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California’s compliance schedule for the state’s 10 µg/L hexavalent chromium drinking-water standard is entering its first implementation phase. Public water systems with 10,000 or more service connections must comply beginning October 1, 2026, followed by smaller systems in 2027 and 2028. California systems should review their monitoring results, applicable compliance date and any required compliance-planning activities with their regulator and laboratory.
California Waterboards Cr 6 update
Meet Kailen Harris, one of the WETLAB Laboratory Specialists in Las Vegas. As a Laboratory Specialist, Kailen runs BOD, OP, and microbiological analyses as well as managing daily testing for local municipality water reclamation facilities and utilities. Over his 2 years with WETLAB, Kailen’s varied experience across many fields has been utilized to aid in other aspects of WETLAB’s business, including sample receiving, courier needs, and general technology related issues. The Las Vegas location serves as a sample receiving hub for the Sparks lab, so he also routinely performs duties that would typically be restricted to the sample receiving department.
Before joining WETLAB, Kailen worked for the State of Georgia’s Soil & Water Conservation Commission, reviewing erosion, sedimentation, and pollution control plans for new developments all over the state of Georgia, serving as the final step in the development permitting process.
Kailen has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (BSA) in Biological Science from the University of Georgia. Outside of work, Kailen enjoys traveling and hiking. Over the last year, he has been visiting US National Parks. He also loves live music, attending festivals and cooking.
Keep your eyes peeled for Kailen around Tri-State Seminar coming up in August!
As we covered last quarter in our Summer Sampling Tips article, maintaining samples within the proper temperature range is essential for preserving their integrity and ensuring accurate results from the laboratory.
The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) has recently issued updates for the sample handling, transportation, and preservation of samples for drinking water compliance. Below we cover a few of the updates that will impact our clients the most, and the actions you can take to ensure your samples are able to be accepted by the laboratory.
Read the notice HERE
Chemistry Samples for Drinking Water Compliance:
To be accepted by the laboratory, samples for chemistry analysis arriving at the laboratory within 24 hours of collection must have evidence the chilling process has been initiated, be packed on wet ice or with blue ice (frozen gel/ice packs), immediately following sample collection. The sample temperature may exceed 6°C if received within 24 hours. However, samples will be rejected if there is no evidence the chilling process has been initiated.
We recommend having a cooler with wet ice or blue ice ready when collecting samples. Once collected, immediately place samples into the cooler. Deliver the samples to the laboratory in the cooler on the wet ice or blue ice.
If shipping samples, it is recommended to collect samples later in the day, begin the chilling process immediately, and select an overnight service with morning delivery. In anticipation of unexpected shipping delays, please ensure samples are packed with plenty of wet ice to ensure arrival at temperature of 2°C to 6°C if they arrive 24 hours after collection.
Samples for chemistry analysis arriving at the laboratory over 24 hours from collection must meet the temperature requirement of 2°C to 6°C or the sample will be rejected.
Bacteria Samples for Drinking Water Compliance:
It is encouraged, not required, to keep samples for bacteria analysis at < 10°C during transit to the laboratory. However, samples for bacteria analysis will be rejected by the laboratory if they are received frozen.
We recommend having a cooler with wet ice ready when collecting samples for bacteria analysis. Notably during the hot summer months, we recommend utilizing wet ice as it provides more efficient cooling than blue ice. Once collected, immediately place samples into the cooler. Deliver the samples on wet ice in the cooler to the laboratory.
We are here to assist in making your sampling experience as seamless as possible. Coolers and ice packs are always available upon request with every WETLAB bottle kit order. For those located within the state of Nevada, consider utilizing our courier service to ensure your samples arrive at the laboratory on time.
In Our WETLAB World
Happy Birthday WETLAB! Staff had fun tie dying shirts in honor of WETLAB’s 24th birthday in May!
In Our Industry
Great to see everyone at the Elko Mine Expo in June!
WETLAB had a great time participating in the Nevada Mining Association Charity Golf Tournament Benefiting Ronald McDonald House in June!
Check us out at Tri-State Seminar Aug 3-8 in Las Vegas
Nick Ross will be presenting Defensible Method Detection Limits (MDLs) in Environmental Testing on 8/4
Visit us at the Nevada Mining Association Convention September 9-11 in South Lake Tahoe
In Our Community
Michelle Sherven, president of WETLAB, has been appointed to the Board of Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful.
Reno Tahoe Odyssey In June two members of our team, Michelle and Mckenna, participated in the Reno Tahoe Odyssey, a team-based distance relay running event where a team of 12 runners trades off completing 36 legs of roughly five miles each, covering 178 miles from start to finish.
WETLAB was proud to participate in the 31st Annual McClelland Literacy Foundation Golf Tournament in July!
