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Successes and Failures along a 32-Month Path to NELAP Accreditation: Lessons in Preparation, Delegation, and Perseverance
Oral Presentation
Prepared by C. Lytle, J. Shackelford
City of Portland (OR) Water Pollution Control Laboratory, 6543 North Burlington Avenue, Portland, OR, 97203, United States
Contact Information: charles.lytle@portlandoregon.gov; 503-823-5568
ABSTRACT
The City of Portland Water Pollution Control Laboratory (WPCL) is a mid-sized wastewater utility laboratory tasked with the analysis of water, wastewater, groundwater, soils, and biosolids for both general and National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) purposes. Although not currently required by the state of Oregon or by US EPA, the laboratory decided to seek NELAP accreditation through the Oregon NELAP program. Success factors included: buy-in by senior management; strong support from local and regional wastewater and environmental laboratory associations; the prior implementation of a new laboratory information system (LIMS); prior standard operating procedure (SOP) updating effort; a third-party pre-audit; and a third-party internal quality assurance (QA) review. Barriers and set-backs included: poor delegation of responsibilities; poor writing skills among technical staff; mid-stream change in senior staff; non-commitment of state and national wastewater organizations. Final outcome was accreditation for 540 accreditation fields the next day following a two-day audit.
Oral Presentation
Prepared by C. Lytle, J. Shackelford
City of Portland (OR) Water Pollution Control Laboratory, 6543 North Burlington Avenue, Portland, OR, 97203, United States
Contact Information: charles.lytle@portlandoregon.gov; 503-823-5568
ABSTRACT
The City of Portland Water Pollution Control Laboratory (WPCL) is a mid-sized wastewater utility laboratory tasked with the analysis of water, wastewater, groundwater, soils, and biosolids for both general and National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) purposes. Although not currently required by the state of Oregon or by US EPA, the laboratory decided to seek NELAP accreditation through the Oregon NELAP program. Success factors included: buy-in by senior management; strong support from local and regional wastewater and environmental laboratory associations; the prior implementation of a new laboratory information system (LIMS); prior standard operating procedure (SOP) updating effort; a third-party pre-audit; and a third-party internal quality assurance (QA) review. Barriers and set-backs included: poor delegation of responsibilities; poor writing skills among technical staff; mid-stream change in senior staff; non-commitment of state and national wastewater organizations. Final outcome was accreditation for 540 accreditation fields the next day following a two-day audit.