Water Quality Lab: General Information
Lab location
The KWI Water Quality Lab is has two separate locations. Each location is responsible for specific tests and equipment.
- Basic water quality testing
- Metal and trace metal analysis
- Pesticide and herbicide testing
- PFAS testing
Buddhika Galkaduwa
email: wql@ksu.edu
Phone: 785-532-5519
WQL Phone: 785-532-3909
Office: CBC Building, Room 407
Sending samples
You'll need to submit a water sample and an order form, indicating which tests you want. Water samples can be submitted in person or by mail to:
Water Quality Lab, 1712 Claflin Road, 2404 Throckmorton Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506
If you have questions about how to package your water sample for testing, please contact the WQL.
Water Quality Lab staff
Buddhika Galkaduwa
Director, Water Quality Lab
Buddhika Galkaduwa oversees the operations, research activities, and strategic direction of the water quality laboratory. With a background in Environmental Analytical Chemistry, she brings deep expertise in testing environmental matrices using mass spectrometry, gas and liquid chromatography, atomic spectroscopy, and other advanced analytical techniques. After graduating with a Ph.D. in Soil and Environmental Chemistry from Kansas State University, she worked as a postdoctoral research fellow and held a supervisory role at the Kansas Department of Agriculture Laboratory, where she managed pesticide, fertilizer, and animal feed testing sections. Prior to joining KWI as the director of water quality laboratory, she worked as an assistant scientist for the K-State soil testing laboratory. Buddhika’s role supports the mission of KWI by fostering collaborative research within and outside the institution, supporting faculty, students, and external partners in environmental water quality, and developing techniques for research and development.
Kushan Kompalage
Research Associate
Kushan Kompalage received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Kansas State University, specializing in environmental analytical chemistry. During his doctoral research, he developed and validated advanced ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) methods for detecting trace levels of PFAS and veterinary pharmaceuticals in environmental and biological samples. In his current role, Kushan applies his expertise in high-sensitivity LC-MS analysis to PFAS, glyphosate, and other herbicides. His work includes expanding EPA Method 1633 for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to a broader range of sample matrices and developing analytical methods for glyphosate and related contaminants. This work supports improved water-quality monitoring and efforts to address emerging contaminants affecting public and environmental health.