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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 1. Administration
Agency 30. Department of General Services
Chapter 41. Regulation for the Certification of Laboratories Analyzing Drinking Water
11/23/2024

1VAC30-41-130. Proficiency testing.

A. A drinking water laboratory shall meet the following requirements pertaining to proficiency testing (PT):

1. The requirements of this section.

2. The requirements of Chapter III, Section 13.1 of the Manual.

3. The specific requirements of the Manual for chemistry in Chapter IV, Section 7.2.1; for microbiology in Chapter V, Section 7.2; and for radiochemistry in Chapter VI, Section 7.4 that are pertinent to the laboratory.

4. Proficiency testing requirements incorporated by reference in 1VAC30-41-55.

B. A drinking water laboratory shall successfully participate in at least one water supply (WS) PT study per calendar year for each contaminant and by each method for which the laboratory seeks or wants to maintain certification.

C. Drinking water laboratories shall obtain WS PT studies from PT providers approved by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation utilizing the National Standards for Water Proficiency Testing Studies.

D. Drinking water laboratories shall instruct the PT providers to send the results of the WS PT studies to the DCLS Laboratory Certification Office.

E. WS PT study results.

1. DCLS shall certify or maintain certification for a drinking water laboratory for which WS PT study results are reported by the proficiency test provider as "acceptable."

2. A drinking water laboratory for which some or all WS PT study results are reported as "not acceptable" shall follow the procedure in subsection F of this section.

F. Procedure and requirements for "not acceptable" PT study results.

1. When a laboratory receives a PT study result of "not acceptable," the laboratory shall perform and document corrective action. The corrective action documentation shall be submitted to DCLS within 30 days of receiving the "not acceptable" PT study result.

2. Upon completion of the corrective action, the laboratory shall perform another PT study for each contaminant that had a "not acceptable" initial PT study result.

3. If the result of the laboratory's makeup PT study is "acceptable," DCLS shall not downgrade the laboratory.

4. If the laboratory fails the makeup PT study, DCLS shall downgrade the laboratory to provisionally certified status for the contaminant or contaminants for which the PT study was "not acceptable."

5. When DCLS becomes aware of a failure to comply with PT study requirements, DCLS shall notify the laboratory of its downgraded status within 14 days of the downgrade. DCLS shall send the notification by certified mail or an equivalent mailing service.

6. The laboratory shall correct the problems that caused the downgrade and satisfactorily analyze another PT study within three months. A laboratory may not be provisionally certified for more than three months.

7. If the result of the second makeup PT study is "acceptable," the laboratory can request DCLS in writing to restore its certified status.

8. If the result of the second makeup PT is "not acceptable," DCLS shall revoke certification for the contaminant or contaminants for which the PT study was unsuccessful.

9. DCLS shall follow the provisions of 1VAC30-41-240 in revoking the laboratory's certification.

Statutory Authority

§§ 2.2-1102 and 2.2-1105 of the Code of Virginia; 42 USC § 300f et seq.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 30, Issue 14, eff. May 1, 2014.

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