The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a Checklist for Laboratories Providing Analytical Support for Water Contamination Incidents to help laboratories prepare for and respond to drinking water emergencies.
When a drinking water contamination incident occurs, utilities move through three phases—investigation, response, and recovery. Laboratories play a critical role in each phase by providing timely, reliable analytical results that support decision-making during an emergency.
The checklist is designed for:
- Tribal laboratories
- Utility laboratories
- Commercial laboratories
- Municipal laboratories
- State and federal laboratories that support water sector emergencies
The checklist includes practical guidance on:
- Pre-incident preparedness, including laboratory contacts, analytical capabilities, and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC)
- Incident response, including sampling and analysis priorities, chain of custody, and communications
- Surge capacity, laboratory safety, recovery activities, and after-action planning
This resource can help strengthen emergency preparedness and response planning for Tribal drinking water systems and laboratories supporting the water sector.
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