Drinking Water Analytical Methods

Statutory Requirement and Authority

California law (Health and Safety Code § 116350) states that the State Water Board has the responsibility to “[c]onduct research, studies, and demonstration projects relating to the provision of a dependable, safe supply of drinking water,” to include on the “[i]mproved methods to identify and measure the existence of contaminants in drinking water and to identify the source of the contaminants.”

Methods Currently in Development or Validation

• 1,4-Benzotriazole – Method Optimization and Validation
• Broad Spectrum PFAS – Method Comparison and Validation
• PFAS Program Page
• Method Comparison Study Results
• Saxitoxin – Method Validation
• Cyanotoxin Program Page
• Trifluoroacetic Acid/Trifluoroacetate (TFA) – Method Optimization and Validation
• PFAS Program Page

Methods Approved for Accreditation

• 1,2,3-Trichloropropane
• Method DWRL-123 TCP
• Method SRL 524-TCP
• Trichloropropane Program Page
• Microplastics
• Method SWB-MP1-rev1 (Infrared Spectroscopy)
• Method SWB-MP2-rev1 (Raman Spectroscopy)
• Microplastics Program Page
• Nitrosamines
• Method EEA-Agilent Method 521.1
  • Method EEA-Agilent Method 521.1 (alternate text and document elements added to meet WCAG accessibility standards).
• Inter-Laboratory Comparison Study Quality Control Summary Report
• CDPH Drinking Water and Radiation Laboratory Branch Method Evaluation and Validation
• Nitrosamines Program Page

Recommendations

To recommend an analyte or analytical method for method development or validation, or if interested in participating in a multi-laboratory method validation study, please contact the following:

• Drinking water: DDWRegUnit@waterboards.ca.gov
• Recycled water: ddwrecycledwater@waterboards.ca.gov

Other Information

• Allowance Granted for Drinking Water Methods – use of EPA Methods 524.3 and 524.4 without Refrigerated Autosamplers
• Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP)
• ELAP Accreditation Application

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Email Address

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Contact Us

State Water Resources Control Board
Division of Drinking Water
Regulatory Development Unit

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 100
Sacramento, CA 95812-0100

Street Address:
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

E-mail us at DDWRegUnit@waterboards.ca.gov.