Kansas KDHE ELIPO
Kansas environmental lab accreditation, KDHE and the TNI standard.
Who accredits your lab in Kansas, which standard you are assessed against, how field and out-of-state labs are handled, and what auditors look for in your initial calibrations.
At a glance
How environmental lab accreditation works in Kansas.
Kansas is a NELAP accreditation body. One office at KDHE accredits environmental labs, and since October 25, 2024 its rules adopt the 2016 TNI Standard, Version 2.1, by reference for every lab other than a field lab.
NELAP accreditation body
- Program
- Environmental Laboratory Improvement Office (ELIPO), Kansas Department of Health and Environment. KDHE states its goal is to give the Division of Environment laboratory data of known quality and of legal defensibility.
- NELAP status
- Listed by TNI as a NELAP accreditation body, accrediting to the 2016 TNI Environmental Laboratory Sector Standard, as of October 2026. KDHE states Kansas became a nationally recognized accrediting authority in 1999.
- Legal basis
- K.S.A. 65-1,109a authorizes the secretary to set procedures and qualifications for certifying labs. The program is implemented through K.A.R. 28-15-35 through 28-15-37.
- Quality system standard
- Volume 1 of the 2016 TNI Standard, Version 2.1, adopted by reference in K.A.R. 28-15-36 for all labs other than field labs, effective October 25, 2024.
- Who needs it
- KDHE states ELIPO accredits environmental labs performing analysis to comply with permit requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
- Field labs
- Kansas labs that perform compliance analyses for dissolved oxygen, free residual chlorine, pH, sulfite, temperature, total residual chlorine or turbidity can hold field laboratory certification under K.A.R. 28-15-36a.
- Out-of-state labs
- May apply for secondary certification if certified by another accrediting body, but only for fields in which they hold primary certification (K.A.R. 28-15-35g). Labs can also seek primary accreditation from KDHE.
The accreditation cycle
From application to renewal.
KDHE certifies by field of accreditation, a combination of matrix, technology or method, and analyte. The cycle below summarizes K.A.R. 28-15-35 through 28-15-35e; your certificate and ELIPO correspondence govern the specifics for your lab.
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Apply and pass an on-site assessment
Apply for each field of accreditation. Every applicant lab undergoes an on-site assessment before receiving certification (K.A.R. 28-15-35c).
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12-month certificate
Each certificate lists the scope of accreditation and remains valid for 12 months from the date granted. Renewal applications are due at least 60 calendar days before expiration (K.A.R. 28-15-35b and 28-15-35e).
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Proficiency testing
Labs other than field labs use a nationally certified PT provider, meet the PT requirements of TNI Volume 1, and demonstrate successful PT for each field of accreditation (K.A.R. 28-15-35d).
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Reassessment
Primary-certified labs are assessed at least once every 18 to 30 months from the previous assessment, and field labs every 30 to 42 months. Corrective action reports are due within 30 days of the assessment report.
Initial calibration
What auditors check in your initial calibrations.
Kansas adopts the TNI standard for full laboratories and writes its own short calibration rule for field labs, so what an assessor checks depends on which certification you hold.
A range that brackets what you report
The lowest standard should sit at or below your reporting limit and the highest at or above the top concentration you report. Results outside the calibrated range need to be qualified.
Error at the low end, not r² alone
A correlation coefficient of 0.999 can still hide a low standard that back-calculates 30 percent off. Auditors look at relative error, especially at the lowest levels.
Records that rebuild the curve
Raw responses, the model and weighting used, any excluded points with the reason, and the verification that followed. An auditor should be able to reconstruct every initial calibration from the record.
The rule that matches your certification
Labs other than field labs are held to Volume 1 of the 2016 TNI Standard, Version 2.1. Field labs must calibrate each instrument on each day of use, with a range that brackets the sample measurement, and verify each calibration with a quality control standard, with narrow exceptions for temperature, manufacturer calibrated instruments and one point dissolved oxygen calibration.
Source: K.A.R. 28-15-36 and 28-15-36a(f)
For field labs, K.A.R. 28-15-36a also requires recalibration or removal from service when a verification misses the method or manufacturer criteria, and calibration records with lot numbers and reagent expiration dates kept for at least five years.
Self-check
Are your initial calibrations ready for a Kansas assessment?
Tick what your lab could show an auditor today. Nothing you select is saved or sent anywhere.
