Water Security Initiative

Building Laboratory Capabilities for Responding to Possible Water

Contamination

Elizabeth HedrickU.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Water Security Division

Water Laboratory Alliance Security SummitNashville, TennesseeMarch 22-23, 2012 1

• Background on EPA’s Water Security Initiative

• Sampling and Analysis for Water Security– Responding to Possible Water

Contamination– Process for Building Laboratory

Response Capabilities– Example Utility Capabilities for

Water Security

• Upcoming WSi-CWS S&A Products for Water Utilities

Presentation Overview

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WSi-CWS System Architecture

WSi-CWS Demonstration Pilots

• Greater Cincinnati Water Works (June 2006-June 2009)

• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (July 2008 – September 2012)

• New York City Department of Environmental Protection (July 2008 – September 2012)

• Philadelphia Water Department (Dec 2008 – Dec 2012)

• Dallas Water Utilities (Dec 2008 – Dec 2012)

Responding to Possible Contamination

• In the absence of information to guide the analytical investigation, laboratory analyses are performed for a wide range of contaminants of concern to water security.

• Through advance planning, water utilities can identify contaminants of concern to water security, methods for analyses, and laboratory response partners.

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• What are contaminants of concern to water security?

• How do I find appropriate methods?

• How do I determine if acquiring a new in-house method capability for water security is sustainable in the long run?

• Are there special considerations I should be aware of if I want to use my regulatory compliance lab partners?

• Who are possible lab partners for contaminants such as chemical warfare agents, radionuclides, and select pathogens, and how do I engage them during planning?

• When is Federal assistance available to my utility for laboratory analyses?

Challenges Facing Utilities

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New WSi-CWS Guidance forWater Utilities

Water Security Initiative: Guidance for Building Laboratory Capabilities to Respond to Drinking Water Contamination

• Answers common questions utilities have regarding building laboratory capabilities for responding to a wide range of contaminants of concern to water security.

• Is the first of a series of guidance documents for water utilities desiring to build field and laboratory capabilities for Contamination Warning Systems, or desiring to enhance water security practices for sampling and analysis.

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Process for Building Laboratory Response Capabilities

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Example Utility Response Capabilities

Contaminant Class Contaminants Method Laboratory Notes

Pathogens Bacillus anthracisBurkholderia spp. Francisella tularensisYersinia pestisVariola (orthopoxvirus)

LRN BT Agent Screening Protocol

State LRN Lab Collect 100 L . Notify local health department to activate LRN lab if needed.

Cryptosporidium parvum EPA 1622 Utility

Biotoxins Brevitoxina- ConotoxinMicrocystin LRTetrodotoxin

SOP#53 Biotoxins and Pharma by LC-MS/MS

Utility In-house developed and validated method.

Carbamate Pesticides Aldicarb, Carbofuran, Oxamyl EPA 531.1 Commercial lab.

Rodenticides CrimidineStrychnine

SOP#53 Biotoxins and Pharma by LC-MS/MS

Utility In-house developed and validated method.

Heavy Metals, Mercury, Arsenic

Pb, Cd, Hg, As, plus metals screen EPA 200.8 Utility

Organophosphate Pesticides, PCBs

Dichlorvos, Mevinphos, fenamiphos screen, PCBs (as Aroclors)

EPA 525.2 Utility

CWA Degradates Screen: Ethyl methylphosphonic acid , Ethyl hydrogen dimethyl-amidophosphate

ASTM D7597-09 Commercial lab. ERLN lab for confirmation of parent CWA if positive on screen.

Example Utility Response Capabilities, cont’d

Contaminant Class Contaminants Method Laboratory Notes

Herbicides Paraquat EPA 549.2 Commercial lab.

Cyanide Total cyanide EPA 335.4 Commercial lab Utility performs free CN analysis in field.

Gasoline and Petroleum Products

BTEX/volatiles indicative of gasoline

EPA 524.2 Utility

Pharmaceuticals ColchicineDigoxinPlus illicit drug screen

SOP#53 Biotoxins and Pharma by LC-MS/MS

Utility In-house developed and validated method.

Radionuclides Gross Alpha/Beta

Screen: Uranium -238Strontium -90

EPA OO-02/900.0 State Health Lab

Radionuclides Gamma Emitters

Cesium-137 EPA 901.1 State Health Lab Utility performs beta/gamma screen in the field.

• In response to possible contamination, all labs are notified and readied.• Samples are collected for all methods outlined above.• If the investigation can not be closed, all samples are analyzed. 10

Upcoming WSi-CWS S&A Products for Water Utilities

Guidance• Building Laboratory Capabilities to Respond to Water Contamination• Baseline Monitoring of Field and Laboratory Methods• Development of Effective Procedures for Incident Response Sampling

and Analysis

Training• Hazard Awareness and Safe Work Practices for Responding to

Possible Water Contamination• Hazard Assessment Tools for Water Utilities

Journal Articles• S&A for Select Pathogen Analysis – A Water Utility Case Study• Partnering With HazMat – WSi Pilot Utility Perspectives and Lessons

Learned 11

Contact Information

Elizabeth HedrickU.S. EPA

513-569-7296Hedrick.elizabeth@epa.gov

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Questions

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