National Water Quality Laboratory

Annual Report

Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002

Open-File Report 03-14

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

National Water Quality Laboratory

Annual Report

Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002

Open-File Report 03-14
National Water Quality Laboratory

Annual Report

Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002

By Jon W. Raese

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Open-File Report 03-14

Denver, Colorado

2003
For additional information write to: 

 

Chief, National Water Quality Laboratory

U.S. Geological Survey

Box 25046, Mail Stop 407

Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225-0046

Copies of this report can be purchased from:

U.S. Geological Survey

Branch of Information Services

Box 25286

Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225-0286

U.S. Department of the Interior

Gale A. Norton, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Charles G. Groat, Director
CONTENTS

Summary and Mission 1

Fiscal Year 2001 2

Accreditation 2

Laboratory Information Management System 2

Methods Research and Development 3

Core Business Emphasized in Reorganization 3

Administrative Services 4

Joint Project Team 4

Analytical Services—Selected Special Projects and Custom Methods 5

Safety, Health, and Environmental Compliance 7

Public Outreach—Tours, Meetings 8

Fiscal Year 2002 9

Research Support 9

Laboratory Information Management System Updated 10

Methods Research and Development 10

Administrative Services Improves Billing Web Site, Income/Workload Estimates 11

Innovation and Improvement 11

Training 12

Safety Compliance Rated “Best Overall in Region” 12

Quality Assurance 13

Public Outreach—Tours, Meetings 14

Financial Statement for Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002 14

Reference 16

How To Contact Us 16

iii
FOREWORD

This National Water Quality Laboratory 

(NWQL) annual report is designed to recap 

the important changes, contributions, and 

successes of the Laboratory over the past 2 

years. The intent is to provide our customers with a concise overview of what the 

Laboratory has accomplished, how it has 

performed, and how the assets entrusted to 

us have been used to further the mission 

of the U.S. Geological Survey. As with 

any organization or corporation, success 

belongs to the people who do the work. As 

you read through this report, take note of 

the faces of the people who are the NWQL. 

They are dedicated to the pursuit of science, 

quality, and customer service, and they are 

responsible for the success of the NWQL. 

Thank you for your confidence in our ability to meet your analytical needs.

GREGORY B. MOHRMAN

Chief, Branch of Analytical Services

National Water Quality Laboratory

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Technical Assistance

Gary L. Cottrell, U.S. Geological Survey

Gregory B. Mohrman, U.S. Geological Survey

Technical Review

Robert B. Green, U.S. Geological Survey

Keith J. Lucey, U.S. Geological Survey

Peter F. Rogerson, U.S. Geological Survey

LeRoy J. Schroder II, U.S. Geological Survey

Merle W. Shockey, U.S. Geological Survey

Production Notes

Design and Layout: Suzanne C. Roberts, U.S. Geological Survey

Photography: Jon W. Raese, U.S. Geological Survey

iv
SUMMARY AND MISSION

Fiscal years 2001 and 2002 were marked by important events for 

the National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL). New accreditation, 

an improved Laboratory Information Management System, creation 

of a Joint Project Team, a citation as the “best overall safety program” 

in the Central Region, and the development of new analytical methods 

were pivotal as the NWQL responded aggressively to customer needs 

in the face of declining financial resources.

The primary mission of the NWQL is to support U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) programs that require long-term, consistent, analytical chemistry and biological data of known quality for national 

assessment and trends analysis. Results of these studies provide natural-resource managers and policymakers with essential earth science 

information needed to make decisions about the use and conservation 

of the Nation’s resources.

This mission was strengthened in the past 2 years as the NWQL 

worked to transform itself to respond quickly to customer needs. For 

example, the USGS Ocala Water Quality and Research Laboratory in 

Florida and the NWQL set up a Joint Project Team in 2001 to address 

improvements in overall customer service. A charter was set up to 

focus team responsibilities on enhancing customer access to field supplies provided by both laboratories.

During 2001 and 2002, the NWQL produced about 2.6 million 

individual data results for its customers. Most of this information is 

stored in the USGS National Water Information System (NWISWeb), 

where scientists can access and use the water-resources data from 

about 1.5 million sites in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 

Puerto Rico. These water-quality results represent the single most 

important contribution that the NWQL makes to the science of studying the Nation’s water resources. The ability of the NWQL to provide 

high-quality analytical data—at exceptionally low detection levels 

for various chemical contaminants, including parent compounds and 

degradates, in sample matrices collected throughout the United States—is 

unmatched in government or industry.

In addition, the NWQL developed 

cooperative programs with other Federal 

agencies, installed new safety measures, 

and enhanced communication with its 

customers. Unfortunately, given the high 

cost of training new staff and the uncertainty of sample submission following 

budget cuts in various programs throughout the USGS, the NWQL left some 

personnel vacancies unfilled. 

