Attachment D - Bacteria Testing Plan rev 1-14-2026 02.docx

This is an Environmental Testing Protocol document that establishes the bacteria testing procedures for the George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center under the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Integrated Service Network 19. The protocol designates the Engineering Service as responsible for water sample collection, transportation, and result documentation, with testing performed quarterly on buildings 1, 3, and 14. Each quarter, the facility will collect three water samples per building (nine total samples) from locations representative of the entire distribution system, specifically excluding bathrooms, janitor closets, and other areas prone to outside contamination. Water samples must be collected in accordance with the EPA's Quick Guide To Drinking Water Sample Collection and transported immediately to a certified testing contractor for laboratory analysis.

Upon receipt of laboratory results, the VA Engineering Service staff will forward written results to the Infection Preventionist and GEMS manager to minimize patient exposure risk. All tested site areas and environmental results are tracked in the VASLCHCS Water Safety Committee Environmental Sampling Spreadsheet. In the event of a positive environmental sample result, the Chair of the VASLCHCS Water Safety Committee is required to prepare a VHA Issue Brief detailing the issue title, report date, status, actions, progress, resolution date, and relevant contacts, which is then sent to the Issue Brief Approval Group and forwarded to VISN 19 Leadership. Repeat sampling procedures follow the guidelines established in the Utah Division of Drinking Water's DDW-2022-035825 publication.