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Western Environmental Testing Laboratory announces the new role of Jacob Brotman as chromatography lead.
In his new role, Brotman will be responsible for acting as the lead mentor for the chromatography team. As the lead, he will manage the team to ensure that all state compliance needs are met.
See the full article here.
Western Environmental Testing Laboratory announces Caitrianna Bishop has been promoted to client services manager.
With more than four years of experience at WETLAB, Bishop previously worked in client services supervising sample control staff and couriers, providing support with sample receiving, courier routes, and bottle kit requests.
See the full article here.
In Our WETLAB World
Team Holiday Celebrations
This year we were grateful for good food and even better company at our Sparks Team Thanksgiving!
All dressed up in festive attire for Holiday Spirit Week!
Our Elko team had a great time celebrating at Hikiko Sushi!
Feeling the holiday Spirit at our Las Vegas office!
Holiday Door Contest
Our offices were looking very festive for the holiday season! The WETLAB team showed off their creativity with a holiday door decorating contest. From winter wonderlands to creative Christmas cheer, the office doors are a work of art!
Enjoy all of our winners!
Best Overall:
Most Creative:
Best Door:
Best Not a Door:
Strategic Planning
Escape room fun for our Strategic Plan Meeting!
In Our Industry
AEMA Tradeshow
McKenna and Caitrianna had a blast at this year’s AEMA Tradeshow beer pour!
Recent Publication in WaterSPOT
WETLAB was recently featured in the latest issue of the Nevada Water Environmental Association’s WaterSPOT. To read the full article, you can check it out HERE.
In Our Community
Children’s Cabinet’s Adopt a Family
This holiday season, WETLAB was proud to partner with The Children’s Cabinet through their Adopt A Family program! Giving back to our community is at the heart of what we do, and we’re honored to support such a meaningful cause. Thank you to The Children’s Cabinet for organizing this amazing program and to our team for their generosity and holiday spirit!
Sage Ridge School Field Trips
The AP Environmental Science students from Sage Ridge School recently took a tour of the laboratory. It was so much fun showing these passionate students behind the scenes!
We also had a wonderful time hosting this 4th grade class from Sage Ridge School. It was a blast showing these future scientists the ins and outs of our laboratory.
Volunteer Spotlight
Meet Shelby, our Instruments Laboratory Scientist! Outside of the lab, Shelby brings her passion for dancing and helping others to the dance floor by volunteering with “Dance With Me.”
The “Dance With Me” program provides care partners with a supportive, social environment, fostering emotional connection and shared experiences. It promotes purposeful living, giving participants a sense of belonging and meaningful expression through weekly dance sessions. For more information, contact the Ballroom of Reno at (775) 624-3551 or info@theballroomofreno.org.
Welcome to our client spotlight! This series highlights the remarkable achievements and partnerships that shape our community and industry. Today, we are excited to feature one of our esteemed clients: Jonathan Diaz, Environmental Engineer with Florida Canyon Mine.
Please give us an overview of what Florida Canyon Mine does.
Florida Canyon is an open pit mine that processes ore using 2 stage crushing and Ron of Mine (ROM) heap leaching. Florida Canyon Mine has been producing gold and silver since 1986.
Can you describe how your relationship with WETLAB enhances your operations to help you better serve clients in your local community?
Our relationship with WETLAB is a key factor in our responsibility to keep the people in our community safe and in good health. Samples analyzed by WETLAB ensure that Florida Canyon is compliant with environmental laws and regulations.
What has your experience working with WETLAB been like?
Our experience has been a pleasant and professional experience. Whenever we need something, WETLAB ensures we get it in a timely manner. Time is essential in our industry and WETLAB understands that.
What recent projects have you worked on with WETLAB?
We work with WETLAB on a quarterly basis for our sampling events. Outside of the normal sampling events, we recently invited WETLAB’s employees out to our mine site for a tour. Additionally, we visited the WETLAB’s facility to see how the samples are processed. It’s really nice to have this kind of relationship that feels very personable.
How does Florida Canyon Mine stand out from your competitors?
It might sound like a cliché but with Florida Canyon employing nearly 300 people, the feeling here is still like a family-oriented feeling. We all know each other and care for one another and push ourselves to do better. We strive for individual success but also the success of the company.