Fiscal years 2001 and 2002 are 

reviewed, respectively, on the following 

pages, along with plans for the coming 

months in 2003.

1

Maps are not to scale

Puerto Rico

Alaska

Hawaii
2

Accreditation

The National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) accredited the NWQL in 

August 2001 using guidelines developed by the National 

Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference 

(NELAC). NELAC is a cooperative association of 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), 

participating states, and other Federal agencies formed 

to promote mutually acceptable performance standards 

for operating environmental laboratories. The on-site 

accreditation audit was carried out by the State of New 

York Department of Health Environmental Laboratory 

Approval Program. 

Three major criteria must be met to qualify for 

NELAP accreditation: successful analysis of performance-testing materials, implementation of quality 

systems, and a satisfactory on-site laboratory audit. The 

NWQL successfully passed the on-site audit for drinking-water analyses as described in the Safe Drinking 

Water Act. NELAP accreditation is the only USEPAsponsored national program for accrediting environmental laboratories.

The NELAP accreditation process promotes the development of mutually acceptable performance standards 

for the inspection and operation of environmental laboratories. It is designed to ensure acceptance and comparability of environmental data produced by NELAP-approved laboratories throughout the United States. Last year, 

Thomas J. Maloney, NWQL Quality Assurance Section Chief, was selected to join the NELAC Board of Directors.

The NWQL also is accredited by the State of Colorado for the analysis of drinking-water samples and is 

audited regularly by the USGS Branch of Quality Systems.

Laboratory Information Management System

NWQL launched a new Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in May 2001 to improve data 

handling and access. Many manual functions were automated by the new LIMS, helping to ensure the accuracy 

of water data. There were headaches, too, because the transition from the old LIMS to the new system was not 

error free. Once the startup problems were resolved, attention was turned to enhancing the system. Data from 

the new LIMS were loaded into NWIS after testing to ensure the proper transfer of results.

NWQL Chief Greg Mohrman hailed the new LIMS as an “important technological key to the future of the 

National Water Quality Laboratory.” He called it a “pivotal milestone” and complimented the dedicated work of 

the Information Technology Team.
3

Methods Research and Development

Accurate, precise, and timely data are essential to assessing water quality and its effect 

on the Nation’s environment. The NWQL continues to provide its expertise and leadership in analytical and environmental chemistry to the USGS and other local, State, 

and Federal agencies and the scientific community through developing and improving 

methods for assessing water quality, enhancing productivity, and supporting future 

water-quality investigations. 

Five new methods were developed, approved, and published in 2001:

• Determination of ammonium plus organic nitrogen

• Processing, taxonomy, and quality control of benthic macroinvertebrate 

samples

• Determination of moderate-use pesticides and selected degradates in water

• Determination of organic plus inorganic mercury in filtered and unfiltered natural 

water

• Determination of polar and labile pesticides in water

Core Business 

Emphasized in 

Reorganization

Operating units were reorganized in 

mid-October 2001 to enhance the core 

business of providing high-quality analytical services. The most prominent changes 

involved the so-called “production units” 

and the formation of a Business Development Team. 

The former Inorganic and Organic 

Chemistry Programs were merged under 

Analytical Services, and radiochemistry 

and biology were included. Mohrman said 

he expects the change to “increase efficiency by cross-training our analysts and providing them with opportunities to diversify their experience and to grow individually.” Mark Burkhardt was named as the initial chief of 

the section. In addition, a new Business Development Team under Gary Cottrell consolidated various business 

elements, such as customer services and publication programs. The purpose of the team is to improve customer 

satisfaction and to develop effective communications. A key goal is to reduce the response time for problem 

resolution. 

The Business Development Team (BDT) assists customers with problems, data tracking, and coordinating 

responses to those who request assistance in developing project plans. Emphasis is placed on improving the 

NWQL web site and Water Logs, the NWQL Newsletter.
Total for USGS Water-Resources Discipline:

$17,656,000

National Water Quality Laboratory:

$11,956,000

Estimated analytical work by

contract labs: $4,700,000

Ocala Water Quality and Research

Laboratory: $~1,000,000

Dollar amount of analytical work performed for the U.S. Geological Survey 

Water-Resources Discipline in fiscal year 2001.

4

Early achievements of the Business Development Team are as follows:

• Informal notice system called “Rapi-Note” launched to provide a quick method of delivering 

preliminary information to customers;

• Toll-free customer-service telephone number 1-866-ASK-NWQL (1-866-275-6975) set up to 

speed service calls; 

• New help mailbox established to send and receive inquiries regarding sample submittal, receipt, 

and login;

• BDT provided assistance to the Information Technology Section to redesign the reanalysis 

request form for easy use on the NWQL’s web site;

• Publication of the Profile Fact Sheet, which describes services, capabilities, and facilities.