Under clear blue skies, 185 volunteer participants fanned out across the Tahoe-Truckee Watershed to take water quality samples from 80 sites in streams, creeks, ponds, and lakes from South Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake for the 26th annual Snapshot Day. Organized by Keep Tahoe Blue, Truckee River Watershed Council, Tahoe Water Suppliers Association, and Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, this event is made possible by the citizen science volunteers and local laboratories including WETLAB, South Tahoe Public Utility District, Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, and High Sierra Labs. Taken together, the data gathered at this event each May provides a “snapshot” of water quality at a single moment in time for this important source of drinking water and outdoor recreation.
Photo from Katy Jo Caringer
Snapshot Day is one of the longest-running citizen science events of its kind in the nation, beginning in 2001. The volunteers who participate are just as consistent and committed. In Keep Tahoe Blue’s South Shore sampling region, Dr. Larry Green is a fixture. He has taken part in 25 of the 26 years of Snapshot Day. The single missing year was due to the pandemic, when the public did not participate. Eleven-year-old Everett Patterson, son of Keep Tahoe Blue’s Chief Strategy Officer Jesse Patterson, has participated in every Snapshot Day since he was born.
A group of Keep Tahoe Blue’s Core Volunteers sample the same site every year. They have dubbed themselves the “Trout Creekers” and donned custom shirts for this year’s event. One of the team members, Tara Dobyns, rescheduled a trip overseas so she could take part in this year’s event.
“Our volunteers’ dedication to protecting Lake Tahoe is just amazing, and honestly moving,” said Courtney Baumann, Keep Tahoe Blue’s Engagement Manager and the South Lake regional coordinator for the event. “I love Snapshot Day because it creates those strong bonds by directly connecting people with the watershed where they live, work, or play.”
At sites stretching from the Upper Truckee River at Christmas Valley in South Lake Tahoe to Popcorn Rock Beach at Pyramid Lake, volunteers waded into the water to take measurements of characteristics like pH, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity. They also collected samples to be analyzed by laboratories like WETLAB for bacteria, total dissolved solids, and turbidity. Following the event, participants were thanked with a raffle and lunch in South Lake Tahoe provided by event sponsor Lime.
Snapshot Day citizen scientists’ work has rendered a robust water quality dataset stretching back a quarter century. It allows researchers, scientists, and organizations like Keep Tahoe Blue to track changes in important water quality parameters and gain a better understanding of how the Tahoe ecosystem responds to environmental shocks like droughts and wildfires. The data analysis can also guide planning for ecosystem restoration projects and other efforts that make the Tahoe environment more resilient in the face of climate change.
Learn more about Snapshot Day at keeptahoeblue.org/ssd and tahoetruckeesnapshotday.org.
WETLAB has expanded its ion chromatography capabilities with the installation of an additional Metrohm IC 930. This latest investment increases laboratory capacity, strengthens operational flexibility, and helps us continue delivering the high-quality results and dependable turnaround times our clients expect.
Ion chromatography is a highly precise analytical technique used to separate, identify, and quantify dissolved ions in liquid samples. The new IC 930 will support anion analysis for:
Chloride (Cl⁻), fluoride (F⁻), sulfate (SO₄²⁻), nitrate (NO₃⁻), nitrite (NO₂⁻), and bromide (Br⁻).
These analytes are routinely monitored in drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, surface water, and other environmental matrices for regulatory compliance, process control, and water-quality evaluation.
Because ion chromatography can be a time-intensive process—and certain analytes have short regulatory holding times—adequate instrument capacity is essential. Operating the new IC 930 alongside our existing instrumentation allows WETLAB to run additional sample batches in parallel, reduce potential bottlenecks, and provide greater scheduling flexibility for routine, high-volume, and time-sensitive projects.
The additional instrument also provides increased redundancy, helping maintain continuity and consistent service during periods of high sample volume or scheduled instrument maintenance.
By continuing to invest in advanced analytical technology, WETLAB is strengthening its ability to provide data for environmental solutions while better supporting our clients’ compliance requirements and project schedules.
In Our WETLAB World
Earth Day Celebration Michelle Sherven, president of WETLAB, attended Earth Day event at Idlewild Park with KTMB
Conscious Communication We were proud to host HR Expert, Karyn Jensen to discuss mindful communication and intentional conversation with our team.
In Our Industry
Nevada Water & Wastewater Operators Conference Nick Ross, Operations Manager, and Mckenna Oh, Sparks Project Manager, presented at the Nevada Water & Wastewater Operators Conference in March.
Elko Mine Expo Check us out at the Elko Mine Expo June 5nd-6th at the Elko Convention & Conference Center. Visit our booth #111 to meet the team!
