LCRA Environmental Laboratory Services

The Lead and Copper Rule Program ensures public health by monitoring lead and copper levels in drinking water, therefore allowing Public Water System (PWS) officials to identify solutions in reducing corrosion of plumbing systems. Water systems that are required to comply with this rule including community water systems and non-transient non-community water systems.

Meeting TCEQ requirements

1. Request a quote or order a bottle kit.
2. If a quote is required, sign and return quote.
3. ELS will ship bottle kits.
4. Fill out the LCR Chain of Custody and collect samples for shipment.
5. ELS will analyze samples and deliver the final report to the customer and deliver electronic data to TCEQ.

Sampling Information

• Laboratories must deliver and accept only 1-liter unpreserved wide mouth laboratory-grade bottles.
• First-draw tap samples should be received at the laboratory within 14 days after collection date so laboratories can preserve the samples.
• Laboratories cannot accept bottles for analysis without LCR Chain of Custody form completely filled out and signed by the PWS representative. This form includes the necessary information to determine first-draw samples and sampling sites or addresses.

Sampling schedules

• Initial sampling: Systems must complete two (2) rounds of consecutive six-month sampling. The monitoring periods for collection are:
• First six-month period: Jan. 1- June 30, analytical results are due to TCEQ no later than July 10.
• Second six-month period: July 1-Dec. 31, analytical results are due to TCEQ no later than Jan. 10.
• Reduced sampling: Systems that have completed their two rounds of initial sampling can be reduced to one-year or three-year sampling based on their 90th percentile lead and copper sampling during their initial sampling period. Reduced monitoring has a second requirement of a seasonal sampling period:
• Reduced: June 1-Sept. 30, analytical results are due to TCEQ no later than Oct. 10.