Administrative Services

NWQL management implemented a pricing model to capture and recover all costs associated with analytical 

tests. This model is used to set analytical prices by weighting and combining all costs for each analysis, including employee hours, waste disposal, instrument depreciation, chemicals and other consumables, scheduled 

computer replacement, and overhead expenses. 

The following illustration shows the dollar amount of analytical work performed for the USGS WaterResources Discipline (WRD) by the NWQL in relation to all other laboratories doing work to support USGS 

WRD programs:

Joint Project Team

The NWQL and the USGS Ocala Water Quality and Research Laboratory in Florida set up a joint project 

team to address improvements in overall customer service. Team members promptly undertook projects to save 

money by purchasing Gelman filters in large numbers for users, by standardizing lot sizes on organic blank 

water, and by using a new common carrier to return sample coolers to the District offices. In the latter case, 

shipping costs for sample coolers should save District customers $15,000 to $20,000 annually, according to the 

NWQL Support Services Section. Improved discounts from the new common carrier for returning nonstandard 

packages to District offices not only result in reduced shipping costs, but also cut shipping time by 1 to 2 days 

and expand the service area to include Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The joint team also helped to 

develop strong ties between the two laboratories that will ultimately benefit all customers.
5

Analytical Services–Selected Special Projects and 

Custom Methods

• Analytical results by the NWQL supported the first nationwide reconnaissance of the presence of pharmceuticals, 

hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in 

water resources. USGS scientists used newly developed 

methods by the NWQL to measure concentrations of 95 

organic wastewater contaminants in water samples from 

streams throughout the United States. The compounds 

detected represented a wide range of origins and uses. Concentrations generally were low and rarely exceeded drinking-water standards. However, many of the compounds do 

not have such standards established, and the detection of 

multiple wastewater contaminants in a given sample was 

common for the study.

• The NWQL achieved the first environmental confirmation of 

benzalkonium chlorides (BACs) in sediment samples using a new 

methodology based on accelerated solvent extraction followed 

by an on-line cleanup step. The BACs were detected by liquid 

chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry (MS) or by tandem 

mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using an electrospray interface operated in the positive ion mode. The latter method combines the high 

efficiency of extraction provided by a pressurized fluid with the 

high sensitivity offered by the ion trap MS. The method provides 

detection limits in the subnanogram-per-gram range. The BACs are 

quaternary ammonium surfactants with detergent and antimicrobial 

properties that are produced for industrial cleansers.

• Representatives of the USGS Nevada District Office briefed the NWQL 

management team and analysts on the Fallon, Nevada, sampling and analysis project. The Nevada District Office and the NWQL developed a partnership to search for clues to an outbreak of leukemia in the small farming 

town of Fallon. Nevada health officials confirmed 14 cases of childhood 

leukemia in less than 2 years in the Fallon area. The Nevada District collected water samples for analysis by the NWQL, which helped to design the 

analytical protocols.

• A partnership was developed with the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

in a pilot program for new laboratories in 

New York and San Francisco to analyze 

drinking-water samples for pesticides. The USDA was aware of 

USGS methods for determining pesticides and asked the State laboratories to implement those methods. In that connection, the NWQL 

briefed a delegation from State laboratories, provided information 

on pesticide methods, and helped to train analysts and technicians to 

implement the USGS methods in New York and San Francisco.
6

• In 2001, the NWQL developed a custom method to determine 

fipronil and its degradates in sediment samples for the USGS District 

Office in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fipronil has been applied to rice 

in Louisiana to control the rice weevil. The NWQL began developing 

a custom method before 2001 to analyze water and suspended-sediment samples for fipronil and its degradates. The NWQL has validated the fipronil data for water samples and is preparing a method 

report for approval and publication.

• The USGS Texas District 

Office requested a custom method for biomarker compounds, 

specifically for use with bottom- and suspended-sediment samples. Molecular biomarkers typically are hydrocarbon-based 

organic compounds with their origins in biological structures and 

processes. They are a diverse group of compound classes that 

typically are preserved in fossilized organic matter, including 

petroleum and its products. The sediment core samples will be 

collected by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) 

Program as part of its reservoir study.

• The USGS and the Glen 

Canyon National Recreation 

Area have identified sediment and water-quality issues 

for Lake Powell in Arizona 

and Utah. Major sediment deposits are found in inflow areas of the 

Colorado, San Juan, and Escalante Rivers, forming sediment deltas. 

These deltas are potential sites for the accumulation and storage of 

contaminants that can affect water quality. The NWQL analysts have 

been asked by the USGS Arizona District Office to look for low-level 

organochlorine pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 

and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in sediment and water 

samples.

