欧文牧场水区（IRWD）位于加利福尼亚州奥兰治县，服务人口13万。IRWD负责饮用水分配、废水收集和处理、再生水分配和许可证监控。从1992年到1997年，该区的水质实验室工作人员从7人增加到17人。这是由于新的环境问题和法规所要求的采样和测试负荷大大增加。目前，该实验室每年对各种参数进行超过65000次分析。 采样的增加需要更好的系统来处理生成的大量数据和报告。选择了基于PC的实验室信息管理系统（LIMS）。本文讨论了将LIMS改造成水质实验室的理由、设计、选择和实施过程。这篇论文对流程的每一步都提出了具体的建议。

The Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) is located in Orange County, California, and serves a population of 130,000. IRWD is responsible for potable water distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, reclaimed water distribution and permit monitoring. From 1992 to 1997, the District's water quality laboratory staff increased from 7 individuals to 17. This was necessitated by a greatly expanded sampling and testing load required by new environmental concerns and regulations. Currently, the laboratory conducts over 65,000 analyses per year for a variety of parameters. The increased sampling required a better system for handling the large volumes of data and reports that are generated. A PC-based laboratory information management system (LIMS) was selected. This paper discusses the justification, design, selection and implementation process of a LIMS into a water quality laboratory. The paper makes specific recommendations on the "do's" and "don'ts" for each step of the process.