Increasing analytical efficiencies in the City of Atlanta

Significance of the topic

Providing safe, compliant and cost-effective municipal water services requires reliable, high-throughput laboratory analyses that meet regulatory minimum detection limits and minimize human error and overtime. Automation of routine tests—such as alkalinity, hardness, pH and conductivity—directly supports operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, staff safety and predictable turn-around times for public utilities.

Objectives and overview of the case study

• Describe how the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management upgraded laboratory workflows by introducing a discrete analyzer to replace labor-intensive titration methods.
• Summarize the operational and analytical impacts of automation on throughput, staffing and regulatory compliance.
• Highlight practical considerations encountered during implementation and plans for method expansion and validation.

Methodology and working context

The City of Atlanta DWM laboratory processes roughly 25–30 samples per day on at least three days per week. Regulatory requirements from the State of Georgia and the US EPA (Clean Water Act) impose specific minimum detection limits (MDLs) for many analytes. Prior to automation, alkalinity was measured by manual titration—a slow, operator-dependent technique that required continuous technician attention and often caused overtime because samples frequently arrived late in the day.
To address these constraints the laboratory implemented an automated discrete analyzer-based workflow using colorimetric assays for alkalinity and hardness, together with an attached electrochemical module for pH and conductivity measurements. Sample dechlorination was introduced to avoid chlorine-driven bleaching of colorimetric endpoints.

Instrumentation used

• Thermo Scientific Gallery Plus discrete analyzer (nicknamed "Gertrude")
• Attached electrochemical measurement (ECM) unit for pH and conductivity

Main results and discussion

• Throughput and staffing: Automation allowed a reduction in laboratory staffing from eight people to four while maintaining the same analytical output. The discrete analyzer freed at least one technician who no longer needed to perform manual titrations and helped ensure that staff could finish work on schedule without routine overtime.
• Operational reliability: The automated colorimetric methods provided robust pH and hardness/alkalinity measurements when samples were pretreated to remove free chlorine. The ECM unit delivered reliable pH and conductivity readings complementary to the colorimetric assays.
• Compliance and efficiency: The discrete analyzer enabled consistent adherence to state and federal MDLs while improving turnaround time for mandated tests. The installation supported the DWM’s goals of maintaining regulatory compliance and operational efficiency following major infrastructure and consent-decree driven rehabilitation efforts.
• Analytical challenges: Chlorine in finished water caused color loss in colorimetric assays; routine dechlorination of samples was implemented to mitigate this problem. Additional method validation is planned for chloride and phosphate assays before routine deployment.
• Supporting data: Instrument response plots reported in the case study illustrated linear responses for pH and conductivity measurements, underpinning the analytical suitability of the ECM module for routine monitoring (figures summarized qualitatively rather than transcribed).

Benefits and practical applications of the method

• Labor and cost savings: Reduced hands-on time for technicians, fewer overtime hours, and a smaller required headcount deliver measurable personnel cost savings.
• Improved consistency and QA: Automation reduces operator variability associated with manual titration and improves reproducibility of routine analyses.
• Regulatory assurance: Faster and more consistent testing supports timely compliance with MDLs and reporting obligations under state and federal regulations.
• Scalability and training: Once methods are validated, other technicians can be trained quickly for routine operation, simplifying staffing flexibility.

Future trends and potential applications

• Method extension and validation: Validate additional colorimetric and ion-selective assays (e.g., chloride, phosphate) on the discrete platform to broaden the analyte panel and reduce manual workflows further.
• Integrated sample preparation: Incorporate automated sample pretreatment (dechlorination, filtration, dilution) to reduce manual steps and improve chain-of-custody handling for late-arriving samples.
• Laboratory information management: Link discrete analyzers to LIMS and QA systems for automated data transfer, trend analysis and regulatory reporting to streamline compliance workflows.
• Remote monitoring and predictive maintenance: Add remote diagnostics and reagent usage tracking to minimize downtime and optimize consumable purchasing and inventory management.
• Adoption by other utilities: The measurable labor and compliance benefits suggest similar medium-to-large municipal water laboratories could realize comparable gains by adopting discrete analysis for routine parameters.

Conclusion

The City of Atlanta DWM’s integration of a discrete analyzer with an electrochemical module effectively automated previously manual alkalinity and hardness testing while providing high-quality pH and conductivity data. This change improved analytical throughput, reduced staffing needs and overtime, and preserved regulatory compliance. Practical adjustments (notably sample dechlorination) were necessary to ensure reliable colorimetric results. The case demonstrates how targeted automation can deliver operational efficiencies, reproducible data and scalability for municipal water testing laboratories.

References

• Case study text provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific describing the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management implementation of a Gallery Plus discrete analyzer.