• The USGS is using 

paleolimnological methods in the Yukon River Basin 

in Alaska to determine trends in atmospheric fallout as 

a result of urban development. The NAWQA Reconstructed Trends Study is designed to collect core samples 

from five pristine lakes in the Yukon River Basin. The 

NWQL is modifying a method to determine low-level 

organochlorine pesticides, including technical chlordane 

and PCBs, and PAHs in lake core-sediment samples.
Safety, Health, and 

Environmental Compliance

Changing hazardous sample preservatives, eliminating 

methylene chloride from an analytical method, and reducing waste are some of the projects tackled by the NWQL 

Safety Office and Analytical Services Section.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) updated regulations on the permissible levels of hazardous materials 

that can be shipped by common carrier. As a result, the 

Safety Office had each sample type tested to determine 

if the preservatives met DOT criteria. Only one sample 

preservative failed the test: mercury samples preserved 

with concentrated nitric acid and potassium dichromate. 

Following preliminary tests, the NWQL modified the analytical method so that water samples for mercury analysis 

could be preserved with hydrochloric acid, which passed 

the DOT regulation for corrosives. The Safety Office, in 

turn, coordinated with the USGS Office of Water Quality 

and field offices for the proper disposal of unused potassium dichromate.

The NWQL continually seeks to improve analytical methods by 

reducing chemical waste and using less hazardous materials when 

appropriate. For example, methylene chloride was replaced as the 

extraction solvent from one method with a less harmful solvent 

(ethyl acetate). As a result, the waste stream for the method may be 

sufficiently clean for release to the publicly owned treatment works 

and will not need to be contained and disposed as hazardous waste.

A containment vault system at NWQL monitors all wastewater 

from laboratory sinks and drains. The system monitors and adjusts 

the pH of wastewater to meet discharge requirements for publicly owned treatment works. The system was modified to include 

the processing of aqueous waste from a large glassware washing 

machine. Previously, this waste was collected in drums and processed through an ion-exchange system, which involved moving 

heavy drums of acidic water and required many hours for processing. The neutralization of this waste now is automated because it is 

handled through the containment vault system.

The NWQL also started an automated external defibrillator 

(AED) program. Eighteen employees were trained in the use of 

AED and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). AEDs are specialized devices designed to recognize and treat certain lethal heart 

rhythms during cardiac arrest. The AEDs now are in place, and 

trained responders are prepared to save the lives of cardiac arrest 

victims.

7
8

Public Outreach—Tours, Meetings

The NWQL is an active participant in field-training 

courses and routinely opens its laboratories to visiting classes 

and guests. It hosted various tours, meetings, and classes in 

FY2001, beginning with a tour for 10 emergency managers, 

who were in town to attend a class sponsored by the Bureau 

of Reclamation.

Other tours included a technically oriented group from 

three U.S. Department of Agriculture facilities in New York, 

California and Virginia; an Interagency Hazardous Materials 

group gathered to discuss hazardous material problems and 

solutions; Barbara Waiman, Chief, Office of Communications, accompanied by Ann Frazier, Focus Area Coordinator, 

Great Plains Focus Area, toured the facility to understand the 

role of the NWQL in the USGS. 

Karen Siderelis, USGS Geographic Information Officer, visited NWQL to learn about 

integrating USGS information systems; Eric 

Evenson, New Jersey District Chief, and David 

Steadfast, Assistant District Chief, visited the 

Carbon Unit; two groups from a National WaterQuality Assessment Program (NAWQA) meeting 

in Denver, one from Connecticut and one from 

Oregon, toured the NWQL.

Colorado Department of Health audited the 

facility (primary interest in drinking-water methods and general protocols). High school students 

and senior citizens, guests from the American 

Water Resources Association (AWRA), and students from the USGS National Training Center 

(NTC) Field Water-Quality Methods class for 

Ground Water and Surface Water visited NWQL.

Karin Harlin, Laboratory Chief, National 

Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP), met 

with Charles Patton to discuss nutrient methods, 

and with John Garbarino to discuss trace metal 

speciation and analytes. The NWQL was host to 

23 children of NWQL employees during “Take 

Your Child to Work Day.” Other guests included 

Dr. Mohammed A. Tawfig, Acting President, 

Saudi Geological Survey; students from the NTC 

Senior Technician Seminar; and 28 students from 

the NTC Water-Quality Field Methods Refresher 

training course.
Research Support

End-of-year funding from USGS helped to support three special 

projects in 2002:

1 National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI),

2 electronic Analytical Services Request form (eASR), and

3 alkaline persulfate digestion method development.

1 All USGS methods are being added to NEMI (see World Wide Web at www.nemi.gov). By 

early spring 2002, the NWQL had scanned, converted 

to portable document format (PDF), and added 

142 USGS methods to the NEMI data base. These 

methods represent the beginning of a project to place 

all USGS methods in the NEMI data base for national 

access through the Internet.

The NEMI workgroup released the methods to the 

public in summer 2002; the USGS methods were a 

prominent part of this initial release. Periodic releases 

with additional methods are planned, including field 

and biological methods. The purpose of NEMI is to 

provide a mechanism to compare and contrast the 

performance and cost of analytical methods for environmental monitoring.

