United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Water Laboratory Alliance
Purpose
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
launched the Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) in
2009. Since then, the WLA has grown to include
an extensive nationwide network of laboratories.
The WLA is comprised of laboratories with the
expertise to analyze water samples for chemical,
biological or radiochemical contaminants. These
laboratories have the capability and capacity
to analyze samples in response to natural,
intentional or unintentional contamination
incidents. The WLA is an integral part of EPAs
Environmental Response Laboratory Network
(ERLN) and focuses solely on water.
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Key WLA Resources & Projects
Water Laboratory Alliance Response Plan
(WLA-RP)
The WLA-RP establishes a comprehensive, national
response approach to water contamination incidents
requiring analytical services. The WLA-RP includes
considerations for preparedness, response, remediation and
recovery. Specifically, the WLA-RP addresses incidents that,
due to their suspected cause or size, may require additional
analytical support than a single laboratory can provide.
The WLA-RP provides laboratories and utilities with best
practices for a systematic, coordinated response to a water
contamination incident. The best practices contained in the
WLA-RP can be used in conjunction with existing Incident
Command System (ICS) structures. In addition, key principles
of the WLA-RP can be applied to responses that only involve
a single laboratory. The WLA-RP can be accessed at http://
www2.epa.gov/waterlabnetwork/water-laboratory-
alliance-response-plan.
Analytical Preparedness Full-Scale
Exercises (AP-FSEs)
EPA's WLA Team conducts emergency response AP-FSEs on
an ongoing basis to enhance laboratory, utility and response
partner preparedness. Since 2009, EPA has coordinated
numerous multi-regional AP-FSEs, as well as smaller-scale
utility-led AP-FSEs. These exercises enable participants
to practice a coordinated analytical response to a major
environmental and public health incident.
Benefits
Membership in the WLA affords a number of
opportunities for laboratories to highlight their
capabilities among peers and stakeholders.
Additionally, WLA Members have priority
access to free preparedness opportunities
including:
• Participation in emergency response
exercises requiring analytical support.
• WLA Training Center courses.
• Water security-related tools and resources.
These opportunities enable WLA Members to
improve preparedness in a number of ways,
such as:
• Enhancing incident response.
• Increasing the ability to respond to customer
needs.
• Improving communications with laboratories
and other response stakeholders to help
address emerging analytical, laboratory
security or laboratory operation challenges.
• Providing access to validated methods for
unregulated contaminants of interest to the
Water Sector.
More information is available at http://
www2.epa.gov/emergency-response/
environmental-response-laboratory-
network-membership-and-benefits
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Water Laboratory Alliance
AP-FSEs have involved a wide spectrum of participants
including:
• EPA regional, state environmental and public health,
municipal, utility and commercial laboratories.
• Emergency response personnel.
• Partnering federal, state and municipal agencies.
The goal of these AP-FSEs is to establish a learning
environment in which participants:
• Gain experience with response best practices from the
WLA-RP
• Improve both internal and external communications.
• Interact with others to address a mock water
contamination incident.
These AP-FSEs allow the coordinating organization
to take on a leadership role in the mock response. The
coordinating EPA region or utility:
• Identifies and coordinates analytical support.
• Works with local public health departments and
reporting authorities (e.g., department of environmental
quality, state drinking water authority).
• Practices the use of key EPA tools and resources.
• Establishes relationships and a framework that could be
used during a real incident.
WLA Training Center
The WLA Training Center was developed to familiarize
WLA Member laboratories, utilities and Water Sector
stakeholders with Water Sector best practices. Courses
cover topics such as emergency response, analytical
methods, sample handling and data reporting. The WLA
Training Center helps ensure that these groups can take
advantage of WLA benefits, and operate effectively
during a response. The curriculum utilizes enhanced
computer-based training, including webcasts and online
modules when in-person training is not an option. Many
courses are self-guided and can be accessed at any time
via the Training Center website at http://www2.epa.gov/
waterlabnetwork/water-laboratory-alliance-training-
center.
Decontamination Strategy
EPA's Water Sector Security Mission is to provide national
leadership in developing and promoting security programs
that enhance the Sector's ability to prevent, detect, respond
to and recover from all hazards. EPA's Decontamination
Strategy responds to Homeland Security Presidential
Directive (HSPD)-10 which charges EPA with developing
strategies, guidelines and plans for decontamination.
EPA has worked with stakeholders to develop
a suite of products to support decontamination
efforts, including:
• Containment and Disposal of Large
Amounts of Contaminated Water: A
Support Guide for Water Utilities
Contains information on containment,
treatment, disposal, storage and transportation
of contaminated water, including decision-
making flowcharts that can be used in the field
during a response; the guide addresses nearly
70 contaminants of concern to the Water
Sector.
• Decontamination Website
Provides easy access to decontamination
documents benefiting the Water Sector.
Visit the decontamination website for the most current
information on Water Sector decontamination at http://
www2.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/learn-about-
decontamination-drinking-water-and-wastewater-
utilities.
Water Contaminant Information Tool
(WCIT)
WCIT is a secure online database with comprehensive
information about chemical, biological and radiochemical
contaminants of concern for the Water Sector. This tool
compiles drinking water- and wastewater-specific data
in a one-stop, easy-to-use tool. WCIT includes more than
200 analytical methods associated with more than 800
contaminants. Register for WCIT at http://www2.epa.
gov/waterdata/water-contaminant-information-tool-
registration.
Home Base for Environmental Laboratories
EPA awarded a cooperative agreement to the Association
of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) to develop a Home
Base for environmental laboratories. This Home Base is
an avenue for disseminating educational programs and
tools. Additionally, it is a platform for laboratories, and
state and federal agencies to exchange information. As a
result, environmental laboratories have a voice in crafting
priorities for the WLA and are kept abreast of water
security issues.
For additional information on the WLA, including membership,
contact the WLA Helpline at 703-461-2400 or WLA@epa.gov, or
visit the WLA homepage at http://www2.epa.gov/waterlabnetwork.
Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA 817-F-15-030 | November 2015
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