Page 197 - California Stormwater Workshop Handouts

ATTACHMENT H

SAMPLE COLLECTION AND HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS

NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES)
GENERAL PERMIT FOR STORM WATER DISCHARGES
ASSOCIATED WITH INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES
(GENERAL PERMIT)

For more detailed guidance, Dischargers should refer to the U.S. EPA’s “Industrial
Stormwater Monitoring and Sampling Guide,” dated March 2009, available at:
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/msgp_monitoring_guide.pdf and the “NPDES Storm
Water Sampling Guidance Document,” dated July 1992, available at:
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/owm0093.pdf .

1. Identify the sampling parameters required to be tested and the number of storm
water discharge points that will be sampled. Request the analytical testing
laboratory to provide the appropriate number and type of sample containers,
sample container labels, blank chain of custody forms, and sample preservation
instructions.

2. Determine how samples will be transported to the laboratory. The testing
laboratory should receive samples within 48 hours of the physical sampling
(unless otherwise required by the laboratory). The Discharger may either deliver
the samples to the laboratory, arrange for the laboratory to pick up the samples,
or overnight ship the samples to the laboratory. All sample analysis shall be done
in accordance with 40 Code of Federal Regulations part 136. Samples for pH
have a holding time of 15 minutes.1

3. Qualified Combined Samples shall be combined by the laboratory and not by the
Discharger. Sample bottles must be appropriately labeled to instruct the
laboratory on which samples to combine.

4. Unless the Discharger can provide flow weighted information, all combined
samples shall be volume weighted.

5. For grab samples, use only the sample containers provided by the laboratory to
collect and store samples. Use of any other type of containers may contaminate
samples.

6. For automatic samplers that are not compatible with bottles provided by the
laboratory, the Discharger is required to send the sample container included with
the automatic sampler to the laboratory for analysis.

1 40 C.F.R. section 136.3, Table II - Required Containers, Preservation Techniques, and Holding Times.

Order 2014-0057-DWQ 1