The Methods and Data Comparability Board, a 

partnership of water-quality experts from Federal 

agencies, States, tribes, municipalities, industry, and 

private organizations, developed NEMI. After the 

project is finished, the methods will also be placed on 

a USGS web page.

2 For many years customers requested a means to enter Analytical Services Request sample 

information directly into the NWQL data base so 

that the information is available to personnel when 

the samples arrive at the NWQL. The NWQL 

developed procedures to fulfill these requests and 

placed the eASR online. Information from the 

stored eASR automatically populates data fields in 

the LIMS. Handwritten updates must be checked; 

however, data entry and transcription errors are 

reduced with the improved flow of electronic 

information from the field, to the LIMS at NWQL, 

and into NWIS. Accuracy is improved and errors are 

reduced, thus saving time and money. 

3 Charles J. Patton developed and validated an alkaline persulfate digestion method for 

automated total nitrogen and total phosphorus 

determinations. The new method, once approved, will 

be an alternative to the Kjeldahl digestion method 

for determination of dissolved and total nitrogen and 

phosphorus. It will eliminate safety concerns and 

waste-stream disposal costs associated with Kjeldahl 

digestion, and lower detection limits for dissolved and 

total nitrogen and phosphorus determinations.

As part of the ongoing work, nitrate in the alkaline 

persulfate digests will be determined simultaneously 

by the current cadmium method and a new nitrate 

reductase (NaR) reduction method. An NaR-reduction 

method would eliminate the need for toxic cadmium 

in total and dissolved nitrogen determinations by 

the alkaline persulfate digestion method. Eliminating highly toxic mercury and cadmium from these 

high-demand analyses would be a major accomplishment for NWQL and environmental safety. The NaR 

work is a Cooperative 

Technical Assistance 

project with the Nitrate 

Elimination Company. 

The NWQL anticipates 

that this collaborative 

effort will result in 

improved science using 

a “greener” chemistry.

9
Laboratory Information 

Management System Updated

In addition to the eASR, a number of new applications have been added to the LIMS, including interactive Sample Status and access to current and historical 

long-term method detection levels. A new version of 

Sample Status was added that eliminated the use of 

passwords and provided specific selections by user 

code, station identification, or laboratory identification. Selections may be limited further by specifying 

an account code, start date, or end date. All samples 

that meet the criteria are displayed in a report.

Modifications to this application were based on 

comments and requests received at meetings and by email. The application is available to USGS employees 

at http://nwql.cr.usgs.gov/usgs/sampstatus/index.cfm.

The Quality Assurance and Information Technology Sections jointly developed an application to post 

information on the current and historical long-term 

method detection levels (LT-MDLs) on the web. The 

application can search for a schedule, lab code, or 

constituent for all methods available in the LIMS. The 

application can be reached at http://nwql.cr.usgs.gov/

usgs/ltmdl/ ltmdl.cfm.

Methods Research and 

Development

NWQL scientists were part of a research team that 

conducted a nationwide reconnaissance for pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater 

contaminants in streams (Kolpin and others, 2002). 

Pharmaceuticals and wastewater methods, developed 

at the NWQL, were important components of this 

study. The study proved that mixtures of pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other contaminants can occur at 

low concentrations in streams that are susceptible to 

wastewater sources. 

The study also provided methodology and guidance 

for future monitoring and assessment of these types of 

environmental contaminants. The reconnaissance was 

sponsored by the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program and was spearheaded by its emerging 

contaminants working group, which includes NWQL 

scientists in the Methods Research and Development 

Program.

Four new methods were developed and approved in 

fiscal year 2002:

• Determination of wastewater compounds

• Determination of organophosphate pesticides 

in filtered water

• Determination of organophosphate pesticides 

in bottom sediment

• Arsenic speciation in natural-water samples 

using laboratory and field methods 

Other new methods under development include 

the following: a method supplement for determination of fipronil and degradates in water; determination of gasoline oxygenates, selected degradates, and 

BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) 

in water; determination of organochlorine pesticides 

and polychlorinated biphenyls in bottom sediment; 

determination of organophosphate pesticides in whole 

water; an automated alkaline persulfate digestion 

method for determination of dissolved and total nitrogen and phosphorus; and determination of polycyclic 

aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and 

petroleum biomarker compounds in sediment. 

Chemists Peter Rogerson (USGS Office of Water 

Quality) and Charles Patton (NWQL Methods 

Research and Development Program) collaborated 

with hydrologists in the USGS Louisiana District 

Office in Baton Rouge to develop methods for measuring near real-time nitrate concentrations in the 

Atchafalaya River. Using a new portable field analyzer to measure nutrients, they optimized reaction 

conditions for freshwater analysis and developed an 

improved and reliable cadmium reactor, which is crucial for the analyzer’s long-term performance.

