PFOA & PFOS:

Not Why, But How? 

The concern over polyfluoroalkyl substances like PFOA and PFOS is clear—what is less clear is how we will be testing for them.

Currently, there is no fully validated, approved EPA method to detect polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in non-drinking water matrices at either the State or Federal level, despite recent State guidelines and EPA health advisories. Even in regard to drinking water, things are a bit murky. The U.S. EPA authorized EPA method 537 for select PFAS analysis in drinking water under the third round of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule program (UCMR 3). However, the EPA’s drinking water program does not have any requirements for post-UCMR monitoring since PFOA, PFOS, and the other UCMR target analytes are not yet regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Similarly, California has not previously offered accreditation for PFAS, and therefore no laboratory is currently certified by California ELAP to perform the analysis.

This does not mean laboratories are completely without accreditation. For example, Babcock Labs is accredited to perform EPA method 537 in drinking water under its NELAP accreditation through the state of Oregon (ORELAP). Babcock Labs was also one of the limited number of EPA approved laboratories under UCMR 3, and therefore has extensive experience with PFAS determination.

At Babcock Labs’ recent TEAM Event, esteemed guest Christine Sotelo, Chair of CA ELAP, mentioned that ELAP has begun accepting data package submissions for PFOA/PFOS accreditation... (read more)

Cultivating Conservation:

Winning Strategies for Water Agencies

California water agencies face increasing pressure to promote and implement sustainable water conservation practices. But as the old saying goes, “old habits die hard.” So what motivates people to use less water?

New information from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) may provide important insight into this question.

Dr. Katrina Jessoe, a professor and economist at UC Davis and a member of the PPIC Water Policy Center’s research network, is one of the researchers studying water conservation messaging to determine what strategies are most effective in motivating consumers to use less water. Her research team partnered with a municipally-owned water and electric utility to see how people would respond to... (read more)

Groundwater Exchange:

New Website Provides SGMA Resources 

California water agencies and communities have a new resource for groundwater management information and tools.

Groundwater Exchange, a website located at www.groundwaterexchange.org, describes itself as “a free, collaborative online resource for connecting water managers, water users, and community members to support the design and implementation of effective Groundwater Sustainability Plans under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).” The website was created by Maven’s Notebook in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Stanford’s Program on Water in the West (WitW) to serve as a central hub of science-based information related to SGMA.

“Information about SGMA is currently spread across dozens of different websites,” said Christina Babbitt, senior manager of EDF’s California Groundwater Program. “With the Groundwater Exchange, we’re consolidating that information onto one website where communities across California can learn more about the law and become more engaged in issues related... (read more) 

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Please note that Babcock Labs strictly adheres to sample acceptance criteria, pursuant to Standard Methods and regulatory requirements.
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