Sample Submission

The documents and forms on this web page are intended for staff from NCDWR and other agencies who will be collecting environmental samples to be submitted to the WSS chemistry laboratories. 

Questions and notification of sample submittal may be submitted by email sent to SampleNotification@deq.nc.gov (or by contacting laboratory staff by telephone).

Sample Submission Guidance

The Sample Submittal Guidance document provides a full overview of the requirements and considerations for submitting samples to the WSS laboratories. 

The Contacts and Notification document lists laboratory staff contact information for any questions and notifications.

The Shipment, Delivery, Restrictions document lists acceptable methods of delivering samples to the Central Laboratory, as well as delivery/submittal restrictions for time-sensitive samples.

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Sample Containers, Preservation and Hold-Time Tables

The tables below outline requirements for each analytical parameter for:

• Type of sample container (Sample Bottle Guide)
• Required sample preservation and/or field processing
• EPA- or method-specified hold time (time from sample collection until initiation of sample analysis in the laboratory).

Surface Water Samples - Containers, Preservation and Hold Times Table

Ground Water & UST Samples - Containers, Preservation and Hold Times Table

Soil & Sediment Samples - Containers, Preservation, Hold Time Table

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Sample Collection/Submittal, Chain-of-Custody 

The following sample submission forms must be used when submitting samples to the laboratories.

• Fieldsheet Completion Guidance - Data Fields
• Absent Fieldsheet Policy

*The chain of custody (COC) form is optional and to be used at the discretion of the collector (if used, all COC procedures must be followed for the COC to be valid).

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Sample Submittal - Time-Sensitive Samples 

Time-sensitive samples are those for any of the analytical parameters that have a hold time of 48 hours or less (see table below).

Certain restrictions are in place with regards to days and times when these samples are not accepted. These apply for both the Central Laboratory in Raleigh and the Regional Laboratory in the Asheville Regional Office. Any exceptions to these restrictions are made on a case-by-case basis, and must include prior notification.

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Sample Submittal - State Holiday Receipt Restrictions

The tables and calendars below detail work days when time-sensitive samples will not be accepted at the laboratories due to a state holiday or state holiday weekend. Any exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis and only with prior notification.

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Purpose of these Documents and Forms:

The primary goal of these documents is to promote the use of procedures that will ensure that data reported by the laboratory is accurate as well as legally and technically sound. Errors in environmental analysis can result from incorrect sampling handling or lack of supporting documentation.

Factors that may ultimately affect the integrity of reported analytical data include:

• Obtaining a representative sample;
• Preventing contamination of the sample;
• Proper preservation of the collected sample and attention to sample hold times (to protect the sample from chemical, physical or biological changes prior to analysis);
• Providing legal documentation of the sampling event, and if necessary chain-of-custody

The WSS Chemistry Laboratory is committed to providing high quality data and excellent service in environmental analysis. To ensure that the results produced and reported meet the requirements of the data users and comply with state and federal regulations, a quality management system must be implemented that is clear, effective, well-communicated, and supported at all levels of the Division of Water Resources.

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