10
Total for USGS Water-Resources Discipline:

$16,776,000

National Water Quality Laboratory:

$11,180,000

Estimated analytical work by

contract labs: $4,700,000

Ocala Water Quality and Research

Laboratory: $896,000

Dollar amount of analytical work performed for the U.S. Geological Survey 

Water-Resources Discipline in fiscal year 2002.

11

The Atchafalaya is thought to contribute substantially to seasonal episodes of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Hypoxia, a depletion of dissolved oxygen from coastal water that can lead to stress or even death of bottom-living and bottom-feeding marine organisms, increasingly threatens fisheries along the Louisiana and Texas coasts 

on the Gulf.

Administrative Services Improves Billing Web Site, Income/

Workload Estimates

Administrative Services teamed with the Information Technology Section to add enhancements to the billing web site, including cost center and exception reports combined in a single monthly report. All weekly and 

monthly reports are available within 3 working days of the date in the billing report schedule. Weekly reports 

are convenient for tracking sample login and reviewing charges for supplies and postage. Monthly reports reflect 

actual charges during the monthly billing process. The Administrative Services Office and Information Technology Section also developed a new user code that will be implemented in fiscal year 2003.

In addition, Administrative Services revised its process to estimate income and workload. Sample-submission estimates are linked to the NWQL’s pricelist and the cost is computed on the basis of the test requested and 

number of samples entered, using a program on the NWQL Home Page web site at http://wwwnwql.cr.usgs.gov/

USGS.

The income/workload estimate tool will help customers to project sample submission and cost for the fiscal 

year and to develop estimates for pending negotiations with their cooperators. At the same time, the NWQL can 

base its budget on valid estimates, and the Analytical Services Section can schedule its workload based on the 

estimated time for sample submission. The following illustration shows the dollar amount of analytical work 

performed for the USGS WRD in fiscal year 2002 by the NWQL in relation to all other laboratories doing work 

to support USGS WRD programs:

Innovation and Improvement

One of the new enhancements to the LIMS to 

improve customer services is the sample-receipt notification system. Electronic mail is sent automatically 

on the day that samples arrive at the NWQL, notifying 

the sender that the samples were received and their 

condition. Responses to any problems indicated in this 

electronic mail are to be addressed to the LabLogin 

mailbox.

The LabLogin mailbox (LabLogin@usgs.gov) 

was established to send and receive inquiries regarding sample submittal, receipt, and login. Customers 

use the mailbox for immediate contact with the Login 

Unit concerning time-sensitive samples, to update 

information on ASRs, to add or delete lab codes or 

schedules, and to discard samples sent in error.

In response to customer requests, the Business 

Development Team published a one-page summary of 

NWQL services, including areas of expertise, facilities, technology, accreditation and certificates, and 
external validation. The page offers a quick guide of 

NWQL capabilities and resources for customers and 

their cooperators.

An online survey was prepared for customers to 

evaluate the NWQL’s products and services, and to 

provide additional suggestions and ideas for improvement. Greg Mohrman, Chief, requested participation “as we seek to provide our customers and their 

cooperators with quality products and services at 

reasonable cost.” He promised to make the results 

available and to use the suggestions “to make substantive changes and improvements in our products and 

services.”

Training

The NWQL strives to improve processes, enhance 

quality assurance, and hold the line on costs. Training 

is one measure of fitness and excellence to achieve 

these goals. The American Chemical Society taught 

two classes on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) for 

NWQL employees.

Instructors emphasized the practical aspects of 

selecting analytical methods to meet the needs of 

programs that must submit data to regulatory agencies. Among the topics covered were how to apply 

quality-assurance principles to improve effectiveness; 

measurements traceability, calibration, and record 

keeping; and operational requirements imposed on 

laboratories that must operate under GLP protocol.

In addition, the Quality Assurance Section set up 

a short course on scientific ethics for all laboratory 

staff and contract employees. Instructors used the U.S. 

Department of Interior Ethics Guide supplemented by 

USGS administrative policies. NELAC accreditation 

requires that all laboratory staff have periodic ethics training and an understanding of inappropriate or 

fraudulent laboratory practices and the consequences 

of such actions.

Safety Compliance Rated 

“Best Overall in Region”

Safety and compliance programs were reviewed 

throughout the USGS Central Region where the 

NWQL is located. USGS Headquarters staff called 

the NWQL’s safety practices the “best overall local 

program in the Central Region.”

The audit team cited the following specific strengths 

in its report to Tom Casadevall, USGS Regional 

Director:

• Management support/resources

• Committee activities and support

• Emergency planning

• Accident/unsafe condition reporting

• Training

• Industrial hygiene program implementation

Industrial hygiene, in particular, was called the 

“most proactive overall program and best blood-borne 

pathogens written program within the Bureau to date.” 

