Laboratories performing confirmatory methods should generally meet the following qualifications:
- Accredited to the standards of the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP), the NELAC Institute (TNI) standards, ISO Standard 17025, or certified under EPA's Drinking Water Certification Program (or equivalent state or regional program) for the confirmatory methods the laboratory will be performing
- Have established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for their confirmatory methods
Contaminants that may be accidentally or intentionally introduced into drinking water may not fall within the suite of analytes that environmental laboratories typically monitor in drinking water. Environmental laboratories should work with other divisions of their laboratory to determine appropriate and complete sample analysis. For example, the environmental section may filter and culture biological samples, and provide the isolates to their clinical laboratory for identification.