIT
5. EPA CONTACTS
&EPA
EPA Regional Laboratory
Contact Information
REGION 1: Ernest Waterman Waterman.Ernest@epa.gov
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
REGION 2: John Bourbon Bourbon.John@epa.gov
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
REGIONS: Cindy Caporale Caporale.Cynthia@epa.gov
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
REGION 4: Gary Bennett Bennett.Gary@epa.gov
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
REGIONS: Dennis Wesolowski Wesolowski.Dennis@epa.gov
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
REGION 6: David Neleigh Neleigh.David@epa.gov
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
REGION 7: Michael F. Davis Davis.Michael@epa.gov
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
REGION 8: Mark Burkhardt Burkhardt.Mark@epa.gov
Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
REGION 9: Brenda Bettencourt Bettencourt.Brenda@epa.gov
Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands
REGION 10: Barry Pepich Pepich.Barry@epa.gov
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
.WLA
Contact Information
For comments and questions on the WLA, please contact:
WLA@epa.gov
ERLN/WLA Helpline: 703-818-4200
Visit http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/index.cfm
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Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater
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