Water Qual ity LaboratoryThe Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Dedicated to Safe Drinking Water

Protection

Dissolved salts or minerals in watersheds also require source control and management strategies. Metropolitan proactively works through various platforms to protect and improve source water quality. This involves advocating for quick cleanup of contaminated industrial sites within watersheds and managing development and recreation near its own source waters and reservoirs. Metropolitan also develops key stakeholder partnerships, participates in watershed workgroups, and supports legislation and policies that advance source water protection.

Quality

Metropolitan’s main water quality laboratory is a sophisticated,58,000-square-foot facility located in La Verne. The laboratory’s primarypurpose is to safeguard the drinking water the district serves to nearly 19 million Southern Californians. Here, highly trained scientists, engineers and technicians with specialties in chemistry, microbiology, limnology (the study of rivers and lakes) and process engineering regularly analyze water samples and conduct applied research to maintain water quality, improve detection methods and optimize treatment efficiency.

Source water protection is the first defense in a multi-barrier approach to providing safe drinking water, and involves minimizing threats of contamination entering drinking water sources. The quality of source waters used by Metropolitan – the Colorado River and California’s State Water Project – can be affected by stormwater runoff, recreational activities, industrial and wastewater discharges, agricultural runoff, fires and other watershed factors.

Metropolitan tests its water for over 400 constituents, performing nearly 250,000 waterquality tests each year. Samples are collected from source waters, treatment plants andthroughout the vast distribution system. Methods approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are among a variety of modern techniques used to detect bacteria, viruses, parasites, algae, and chemical contaminants. Monitoring also safeguards against such concerns as cyanobacterial blooms in source waters that can impact quality, disinfection byproducts formed during the treatment process, and other water quality concerns.

The sensitivity of a human nose and palette is also used by Metropolitan in its Flavor Profile Analysis. A panel of highly-trained staff routinely taste and smell water samples. Metropolitan continues to meet or surpass all federal and state drinking water standards, and also takes proactive measures to ensure the aesthetics of its water meets consumer expectations.

Research, Innovation, Detection & Treatment

Metropolitan conducts applied research to enhance treatment processes, improve contaminant detection methods, monitor and control invasive species, and prepare for new regulations.

Metropolitan’s staff is developing new methods to detect chemical contaminants such as disinfection byproducts, pharmaceuticals, cyanobacterial toxins, and taste-and-odor compounds.

A variety of methods are used to detect, identify and characterize microbial contaminants such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, E. coli and enteric viruses. These methods include cell culture, microscopy, molecular techniques, immunoassays and bioassays.

There are also five satellite laboratories located at each of Metropolitan’s treatment plants that provide testing capabilities supporting Metropolitan’s goal of delivering safe and reliable high-quality drinking water to its customers. The main laboratory is further complemented by two pilot plants and a 5.5-million gallon per day demonstration plant for evaluating full-scale water treatment plant design and operational issues.

Metropolitan staff have evaluated contaminant removal methods that include membrane technology, ultraviolet irradiation, chlorine dioxide and ozone. Metropolitan is also at the forefront of efforts to monitor and study control measures for quagga mussels-- an invasive species that can multiply rapidly, alter aquatic ecosystems and significantly impact water operations.

Water Qual ity LaboratoryThe Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Water Quality Laboratory700 Moreno Avenue La Verne, CA 91750

Metropolitan Water DistrictMain Headquarters700 North Alameda Street Los Angeles, CA 90012mwdh2o.com

5M/March 2016

RegulationsThere are federal and state regulations that ensure the safety of drinking water. California is at the forefront of developing stringent standards and informing consumers about water quality. These standards set limits on the allowable concentration of substances in drinking water. Metropolitan has significantly contributed to the establishment of current water quality standards and guidelines, while keeping a watchful eye on and engaging in regulatory efforts for emerging constituents and issues.

Collaboration

Looking Ahead

Metropolitan collaborates with its member agencies, regulatory agencies, national water associations, environmental groups, industrial representatives and security agencies to address water quality issues through innovative research and sharing of information.

Future water quality challenges facing the drinking water industry require Metropolitan to adapt and lead. Issues include emerging contaminants and new regulations, climate and other environmental changes, and development of new sources including recycled water and seawater. Metropolitan’s Water Quality Laboratory is well equipped to face these challenges while continuing to meet the mission of ensuring safe, reliable supplies of high quality water to the Southern California region—now and into the future.

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