The report identified two areas for improvement: 

establishment of job hazard analyses for laboratory 

operations and annual program planning.

Moreover, the Colorado Department of Public 

Health and Environment, in an earlier on-site inspection, found the NWQL to be in full compliance with 

all Colorado Hazardous Waste Regulations. Inspectors examined the NWQL’s satellite accumulation 

areas, 90-day storage area, emergency plans, training 

records, and other documents. No deficiencies were 

noted. The inspectors found the NWQL to be much 

improved since the last inspection in 1998, when the 

NWQL was located in the old laboratory building on 

Ward Road in Arvada, Colorado.

“In all my years within safety, I’ve never seen a 

report without a violation of some kind, so I consider 

what the NWQL did as quite an accomplishment!” 

said William G. Miller, Bureau Safety Manager, in a 

letter of congratulations.

Finally, to top off the accolades, the U.S. Department of the Interior presented the NWQL with honorable recognition for the 2002 Departmental Environmental Achievement Award. Charles G. Groat, USGS 

Director, congratulated the staff for its initiative in 

strengthening the Survey’s environmental program. 

Groat said the award exemplifies “our commitment to 

an effective pollution prevention, waste management, 

energy conservation, and environmentally friendly 

acquisition program.”

12
0

1

2

3

4

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

NUMBER OF RATED ANALYSES

OVERALL WEIGHTED RATING

70

Other Labs

EXPLANATION

NWQL

Results of National Water Quality Laboratory performance in relation to

more than 100 participating laboratories in the inorganic sample-evaluation

studies administered by the U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Quality

Systems for fiscal year 2002.

Quality Assurance

The NWQL received a “good” rating, the highest possible, for overall performance in the Environment Canada Federal Provincial Study 80, which was 

conducted in late spring 2002. The NWQL has participated in the Environment Canada studies for 10 years. More than 60 laboratories take part in one or 

more of the sample series during a study. The NWQL participated in the following series for surface water—major ions and nutrients, trace elements, and 

total phosphorus—and also took part in the rain and soft-water sample series.

Each sample series consists of 10 separate water samples that use various 

types of natural water as the raw material. Constituents of interest include 

inorganic constituents, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, and various physical properties. The studies are used to assess systematic bias and precision. 

Detailed results for the NWQL, along with a study-specific glossary, are available under “Lab Performance Evaluations” on the NWQL Public web site: 

http://nwql.usgs.gov/.

Results of interlaboratory performance evaluations that are administered by 

third-party agencies provide an independent check of capability. The NWQL 

analyzed a high percentage of the selected constituents in the inorganic sample-evaluation studies administered by the USGS Branch of Quality Systems 

(BQS) and consistently received overall weighted ratings between 3 (good) 

and 4 (excellent) in fiscal year 2002 (see accompanying graph).

In addition, the NWQL received high 

marks in the latest round of potable water 

studies administered by the New York 

State Department of Health (NYSDOH); 

a “Satisfactory” rating was received for 

56 of 60 constituents for an overall score 

of 93.6 percent. The NYSDOH studies 

have replaced the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency’s water-supply studies for drinking-water accreditation. The 

potable water studies are required for the 

NWQL to be accredited by the National 

Environmental Laboratory Accreditation 

Conference (NELAC) and by the State of 

Colorado for the majority of Colorado’s 

primary drinking-water constituents. The 

NWQL has participated in these studies 

for the past 2 years.

The NWQL also took part in a limited (seven organic constituents) nonpotable water study administered by the NYSDOH; a “Satisfactory” rating 

was received for all seven constituents in the most recent study. Results of the 

studies can be viewed under “Lab Performance Evaluations” on the NWQL 

Public web site: http://nwql.usgs.gov/. The most recent NWQL certificates 

of approval for analyses of potable and nonpotable water are posted at http:

//nwql.usgs.gov/ under “Lab Performance Evaluations.”

The NWQL received 

the highest rating 

possible for overall 

performance in the 

Environment Canada 

Federal Provincial 

Study 80.

13
Public Outreach—Tours, 

Meetings

Water-quality scientists are encouraged to visit the 

NWQL because the visits are part of a collaborative 

process within USGS that includes the entire monitoring 

framework, from sample collection in the field to assistance with interpretation of data produced in the laboratories. At all steps in the process, NWQL managers believe 

that collaboration between the NWQL and its customers is 

important. 

Visitors in fiscal year 2002 included about 30 members of the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, 

who toured the NWQL following a meeting in Denver. The group was guided through the entire sample-processing activity, from sample collection to data management. 

