Who is responsible for reporting lab results to the regulatory agency?

The responsibility for reporting lab results to the regulatory agency typically lies with the water system owner. The water system owner is accountable for ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements, which includes submitting lab results that pertain to the safety and quality of the drinking water supply. This obligation often involves oversight of the water treatment processes, including monitoring and testing, to adhere to local, state, and federal water quality standards.

While the water treatment operator plays a crucial role in conducting daily operations and may prepare or facilitate the sampling process, it is ultimately the owner's responsibility to ensure that the results are reported accurately and in a timely manner to the appropriate regulatory agency. The laboratory technician performs the tests and analyzes samples but does not typically handle the reporting of results; this is done through the proper channels as designated by the water system owner. Similarly, the municipal inspector's role is focused on compliance assessments and inspections rather than on directly reporting laboratory results.