Author: Andy Smith, Laboratory Director
Over the course of 2024, WETLAB has made remarkable strides in improving operations, enhancing production efficiency, and expanding our team’s expertise. One of the key changes we made in 2024 was the investment in new equipment, including an additional DI water system and a backup TKN/ammonia analyzer, ensuring that we can handle increasing workloads and reduce the risk of disruptions. This year also saw improvements in turnaround time (TAT), with our highest weekly TAT achieved by the end of 2024.
We were able to incorporate on-site training for multiple tests and pieces of equipment. In 2024, the on-site training was mostly focused on our organics/chromatography group. The training required for that group can be extensive, so having professional training available allowed us to ensure an elite team that can produce high quality results.
As we go into 2025, WETLAB is focused on further improving efficiency by identifying and eliminating any potential weaknesses in our operations. We plan to implement backup systems for equipment, expand staff training, and introduce additional certifications, ensuring we are prepared for any unforeseen challenges. Our commitment to improving TAT and developing our team will remain at the forefront of our efforts, enabling us to continue providing fast, reliable, and high-quality service to our clients. With these advancements, WETLAB is poised for another successful year of growth, innovation, and strengthened client relationships.
Author: Caitrianna Bishop, Client Services Manager
Reflecting on the past year, it’s clear that WETLAB’s Client Services Department has undergone pivotal changes in operations with the retirement of longtime Business Development Manager Garry Gray and promotion of Cheyenne Holter to Sample Control Manager.
Our Sample Control team welcomed new Specialists and Assistants as previous team members transitioned into different roles at WETLAB in Quality Assurance and the laboratory. We actively support the professional development of our staff and take pride in seeing them take on new roles and opportunities.
Sample Control has automated the login procedures for large projects, improving the invoicing process. Our preservative checks have been adjusted to meet state audit recommendations. Improvements to the collections process ensure more accurate invoices and faster payments. These modifications to our processes have improved the accuracy of reports and sample integrity, leading to faster turnaround times (TAT) and better service for our clients.
For WETLAB’s Spark’s laboratory, a highlight of the year was the achievement of the HAA5 certification. HAA5 certification refers to the ability to test for a specific group of chemicals called haloacetic acids (HAA5), which are by-products that form when chlorine or other disinfectants are used to treat drinking water.
This milestone allows us to bring HAA5 testing in-house, reducing costs for the company and our clients, and providing more reliable timelines for reporting. This certification exemplifies our commitment to public health and the continuous improvement of our service offerings and customer experience. While our clients benefit from quicker, more cost-effective testing, our staff gains a greater sense of control over service delivery.
Looking ahead, we plan to continue to develop our Sales team following Garry’s retirement after 8 years with WETLAB. We are streamlining workflows and enhancing efficiency to allow our team to focus on higher-impact activities.
WETLAB is poised for another year of growth and success, building on the strengthened internal operations we achieved over the past year. We’re excited to build on this momentum in the year to come to continue to better serve our clients.
Author: Kara Ansel, Systems Administrator
As we look back on the past year, WETLAB has seen significant advancements in both technology and internal processes. We made a major shift toward cloud-based infrastructure, migrating key services and accounts to improve efficiency, security, and resource optimization. Our launch of MyWETLAB, a client portal and employee resource hub, has streamlined data access and significantly enhanced user experiences for both employees and clients. Internally, we deployed new automations and data tools to our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), making real-time data and metrics more accessible and allowing our team to focus on higher-value tasks.
A major milestone this year was acquiring the HAA5 certification, which allows us to offer expanded environmental solutions to our clients. Our team’s role in refining the data importing process for analysts played a key part in this achievement. This certification is not only valuable for our clients but also opens up new opportunities for our employees to gain expertise in new areas.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to continue expanding our cloud infrastructure, enhance data workflows across departments, and introduce more updates to the MyWETLAB Client Portal. Our focus remains on improving the efficiency and accessibility of our systems, all while continuing to deliver the high-quality services our clients expect. Through these efforts, we aim to empower our employees, streamline operations, and further enhance the customer experience.
This year’s successes have shown that with the right tools and mindset, we can drive meaningful improvements in every aspect of our operations, from internal workflows to client interactions. We’re eager to build on this momentum and continue innovating in the year to come.
