Laboratory Services

Laboratory Services supports District Departments and their regulatory needs by providing environmental sampling and analysis services. The Laboratory Services Division is responsible for collection and analysis of samples from the Durham, Forest Grove, Hillsboro and Rock Creek Treatment Plants to meet NPDES permit monitoring requirements and provide process control data. Laboratory Services performs management, collection and analyses for compliance with regulations and programs relating to surface water, TMDL’s,  groundwater, Industrial Pretreatment, biosolids and effluent reuse, special projects, and the watershed-based NPDES permit—which covers both treatment facilities and stormwater.

The Laboratory Services Division assists Source Control, Wastewater Treatment Department, and Conveyance Systems with field work and analysis of fire suppression water samples, pump station spills and overflows, and public complaints of sewage problems. The Laboratory Services Division provides monitoring services and data to the Source Control Division to comply with their federally mandated Industrial Pretreatment Program, which includes industrial and septage hauler discharges.

Ambient monitoring of the Tualatin River and its tributaries conducted by Laboratory Services provides data to the Watershed Management Division for proactive participation in rule making and policy decision. The data allows the District to interact with regulatory agencies, natural resource agencies, and organizational and local watershed groups in collaborative studies on the health of the watershed. Laboratory Services also provides data for the NPDES Stormwater permits held by the District. Laboratory Services continues to maintain its certification with USGS for the performance of laboratory analyses used in their national database.

The District’s biosolids program relies upon data from Laboratory Services to verify that the District continues to meet the EPA 503 regulations for land application.