Ensuring Safe Drinking Water: OUC’s Water Quality Lab

At the heart of OUC’s commitment to delivering safe, reliable drinking water is a tightknit and dedicated team that works quietly in the background, testing samples at every stage of the water system — from wells and treatment plants to multiple points throughout the distribution network of water mains and pipes.

OUC’s Water Quality Lab plays a critical role in protecting public health and helps ensure that every drop that comes out of the tap meets the highest quality standards.

The lab is staffed by four chemists — including a quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) officer — an administrative assistant, and a supervisor who is also a chemist. Together, the team conducts more than 12,000 chemical and bacteriological tests each year and monitors more than 135 regulated and unregulated substances.

“Every day involves managing sampling schedules, running tests, reviewing data and preparing reports for both internal teams and regulatory agencies,” explained Jaritza Pluguez, Water Quality Lab Supervisor.

“We have a great team that stays trained and supports each other when challenges arise,” added Pluguez.

The lab is organized into specialized sections. The microbiology section handles daily testing for bacteria, while other areas focus on analyzing trace metals like lead and copper, as well as organic and inorganic compounds, using advanced techniques such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Together, these capabilities allow the team to monitor a wide range of potential contaminants.

Maintaining sample integrity is a critical part of the process. Samples are collected using strict procedures to prevent contamination and ensure accuracy. Some samples, for example, must be chemically or preserved with ice at the time of collection to ensure accurate results.

Once samples arrive at the lab, they are logged, verified and distributed to the appropriate testing areas. After analysis, results go through multiple layers of review, including QA/QC checks to ensure errors haven’t been made, before being finalized and reported.

This meticulous process is essential, especially when something unexpected appears. Because OUC operates its own in-house lab, the team is deeply familiar with the system and its historical trends.

“We can quickly recognize when something is out of the ordinary. That allows us to respond — whether that means retesting, coordinating resampling, or notifying the appropriate teams,” Pluguez said, who added that attention to detail, consistency and a strong sense of responsibility are key for anyone working in the lab.

In addition to supporting drinking water operations, the lab also provides testing and analytical support for OUC’s power plants and environmental programs.

“We want customers to know that there’s a dedicated group of people working behind the scenes and our goal is to ensure they can trust the water coming into their homes,” said Pluguez.

Each year, OUC publishes its Water Quality Report, giving customers the opportunity to review the results of the thousands of tests conducted by the lab each year and the more than 135 regulated and unregulated substances that are monitored.

**

Exploring OUC’s Water Teams

The Water Quality Lab works closely with other teams at OUC in serving customers across its 200-square-mile service territory. As part of this six-part series, you’ll learn about Water Production, which pulls water from the Floridan Aquifer; Water Distribution, which maintains mains, service lines and critical infrastructure; Water Operations, which provides emergency response to leaks and other issues, as well as proactive maintenance Water Engineering, which designs, plans and manages new infrastructure and systems; and Water Metering, which collects data for customer billing and system monitoring.