What Does ORELAP Accreditation Mean for Your Water Test?
Not all water testing is created equal. Oregon requires that water tests for most official purposes come from an ORELAP-accredited laboratory. Here is what that means and why it matters for your results.
5 min read · Waterlab Corp Laboratory Staff
Waterlab Corp holds triple accreditation
We are accredited under ORELAP, EPA, and TNI — the highest level of certification available to an Oregon environmental testing laboratory.
Oregon Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program
Required for any water testing used in regulatory decisions, real estate transactions, or legal proceedings in Oregon. Governed by Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 333.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Federal recognition for Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) compliance testing. Required for public water supply testing under federal law.
The NELAC Institute
Voluntary national standard for environmental testing laboratories. TNI accreditation demonstrates adherence to the highest quality system standards in the industry.
Why Accreditation Matters for Your Test Results
Your results are legally defensible
Oregon law requires ORELAP-accredited results for real estate transactions, regulatory compliance, and permit reporting. Results from non-accredited labs or home test kits cannot be used for these purposes.
Strict proficiency testing requirements
Accredited labs must regularly analyze blind proficiency test samples and demonstrate accurate results within tight acceptance criteria. Labs that fail proficiency testing lose their accreditation.
Chain of custody and documentation
Accredited labs maintain rigorous chain of custody records for every sample, documenting who collected it, when, how it was transported, and what happened to it in the lab. This documentation is essential if results are ever challenged.
Method validation and QA/QC
Accredited labs must use EPA-approved analytical methods and run extensive quality control checks with every batch of samples — including blanks, spikes, and duplicates — to catch and correct any errors.
Regular state inspections
Oregon DEQ conducts on-site inspections of ORELAP-accredited labs to verify that equipment, personnel qualifications, and procedures meet accreditation standards. Labs must also self-audit annually.
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