6Checks to work through
Select each item your lab could show an auditor today.
A self-assessment to help you prepare, not a compliance determination.
What changed
Kansas rewrote its lab rules in 2024.
Amendments to K.A.R. 28-15-35 through 28-15-37, published in the Kansas Register Volume 43, No. 41, took effect October 25, 2024. K.A.R. 28-15-36 now adopts Volume 1 of the 2016 TNI Standard, Version 2.1, approved by the NELAC Accreditation Council on June 18, 2018, as the requirements for every lab other than a field lab.
For calibration, that places the expectations in the TNI standard and in the methods you are certified for. Field labs are the exception: K.A.R. 28-15-36a sets daily calibration, a bracketing range, and verification with a quality control standard for a short list of field parameters, with a few stated exceptions.
Out-of-state labs should note that secondary certification only covers fields their primary accrediting body has already granted. Rules can change, so check ELIPO’s page for anything newer than this summary, current as of October 2026.
How WLTR helps
Calibration evidence ready for a Kansas assessment.
WLTR independently reviews the calibration your instrument software produced. Your analyst still makes the final call. What changes is that the evidence is complete, consistent across analysts, and ready before the auditor asks for it.
- Each analyte reviewed one at a time in the instrument software.
- The model and weighting are whatever the batch was processed with.
- r² is the number most people look at, even though it does not measure error at the low end.
- QA signs off without an independent check on the curve.
- Every analyte and every candidate model side by side in the Calibration Intelligence dashboard.
- Diagnostics run automatically and the best fit curve is identified, with the reasons recorded.
- Relative error at every level, including the lowest standard, shown on one screen.
- A traceable record your QA manager can review, sign and hand to a KDHE assessor.
See how your own ICAL data looks when every analyte and model is laid out for review.
Questions
Kansas accreditation FAQs
Is Kansas a NELAP state?
Yes. TNI lists the Kansas Department of Health and Environment as a NELAP accreditation body accrediting to the 2016 TNI Environmental Laboratory Sector Standard, as of October 2026.
Who accredits drinking water and wastewater labs in Kansas?
The Environmental Laboratory Improvement Office at KDHE. KDHE states it accredits labs performing analysis to comply with permit requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, and RCRA.
How long does Kansas certification last?
Each certificate remains valid for 12 months from the date granted (K.A.R. 28-15-35e). Renewal applications are due at least 60 calendar days before the current certification expires (K.A.R. 28-15-35b).
Can an out-of-state lab be certified in Kansas?
Yes. A lab certified by another accrediting body may apply for secondary certification, limited to the fields covered by its primary certification (K.A.R. 28-15-35g). Out-of-state labs may also seek primary accreditation from KDHE.
Does Kansas have its own initial calibration rule?
Only for field labs, which K.A.R. 28-15-36a generally requires to calibrate daily, bracket the sample measurement, and verify with a quality control standard, with limited exceptions such as temperature and dissolved oxygen. Other labs follow Volume 1 of the 2016 TNI Standard and their certified methods.
Sources
Primary sources for this page.
- KDHE, Environmental Laboratory Improvement Program (ELIPO) (opens in a new tab)
- TNI, NELAP recognized accreditation bodies (opens in a new tab)
- Kansas Register Vol. 43, No. 41, K.A.R. 28-15-35 to 28-15-37 amendments (opens in a new tab)
- K.S.A. 65-1,109a, laboratory certification (Kansas Legislature) (opens in a new tab)
- K.A.R. 28-15-36, TNI standard adopted (Cornell LII, secondary copy) (opens in a new tab)
- K.A.R. 28-15-35c, assessments (Cornell LII, secondary copy) (opens in a new tab)
- K.A.R. 28-15-35g, out-of-state labs (Justia, secondary copy) (opens in a new tab)
- K.A.R. 28-15-36a, field laboratories (Justia, secondary copy) (opens in a new tab)
This page summarizes public program information to help labs prepare. Requirements change, and the agency’s current rules and guidance always take precedence. WLTR is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Spot something out of date? Tell us at admin@wltr.tech.
Before your next assessment
See your Kansas ICALs the way an assessor will.
Bring a recent initial calibration. We will walk you through every analyte and candidate model in the Calibration Intelligence dashboard, the best fit, and the record your QA manager would sign.
Request a demoHow the methodology works
Running environmental methods? See how WLTR works for environmental testing labs and water and wastewater utility labs.