Lab and Water Quality

The San Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant (the Plant) has a state-of the-art water quality laboratory that tests wastewater samples at various stages of the treatment process 24 hours-a-day. In addition, the lab samples water from 14 monitoring stations in the San Francisco Bay. The lab's analytical testing methods are so sensitive that the presence of pollutants can be detected at very minute levels. Learn more about the laboratory's facilities and services using the links below:

Microbiology
Toxicology
Organic Analyses, Volatile & Semi-Volatile
Trace Organic Preparation/Trace Inorganic Preparation
Atomic Absorption Metals Preparation
Inorganic Analyses
Data Analysis/Review
Process/General Chemistry
Hood Room
Other Areas

Microbiology
In one treatment step, bacteria consume organic and inorganic materials in the wastewater. The Microbiology lab is critical to the Plant because it monitors the microorganisms in the biological treatment area to ensure that the bacteria remain healthy, and that balanced levels of bacteria continue to consume the materials in the wastewater. In addition, microbiology lab technicians analyze the Plant's effluent for residual chlorine and dissolved oxygen every day of the year to ensure optimal functionality.

Toxicology
Also known as bioassay, the laboratory performs two types of tests: acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term). The acute test is performed in the Plant's filtration area. The Plant effluent flows through fish tanks and laboratory staff records the percent of surviving fish. Staff uses a seven-day water flea test to monitor the Plant effluent's chronic effects by exposing fleas to various concentrations of effluent. The number of their offspring is compared to the offspring of fleas exposed to laboratory control water.

Priority Pollutants - Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Analyses
The lab monitors almost 200 organic chemical compounds. These priority pollutants may have varying levels of environmental toxicity. The majority of these priority pollutants are not detected in wastewater treated at the Plant because they are banned and regulated. Others are consumed by microorganisms during the biological treatment process.

Trace Organic Preparation/Trace Inorganic Preparation
Similar to clean rooms, samples are prepared for ultra-trace level analysis that requires detection on a scale of parts per billion or parts per trillion. These rooms have been designed to prevent contamination during low-level analyses.

Atomic Absorption Metals Preparation
Samples are prepared for trace metals analysis in an Atomic Absorption (AA) Spectrometer or an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). The samples are first digested, usually with acid and heat, before the instrumental analysis begins.

Inorganic Analyses
The laboratory tests for metals such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, selenium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, nickel, silver, and zinc. Many of these trace metals are naturally found in water. However, due to copper piping in homes and industrial uses such as metal plating or circuit board manufacturing, wastewater may contain unnaturally high metal levels. Samples are tested using Atomic Absorption, Inductively Coupled Plasma/Atomic Emission Spectrometers, and Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectrometers.

Data Analysis/Review
Laboratory staff uses terminals to compile data before reporting results. Laboratory testing is important for monitoring the Plant's overall operations, as well as for predicting and preventing potential problems. The laboratory performs tests on about 60,000 wastewater samples each year. All data is consolidated and tracked in the Laboratory Information Management System. This data provides Plant performance records.

Process/General Chemistry
The majority of wastewater samples are analyzed in the laboratory. The process lab provides quick feedback (some results in four hours or less) to Plant operators, who monitor the levels of suspended solids, ammonia, or total organic carbon in the treated wastewater. Laboratory staff also performs long-term tests like Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), which is run for five days. Like the microbiology lab, this lab must be staffed every day to support continuous operations at the Plant.

Hood Room
The Hood Room is specially designed for conducting tests requiring the use of flammable or hazardous chemicals such as freon, cyanide, and PCBs. The fume hoods continuously draw air out of the room and pump fresh air into the room from the outside. Special air handling systems ensure that the air extracted from this room is not recirculated back into the building.

Other Areas
Other areas of the laboratory are small, but important:

• Balance Room: This special weighing room is used to isolate analytical balances from interferences, such as drafts or vibrations, to accurately report weights to a fraction of a milligram. 
• Glassware Washing/Storage Room: This room is fully equipped with exhaust hoods for acid rinsing and covered storage cabinets to keep glassware dust-free. 
• Sample Receiving: Wastewater samples are logged at the Laboratory Information Management System and stored for analysis.