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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Inspector General
At a Glance
2006-P-00036
September 21, 2006
Catalyst for Improving the Environment
Why We Did This Review
Between Fiscal Years 2000
and 2003, our Office of
Investigations laboratory fraud
unit saw an increase in cases.
Drinking water samples, if not
appropriately analyzed, will
increase the risk of public
exposure to harmful
contaminants. We conducted
this review to identify
vulnerabilities in the drinking
water sample analysis process
and promising techniques to
improve laboratory integrity.
Background
The Safe Drinking Water Act
of 1974 provides that a
laboratory must obtain
approval by the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) or a State
before analyzing public
drinking water samples for
compliance with health-based
standards. EPA certification
and National Environmental
Laboratory Accreditation
Conference accreditation
programs provide oversight of
drinking water laboratories.
For further information,
contact our Office of
Congressional and Public
Liaison at (202) 566-2391.
To view the full report,
click on the following link:
www.epa.aov/oia/reports/2006/
20060921 -2006-P-00036.pdf
Promising Techniques Identified to
Improve Drinking Water Laboratory Integrity
and Reduce Public Health Risks
What We Found
Within the drinking water sample analysis process we identified hundreds of
vulnerabilities that are not addressed by EPA's process. These vulnerabilities can
compromise the integrity of the analysis process and the quality of data produced.
Many of these vulnerabilities were identified by the Office of Inspector General in
1999 and the Agency's own review in 2002, with no action by the Agency.
Moreover, States that have implemented new techniques to detect laboratory
integrity problems have found additional deficiencies, inappropriate procedures,
and even cases of fraud. Their findings and those of our own investigators show
integrity can be, and has been, compromised. However, without any national
studies of water quality data that include examining the integrity of laboratories,
the full extent of the problem remains unassessed.
Through our work with States, laboratory organizations, and other Federal
agencies, we identified promising techniques to help improve oversight and
protect against inappropriate procedures and fraud in the drinking water analysis
process. This report contains details on those promising techniques.
What We Recommend
Given the potential impact of poor quality data on human health, we recommend
that EPA assess drinking water laboratory integrity and incorporate promising
techniques to better identify inappropriate procedures and fraud into the
laboratory oversight process. Our specific recommendations include reforms to
laboratory oversight processes, policy, guidance, and training. In addition, the
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water should improve awareness of the
vulnerabilities and realities of fraud and inappropriate procedures affecting
drinking water data quality. The Office of Environmental Information should
develop a mechanism to identify, and a policy to address, data in Agency
databases from laboratories under investigation, indictment, and/or conviction.
EPA suggested modifications to several of our recommendations, preferring to
encourage rather than require the use of promising techniques. We made changes
where appropriate.

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