Other guests visiting the NWQL included the following: attendees from the Denver Workshops for USGS District Water-Quality Specialists, who toured the facility in 

December and January; visitors from the USGS Upper 

Midwest Environmental Sciences Center; a delegation from 

the Yangtze Valley Water Resources Protection Bureau in 

the People’s Republic of China; Gustavo Merten, Hydraulic 

Research Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul, 

San Paulo, Brazil; Shi-Kwun Wang and Ms. Tzu-Yin Cheng, 

Water Quality Analysis, Environmental Protection Agency, 

Taiwan; Chung-Soo Kim, Hyoung-Seop, and Joon-Seok 

Lee, Water Resources and Environmental Research Division, 

Korea Institute of Construction Technology, Koyang, Korea.

Beginning in fiscal year 1995, the NWQL has operated as a fee-for-service component under the Working Capital Fund (WCF) authority. The WCF gives 

the NWQL and its customers a powerful fiscal tool 

to provide program and project flexibility. The WCF 

also allows the NWQL to reinvest in the equipment it 

needs to apply new analytical techniques and information-handling systems.

In the past 5 years, the NWQL has improved and 

developed budgetary and financial tools to define 

estimated income in relation to actual income. It has 

also provided value-added information to its customers, such as the on-line Income/Workload Estimate 

program and the NWQL customer web page for the 

weekly and monthly billing reports—two important 

innovations that have been well received by customers 

in the Water-Resources Discipline.

The Income and Workload Estimate program 

annually asks the chiefs in the USGS District Offices, 

generally located in the State capitals, to provide their 

anticipated quarterly workload for the current fiscal 

year. The program then estimates cost based on the 

planned analyses and the established NWQL pricelist. 

The estimates assist NWQL management in determining anticipated workload and staff requirements 

for the year and provide a basis for evaluating the 

projected budget expenditures in relation to potential 

income. As the Income and Workload Estimate program matures, data also will be evaluated to determine how accurately the estimates reflected the actual 

workload for the year.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR FISCAL YEARS 2001 AND 2002

14
Fiscal Year 2001* Fiscal Year 2002*

Workforce

 Federal 145.3 134.1

 Contractor 20.0 21.8

Total: 165.3 155.9

National Water Quality Laboratory 

(Nonworking Capital Fund)

 Other Federal Agencies (OFA) 51,305 286,541

 State-Cooperative Program 780,548 732,248

 Work With Others (WWO) 0 48,405

 Miscellaneous 68,000 0

Total: $899,853 $1,067,194

National Water Quality Laboratory 

(Working Capital Fund)

 Income 10,322,986 9,273,512

 Late Sample 1,633,280 1,907,873

 Division Goods 2,507,965 2,252,953

 Special Initiative 47,100 111,445

Total: $14,511,331 $13,545,783

Expenditures

 Labor 9,132,350 9,089,420

 Other Expenses 5,162,503 4,115,691

 Equipment Reinvestment 267,470 392,000

Total: $14,294,853 $13,205,111

*NOTE: Reimbursable income and expenditures for the USGS Department of Defense Environmental Conservation (DODEC) Program 

are not reflected in the table.

15

The NWQL’s customer web page was revised in fiscal year 2002 to include report format, 

consolidation of sample login data, DENSUPPLY expenditures, and changes in the customer user 

identification (userid).

The NWQL is careful to set priorities for its equipment reinvestment to meet the most critical 

needs of the USGS. The NWQL established a special team of senior managers and supervisors 

that meets annually to take suggestions from every laboratory section regarding instrumentation, 

computers and support equipment needs. The team takes into account the amortization schedule 

established for all equipment, the current cost of maintenance contracts on aging equipment, and 

the capacity of the analytical equipment to meet anticipated workloads. The team is responsible for 

meeting the mission requirements established by USGS Headquarters and the needs of its customers. The money available from the Working Capital Fund then is used to purchase new equipment. 

Once the review has been completed, the recommended equipment is submitted to the NWQL 

Management Team for final approval.

The most important fiscal indicators for the NWQL for fiscal years 2001 and 2002 are listed in 

the following table.
16

REFERENCE

Kolpin, D.W., Furlong, E.T., Meyer, M.T., Thurman, E.M., Zaugg, S.D., Barber, L.B., and Buxton, H.T., 2002, 

Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999–2000—A 

national reconnaissance: Environmental Science & Technology, v. 36, no. 6, p. 1202–1211.

HOW TO CONTACT US

Inquiries regarding NWQL analytical services and 

programs should be directed as follows:

Chief, National Water Quality Laboratory

U.S. Geological Survey

P.O. Box 25046, MS 407

Federal Center, Bldg. 95

Denver, CO 80225-0046

Telephone: 303-236-2000

Fax: 303-236-3499

ASK-NWQL: toll-free number

1-866-ASK-NWQL

(1-866-275-6975)

Customer Service

E-mail

LabHelp@usgs.gov

or call toll-free number

Web Sites

Public site

http://nwql.usgs.gov

NWQL/USGS site

(for internal USGS use only)

http://wwwnwql.cr.usgs.gov/USGS
Raese National Water Quality Laboratory Annual Report Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002 U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-14 



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