40. Community Need Expansion of Dayton’s Water Quality Laboratory
Dayton’s Water Quality Laboratory began as a testing laboratory for compliance and process control monitoring to support the City of Dayton’s two water treatment plants. Following the Sherwin-Williams warehouse fire in 1987 and the subsequent development of the nationally recognized Source Water Protection Program, the necessity of expanding the laboratory’s capacity was recognized. The laboratory needed to include analyzing samples from the new early warning monitoring well system developed as part of the Source Water Protection Program in addition to compliance and process control monitoring.

In 1991, the current Water Quality Laboratory was built in response to the additional source water samples. Over the last 30 years, the OEPA and USEPA regulations have grown. Generally, new regulations entail additional laboratory testing. The Water Quality Laboratory includes: an organic lab, a metals lab, a wet chemistry lab, a microbiology lab, a bacteriology lab, a lime quality control lab, and other supporting areas.

Since the laboratory was built, the number and complexity of the analyses have increased requiring additional laboratory staff

The initial expansion of the laboratory focused on volatile organic carbon compounds, and the laboratory added a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC/MS).

In response to the Disinfection By-Product rule, a total organic compound analyzer (TOC) was purchased for total and dissolved organic compounds analysis. These compounds are precursors of disinfection by-products like total trihalomethanes (TTHM) and haloacetic acids (HAAs).

Following the expansion of the Source Water Protection Program, the metals lab added an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) for metals analysis and a cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometer for mercury analysis.

The initial Lead/Copper rules required the addition of a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (GFAA) for lead analysis.

While wet chemistry analysis has always been in the laboratory’s analysis suite, updates to the Surface Water Rule added additional wet chemistry analytical needs. Additional equipment includes: an ion chromatography instrument (IC) to analyze inorganic compounds (nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, phosphate), more titration stands, and more meters (pH, turbidity, conductivity).

The Microbiology and Bacteriology labs have added incubators, water baths, a phase contrast microscope, stereo microscopes, top-loading balances, desiccators, and pH meters. The lime quality control lab has added sieve analysis, moisture balance, and a top loading balance. Strict quality and process control analysis is required for the Lime Reclamation Facility to maintain its NSF certification for the finished lime and the carbon dioxide produced. The NSF certification is required for chemicals considered food additives.

The new PFAS regulations have caused the laboratory to purchase a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (LC/MS/MS) to analyze for PFAS. The laboratory is preparing to add an automated solid-phase extraction system. Dayton’s Water Quality Laboratory is the first municipal laboratory in Ohio to receive certification to run PFAS samples. The laboratory is a regional asset for analyses and training.

The new equipment has made the Water Quality Laboratory crowded. Performing all the analyses required efficiently is burdensome. Several of the new pieces of equipment required the installation of a fume hood/exhaust system.

Many of the analyses require special gases to run. The gas lines from the basement have started to leak. It is necessary to add canisters of argon, helium, and nitrogen to the current laboratory.

Individual workspaces unrelated to analyses need to be outside the crowded laboratory.

The original HVAC system is beyond its expected lifespan. The additional equipment strains the system. A new HVAC system is needed to keep the laboratory in compliance with regulations. Contamination of samples becomes a greater concern as contaminant testing levels are reduced. A new, sophisticated HVAC system is needed.

Dayton Water’s Water Quality Laboratory is a regional asset requiring expansion and upgrades for improved performance. In addition to meeting Dayton’s needs, the laboratory provides contract water quality testing for approximately 60 customers, half of which are public water systems. Small public water systems, such as Trotwood, other community and non-community water systems, home inspectors, and private citizens bring water samples in for analysis.