It enhances both EPA's technical assistance capabilities and credibility with those it certifies. It also ensures the laboratory capability to analyze samples for possible enforcement actions and for States which do not have primacy. Reciprocal agreements with other regions to share scarce resources may be needed. Primacy States Primacy States are required to establish and maintain a State program for the certification of laboratories conducting analyses of drinking water compliance samples, unless all compliance samples are analyzed in the State laboratory. The States must designate a certification officer or officers, certified by the EPA administrator or his or her designee as the person responsible for the certification program.
States are responsible for the certification of the public and private laboratories in their State.
This includes auditing the laboratories and reviewing the PE data. States should also provide technical assistance to laboratories. They may also choose to certify laboratories outside their State either by an on-site evaluation or reciprocity.