South Dakota DANR
South Dakota drinking water lab certification, DANR and ARSD 74:04:07.
Which South Dakota labs need state certification, how the drinking water program evaluates them, how out-of-state labs qualify, and what auditors look for in your initial calibrations.
At a glance
How drinking water lab certification works in South Dakota.
South Dakota is not a NELAP accreditation body. Its laboratory certification rule covers labs that analyze drinking water for public water systems, and the out-of-state instructions state that South Dakota does not accept NELAC certification at this time.
Drinking water lab certification
- Program
- Drinking water laboratory certification, published on the Office of Water drinking water pages of the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR). On-site evaluations are performed by a laboratory certification officer appointed with the concurrence of the director of health laboratories.
- Legal basis
- ARSD 74:04:07, Laboratory quality control, adopted under SDCL 34A-3A-3. The rule text still names the secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources or a designated agent.
- Who needs it
- Laboratories that analyze drinking water compliance samples for public water systems. ARSD 74:04:12:09 accepts only results from a lab certified under ARSD 74:04:07, apart from listed field measurements such as pH and turbidity. ARSD 74:04:07:02 still cites repealed chapter 74:04:05.
- Discharge permit testing
- ARSD 74:04:07 addresses drinking water only, and DANR certifies only drinking water parameters. Discharge permit monitoring must follow test procedures approved under 40 CFR Part 136 (ARSD 74:52:03:06), and the secondary treatment standards apply Part 136 as it existed on July 1, 2016 (ARSD 74:52:06:05).
- Out-of-state labs
- The secretary may issue reciprocal certification to labs certified by EPA or their home state that have passed their last two performance evaluation audits and provided their quality assurance manual (ARSD 74:04:07:09). DANR’s instructions limit it to parameters the home state or EPA has certified.
- NELAP status
- Not a NELAP accreditation body, as of October 2026. DANR’s out-of-state instructions state: “We do not accept NELAC certification at this time.”
The accreditation cycle
From application to on-site evaluation.
The steps below summarize ARSD 74:04:07 for labs analyzing public water system samples. Your certification letter and correspondence from the program govern the specifics for your lab.
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Apply by parameter
New labs, and labs adding parameters, may be granted provisional certification pending an on-site evaluation once they show proper equipment, trained personnel and satisfactory performance evaluation results (ARSD 74:04:07:05).
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Performance evaluation audits
Acceptable results on all certified parameters for at least one semiannual performance evaluation audit each year (ARSD 74:04:07:03).
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On-site evaluation
At least once every three years for each area of analysis, and more often after substantial changes in staff, operation, equipment or ownership or after unacceptable audit results (ARSD 74:04:07:03).
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Quality assurance plan
Labs must adhere to their written quality assurance plan and submit additional information on staff, equipment and methods when the state requests it (ARSD 74:04:07:03).
Initial calibration
What auditors check in your initial calibrations.
South Dakota’s rule does not set curve acceptance criteria. It requires approved methods under 40 CFR Part 141 and a written quality assurance plan that covers calibration of equipment, so calibration expectations come from those methods and from your own plan.
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.
Calibration written into your quality assurance plan
ARSD 74:04:07:01 defines the quality assurance plan as a written protocol containing procedures for sample handling, sample analysis, calibration of equipment, frequency of quality control requirements, data validation and reporting of data. ARSD 74:04:07:03 requires labs to adhere to it.
Source: ARSD 74:04:07:01 and 74:04:07:03
An on-site evaluation reviews the adequacy of equipment, supplies, personnel, methods of analysis, quality control and laboratory data (ARSD 74:04:07:01). Method acceptance criteria come from the EPA drinking water methods cited in 40 CFR Part 141.
Self-check
Are your initial calibrations ready for a South Dakota 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.
South Dakota specifics
A NELAC certificate is not a South Dakota certificate.
South Dakota’s laboratory certification rule is written for drinking water. ARSD 74:04:07:02 applies it to labs that analyze drinking water for public water systems regulated under the state’s Drinking Water Standards, and the chapter’s definitions tie certified labs to the analysis of drinking water samples.
Out-of-state labs should plan for the reciprocity route. DANR’s instructions ask for a request letter listing parameters and methods, the quality assurance manual, two years of proficiency testing results, the last on-site audit and the home state or EPA certificate. The instructions state that South Dakota does not accept NELAC certification at this time and that there is no provisional certification for out-of-state labs.
Once certified, an out-of-state lab must send South Dakota, within 30 days, QA manual changes that could affect data validity, annual proficiency testing results, state or EPA audit results, changes in home state certification status, major changes in personnel, equipment or location, and changes to SOPs used for compliance samples. The instructions state that a lab that does not provide these items will be decertified.
How WLTR helps
Calibration evidence ready for a South Dakota evaluation.
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 state laboratory certification officer.
See how your own ICAL data looks when every analyte and model is laid out for review.
Questions
South Dakota accreditation FAQs
Is South Dakota a NELAP state?
No. South Dakota does not appear on TNI’s list of NELAP recognized accreditation bodies, and DANR’s out-of-state instructions state that South Dakota does not accept NELAC certification at this time.
Which labs need South Dakota certification?
Labs that analyze drinking water compliance samples for public water systems. Under ARSD 74:04:12:09, the state considers those results only if the lab is certified under ARSD 74:04:07.
How often are South Dakota labs evaluated?
At least once every three years for each area of analysis, with more frequent on-site evaluations possible after substantial changes or unacceptable audit results. Labs must also pass at least one semiannual performance evaluation audit each year for all certified parameters.
Can an out-of-state lab be certified in South Dakota?
Yes, through reciprocal certification under ARSD 74:04:07:09. The lab must be certified by EPA or its home state, have passed its last two performance evaluation audits, and provide its quality assurance manual. There is no reciprocal provisional certification.
Does South Dakota have its own initial calibration rule?
No separate curve criteria. Labs must use methods cited in 40 CFR Part 141 and follow a written quality assurance plan that, under ARSD 74:04:07:01, includes procedures for calibration of equipment.
Sources
Primary sources for this page.
- SD DANR, drinking water laboratory certification (opens in a new tab)
- SD DANR, out-of-state laboratory certification directions (opens in a new tab)
- ARSD 74:04:07, laboratory quality control (Justia secondary copy) (opens in a new tab)
- ARSD 74:04:07:03, requirements for certification (Justia secondary copy) (opens in a new tab)
- ARSD 74:04:07:09, reciprocal certification (Justia secondary copy) (opens in a new tab)
- ARSD 74:52:06:05, sampling and test procedures (Justia secondary copy) (opens in a new tab)
- TNI, NELAP recognized accreditation bodies (opens in a new tab)
- ARSD 74:04:12:09, certified laboratories (SD Legislature) (opens in a new tab)
- ARSD 74:52:03:06, monitoring requirements (SD Legislature) (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 South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Spot something out of date? Tell us at admin@wltr.tech.
Before your next assessment
See your South Dakota ICALs the way an evaluator 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.
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