Our very own Operations Manager, Nick Ross, has been appointed to the Board of Trustees for Nevada Water Resources Association (NWRA) District 1 for Clark, Lincoln, Nye and Esmeralda Counties. As board member, he will be responsible for representing his district, advancing NWRA’s mission to protect Nevada’s water resources, and providing governance. Nick is looking forward to the opportunity to further advocate for water sustainability and the need to protect Nevada’s water resources.
In Our Community
Michelle Sherven, president of WETLAB, was featured in Northern Nevada Business Magazine during March Women’s Month. Check out the full article HERE.
WETLAB team members Jackie & Cassie inspiring the next generation of scientists at Fernley’s East Valley Elementary School Career Fair.
Coming Up: KTMB Great Community May 2nd
At WETLAB, we are committed to staying at the forefront of laboratory technology so we can continue providing high-quality analysis with the fast turnaround times our clients expect. As part of several facility upgrades planned throughout 2026, we’re excited to announce the installation of a new Velp Scientifica DKL Fully Automatic Digestion unit.
TKN digestion is a critical step in nitrogen analysis, used to convert organic nitrogen and ammonia in environmental samples into ammonium sulfate for measurement. It is an established method used across environmental, food, chemical, and agricultural testing and is recognized by major standards organizations, including EPA, ISO, AOAC, and DIN.
Our new unit improves both capacity and efficiency by allowing multiple samples to be processed at once. With fast block heating, precise temperature control, and automated programmable operation, it helps us increase throughput, improve consistency, and reduce turnaround time.
This investment also reflects our commitment to safer, more environmentally responsible lab practices. By moving from mercury oxide to copper sulfate in the digestion process, we are reducing the use of mercury-based chemistry while maintaining reliable analytical performance. That change supports industry and regulatory efforts to reduce hazardous mercury use in environmental testing.
Nitrogen analysis is essential in wastewater testing and environmental monitoring. Reliable TKN testing helps track nutrient levels, identify potential pollution concerns, and support compliance with environmental regulations for wastewater and runoff. With this new digestion unit in place, WETLAB is better equipped to deliver efficient, dependable nitrogen analysis while continuing to invest in the technology and processes that improve your overall client experience.
Maintaining samples within the proper temperature range is essential for preserving their integrity and ensuring accurate results from the laboratory. This can be especially challenging during the summer months, when high outdoor temperatures can quickly impact samples.
Analytical methods and environmental regulations require that most samples, except those for metals analysis, be received by the laboratory at a temperature of 2° – 6° C (35° – 42° F). From the time of sample collection through storage and transportation to the laboratory, temperature plays a fundamental role in preserving the quality of samples and preventing unwanted changes.
To help maintain proper temperatures, samples should always be transported in a cooler with wet ice or ice packs (commonly referred to as blue ice). Particularly during the summer, we recommend the use of wet ice over ice packs as wet ice is more effective at cooling. WETLAB can provide coolers and ice packs with your sampling supplies.
Additional actions can further improve temperature control. Keep coolers out of direct sunlight when possible and store them in shaded or air-conditioned areas. Limit how often the coolers are opened to help maintain internal temperature, and plan sample collection and delivery to reduce transport time during peak heat. It is also important to monitor and record sample temperatures during transport to document any deviations to assess potential impacts on quality.
As a certified laboratory, WETLAB is committed to delivering results that are accurate, reliable, reproducible, and defensible. Achieving this starts well before analysis, as quality results start in the field. We’re here to equip your team with the knowledge and resources necessary to preserve sample integrity from the moment of collection.
Meet Mckenna Oh, WETLAB Sparks Project Manager. Mckenna has been a valued member of the WETLAB team since 2019 when she began in the Client Services Department. In her current role as Project Manager, she facilitates communication and coordination between clients and analytical staff to ensure project requirements are clearly defined and met. Before stepping into her current role, Mckenna worked in sample control, where she managed the intake and logging of samples with precision and care.
You may have seen Mckenna around industry trade shows representing WETLAB and presenting expert sessions. She presented sessions at both the 40th Annual Tri-State Seminar in Aug 2025 and Nevada Water Resources Association (NWRA) Annual Conference in Feb 2026. Her recent sessions have covered Water Sample Collection Best Practices to educate members of regional water associations. Mckenna’s favorite part of her job is interacting with the wide variety of people she encounters daily.
Mckenna received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Nevada, Reno. Outside of work, Mckenna is very active and likes to play tennis, pickleball, and golf. She loves traveling and is planning a trip to Germany for Oktoberfest this year. She is also a huge sports fan and loves to go to hockey and football games.
Keep your eyes out for Mckenna at our upcoming tradeshows!
