October 11, 2017, the State Board of Health (board) accepted a petition for rulemaking to consider revisions to the Group A public water supplies rule under chapter 246-290 WAC (Group A rule) to set a standard for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The board filed the CR-101, Preproposal Statement of Inquiry, as WSR 18-01-080 on December 15, 2017.
The proposed amendments to the Group A rule necessitate Lab rule changes because sampling drinking water for PFAS contaminants and associated requirements such as reporting sampling results directly to the department and public water systems are not included in the current chapter requirements. The proposed changes to the Group A rule require corresponding changes to the Lab rule for explicit PFAS reporting requirements and add notification requirements for specific PFAS contaminants. The rule revision also includes technical and clarifying corrections as needed. A CR-101, Preproposal Statement of Inquiry, as WSR 20-05-032 was filed February 11, 2020. The CR-102, Proposed Rule Making, as WSR 21-16-094 was filed August 3, 2021.
The State Board of Health (Board) held a public hearing on October 13, 2021, where proposed changes were adopted. The changes go into effect January 1, 2022.
Adopted Amendments
Add the following:
- Two new method specific templates for reporting PFAS to the department in a revised guidance document: Laboratory Reporting Guidance 331-530 (PDF), December 2021;
- A new electronic reporting format in a revised guidance document: Electronic Reporting Guidance 331-289 (PDF), December 2021;
- PFAS specific notification requirements;
- PFAS specific state detection reporting limits (SDRLs); and
- PFAS specific required contaminants.
Make minor technical changes and clarifying corrections to existing rule language:
- Clarifies requirements for a lab to report to a public water system when it contracts a sample out to another lab;
- Requires the contracting lab must notate on the final report to the public water system which sample results were contracted out to another lab;
- Changes the chronic contaminant reporting timeline from 45 business days to 30 calendar days; and
- Lowers the SDRL for chloride from 20 milligrams per liter (mg/L to 2 mg/L and sulfate from 50 mg/L to 2mg/L.
Washington State requires labs that analyze environmental samples and monitoring data to be accredited by Department of Ecology's Laboratory Accreditation Unit (LAU). This ensures labs are providing accurate and defensible analytical data. Once a lab is certified, they receive an Ecology laboratory ID number. After LAU assigns a number, the Department of Health Office of Drinking Water (ODW) assigns a separate three-digit ODW specific ID number that labs use when reporting data to the state.
For Laboratories
To start the accreditation process contact Ecology's Lab Accreditation Unit contact: Louise White 360-227-9420.
More Information about Ecology's Lab Accreditation Unit
Helpful ODW Links for accredited laboratories
- Lab Templates (Revised 2021)
- Lab Rule (Revised 2021)
- If you submit your sample results to the state as a hard copy paper report, please follow the Paper Guidance 331-530 (PDF) guidelines for submittal. (Revised 2021)
- If you submit your sample results to the state electronically, please follow the Electronic Reporting Guidance 331-289 (PDF) guidelines for submittal. (Revised 2021)
ODW Contact: Andy Schut, Lab Liaison, 360-236-3197.
Accredited Laboratory Information for the General Public
To find an accredited laboratory, use Ecology's Interactive Lab Search Page or their lab map, by county or city.
To search by Analyte (what you're looking for in your water sample):
- Select “Search by Analyte.”
- From the drop-down menu, choose the analyte you want.
- Click to select “Show only labs that accept public samples.”