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Water Quality Laboratory
The HARRF Water Quality Laboratory is staffed with Chemists and Laboratory Technicians who are certified by the California Water Environment Association as Laboratory Analysts. The Chemists and Technicians perform a variety of physical, chemical, and bacteriological tests on environmental samples such as drinking water, wastewater, sludge, industrial wastewater, reclaimed water, and storm water as necessary for process control and regulatory permit parameter compliance. The Chemists and Technicians collect samples for analyses, analyze data and submit regulatory reports to the EPA, State of California Health Department/State Water Resources Control Board. The lab reports daily to the Operators to assist with optimizing the HARRF treatment process. The HARRF Laboratory is certified by the State of California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, ELAP.
About the Water Quality Laboratory
The City of Escondido owns and operates a state-of-the-art water quality laboratory located at the Hale Avenue Resource Recovery Facility (HARRF). The Laboratory is staffed with Chemists, Microbiologists and Laboratory Technicians who analyze samples of Wastewater, Drinking Water, Recycled Water, Biosolids, Well Water, Industrial Waste, Storm Water and Escondido Creek Water throughout the City of Escondido for regulatory purposes. The 5,000 sq. foot Laboratory is certified by the State of California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) to analyze samples for regulatory purposes and goes through a stringent audit process every two years to maintain State of California ELAP Certification. The laboratory is also compliant with The Nelac Institute (TNI), laboratory accreditation standards. In addition to assisting the wastewater reclamation facility operators with laboratory data and information to help run the HARRF plant efficiently, the laboratory staff takes samples and runs tests on drinking water from the Escondido Vista Water Treatment Plant and distribution system throughout the City. The laboratory provides data for the water treatment plant operators and the water distribution technicians to ensure our drinking water is safe and meets all Federal and State Drinking Water Standards.
The HARRF Laboratory is required to sample, test and report data according to numerous environmental regulations prescribed by law.
- NPDES Permit: from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, HARRF Discharge of Secondary Effluent (Wastewater) to the Ocean Outfall.
- NPDES Permit: from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, HARRF Discharge to Escondido Creek, Tertiary Effluent (Wastewater) to Escondido Creek
- NPDES Permit: from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, Time Schedule Order to comply with R9-2015-0026
- Recycled Water Permit: from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, Discharge of Recycled Water to the recycled water distribution system
- Drinking Water, 05-14-02P-010, from the State of California Department of Health Services, Domestic Water Supply
- Storm Water, from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control board, General Permit for Stormwater Discharge from Industrial Facilities
- General Pretreatment Regulations, 40 CFR, Part 403, EPA
- Biosolids Rule, 40 CFR, Part 503, EPA
- California Ocean Plan, Water Quality Control Plan for the Ocean Waters of California, State Water Resources Control Board
- California Code of Regulations CCR Title 22 Section 66261, Grit & Screenings Hazardous Waste Testing for Landfill disposal
The HARRF Laboratory is staffed with 13 water quality professionals who are all certified Laboratory Analysts with the California Water Environment Association (CWEA). These include a Superintendent, Laboratory Supervisors, Associate Chemists, Quality Assurance Officer, Laboratory Technicians and Laboratory Assistants. .
The HARRF Water Quality Laboratory analyzes samples of drinking water, wastewater, recycled water, plant process control samples (RAS, WAS, TWAS, Digested sludge), Biosolids, well water, creek water, and stormwater to comply with several regulatory permits. The laboratory analyzes approximately 10,000 samples per year, and runs approximately 52,000 analyses per year on those samples.