Meet Holly Salazar, our dynamic Instrumentation Team Lead with a passion for precision and a knack for solving complex technical challenges! Holly oversees the maintenance and operation of a wide range of chemical instrumentation used for analysis, including everything from ICP-OES to Nitrate/Nitrite analysis by Flow Injector. She’s got the technical know-how to keep things running smoothly, Whether it is instrument maintenance or tackling advanced tasks like, instrumentation troubleshooting.
With over 5 years of experience in the field, Holly’s journey started as a Laboratory Scientist in Geochemistry at WETLAB in Sparks, where she honed her skills in complex chemical testing and analysis. But that’s not all—when she’s not optimizing lab instruments, she’s leading efforts in Washoe County Search & Rescue, where she serves as a board member and is part of both the Incident Management and Metal Detecting teams. Talk about versatility!
Holly’s impressive resume is backed by a Meritorious Service Award from Washoe County Search & Rescue and a LECO CS-744 Certificate. When it comes to mixing technical expertise with community dedication, Holly is truly in a class of her own.
Whether she’s calibrating complex lab equipment or rescuing the day, Holly’s got everything under control—making her an invaluable asset to the Sparks office and beyond!
We are so proud of McKenna Oh for being nominated for a Top 20 Under 40 Award!
Having worked her way up from client services to project manager in just four years, McKenna Oh personifies the phrase of ‘Hard Work Pays Off’.
Her scientific expertise and commitment to client success ensure that every project meets high standards. Now the main point of contact for our clients, McKenna bridges their needs with WETLAB’s analytical team to deliver seamless results. Congrats McKenna!
In Our WETLAB World
90’s Themed Party
The WETLAB team enjoyed a fun 90’s themed party with an afternoon filled with nostalgic treats like Dunkaroos, Snack Packs, Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, and Capri Suns. Sample Control Manager Cheyenne crushed it at the 90’s Trivia Game, and we wrapped up the day with some friendly competition in foosball and cornhole.
Grindz Coffee Company
Our Spark’s team celebrated crushing their reporting goal with Grindz Coffee Company!
Florida Canyon Mine
Some of WETLAB’s Laboratory and Client Services staff headed over to Imlay, Nevada for a tour of the Florida Canyon Mine. Check out some of the massive machinery used for mining!
Wok & Roll Food Truck
The team celebrating crushing the September reporting goal with burgers from Wok & Roll!
NELAP Accreditation
We have received accreditation from the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) for our Sparks and Las Vegas laboratories! The NELAP accreditation process is a rigorous one and calls to WETLAB’s adherence to national benchmarks, data integrity, equipment calibration, and precise method selection.
In Our Industry
APWA Conference
Mckenna and Jill attended the American Public Works Association (APWA) Nevada Chapter Fall Conference in South Lake Tahoe October 2-3. This year’s conference centered on shaping the future of public works, fostering the development of young professionals within the industry. Keynote speaker James Robilotta delivered an engaging and inspiring presentation on utilizing curiosity to create community in the workplace. Public works within Nevada has a promising future!
MINExpo 2024 Las Vegas:
WETLAB recently attended the MINE EXPO INTERNATIONAL in Las Vegas, where the theme of “The Future of Workforce” took center stage. This year’s conference highlighted cutting-edge technologies that promise to transform industry operations by helping companies identify bottlenecks, enhance efficiency, and take unprecedented control of their processes.
At WETLAB, we share this vision of a tech-enhanced future. We believe that by incorporating advanced technologies into our daily operations, we can achieve greater efficiency and empower our team to focus on higher-level tasks. Automation, for example, will enable us to streamline repetitive processes, leading to quicker data retrieval and reporting. Enhanced data management will not only improve our response times but also minimize human error, ensuring that we deliver results of the highest quality.
Beyond improving our efficiency, we aim to leverage technology to foster a safer work environment and an exceptional customer experience. In 2025, we’re excited to share more of our technological advancements with you as we continue our journey toward innovation and excellence.
In Our Community
Girls on the Run – Sierras Fall 5K
Come and celebrate the end of another season with GOTR-Sierras on Saturday, November 16, 2024. This 5K encourages everyone in the program to feel a tangible sense of accomplishment for having made it through another season of growing and learning. You can join in on the run or become a sponsor to support GOTR-Sierras in their mission of inspiring local girls.
