Laboratory

The Laboratory provides reliable, unbiased, accurate and precise analytical results for the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) to ensure that the facility is in compliance with the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act of 1972 and the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) regulations.

The laboratory is responsible for conducting analyses to meet regulatory requirements and process control needs.

The WRF is currently required to perform: carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD), total suspended solids (TSS), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), Ammonia (NH3-N), Total Phosphorous, and E. Coli bacteria.  The following analyses are also required, but performed by a contracted laboratory:  Metal (Ag, As, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Zn), Cyanide, nitrate plus nitrite (NO2+3-N), Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN-N).  Other analyses performed by the WRF Laboratory for informational and process control uses are: Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Soluable Chemical Oxygen Demand (SCOD), Oxidations-reduction potential (ORP), conductivity, ortho-phosphorus, and toal coliform.

Ongoing Projects

Development of a plan to measure the ambient waters of the Yamhill River that will meet the requirements of the DEQ's computer modeling structure to ensure that all the data gathered will be accepted and used in future decisions regarding our NPDES permit.  This will be coordinated with the Yamhill Basin Council for additional watershed information.

Developing procedures to use our new Strathkelvin Instruments, ASR System respirometer for process control and for testing of industrial chemicals, which may be entering the plant influent and could have a detrimental (toxic) effect to microbiological processes in the plant.