SOP (Standard Operational Procedure)

The purpose of this Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) is to establish a uniform procedure for collecting wastewater samples.

Compliance samples of a wastewater stream are collected in accordance with permit requirements. They can be instantaneous (grab) samples, or composites.

1. Non-organic parameters. Parameters that: 1) require analysis off site; and 2) are not identified as “organics” in SOP 2334.20 1. Examples include: nutrients, metals, cyanide, oxygen demand parameters, oil and grease, residues, chlorides, sulfides, sulfates, hardness, alkalinity, specific conductance, total organic carbon, acute and chronic toxicity and others listed in 40 CFR 136.3.

2. Permittee. The holder of an NPDES permit or a pretreatment agreement.

3. Facility. A wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) or an industry that generates a regulated process wastewater that discharges directly to the environment or to a WWTP.

The sampler should wear safety gear such as steel-toed boots, a hard hat, safety glasses and earplugs to protect them from some material that coul cause illness.

Concentrated strong acids are used to preserve metals and nutrient samples and sodium hydroxide is used to preserve cyanide samples. All preservatives are corrosive and toxic. Care must be taken when handling them.

The purpose of representative sampling is to characterize the true picture of the wastewater at the time of sampling. Contaminants introduced into the sample containers through careless handling, or by using “dirty” preservatives can bias the true picture.

1. Wastewater sampling is associated with a compliance inspection of a facility that discharges a regulated wastewater.

2. Conditions encountered in the field can be quite variable.

3. Waste water treatment plants• Influent samples at wastewater treatment

plants should be collected upstream of any recirculation flows.

• The sampler must select the best location to obtain a sample.

4. Collect the type of specified sample.5. Sample Collection• Composite Sampling - Use an

automatic composite sampler that is clean and contains new pump tubing.

6. Using the facility’s sampling equipment.

• If conditions preclude the use of the inspector’s sampling equipment, they may use the equipment provided by facility.

7. Parameters to be analyzed:a. When sampling facilities for permit compliance,

the permit parameters that have limits should be sampled.

b. Exclude parameters that the laboratory cannot analyze.

8. Preparing samples for shipment to the laboratory.a. Secure the sample label to the container with

2-inch, clear, adhesive tape.b. Samples received by RLAB are required to be

at 4-6° Centigrade.

A data summary will be provided by RLAB and will be attached to the facility inspection report or trip report. A hard copy and an electronic copy of the data will also be kept by RLAB along with all bench data.

1. A field blank is prepared for each parameter requiring a preservative.

2. Other inspection and sampling procedures not covered in this SOP will be done in accordance with SOPs 2332.2 and 2334.20.

1. SOP 2334.20 Organics Sampling Collection.

2. SOP 2332.2 NPDES Compliance Sampling Inspection.

3. SOP 2333.1 Field Equipment Calibration and Maintenance.

4. SOP 2334.14 Tubing Blanks.