Procedures In The Water Testing Labs

By Judy Sullivan


Contamination of water-bodies has resulted in speedy multiplication of viruses, fungi and harmful bacteria. Lack of environmental concern among the various multinational firms has resulted in increased environmental pollution as the companies dump both toxic and non-toxic waste in water-bodies. Environmental watch groups have blamed the governments for lack of strict laws that should curb this vice. One of the solutions to ensuring safety is the establishment of water testing labs.

Many are the times when the minerals found in water react with the household plumbing materials and service lines therefore resulting in the corrosion of the piping system. As a consequence, lead which is harmful and therefore poses a health hazard is deposited in the storage facilities alongside the water. Just as a precautionary measure, most laboratories test for the presence of lead as part of regular monitoring procedures.

The results of the test help to give a picture of how the whole system although not pin pointing to any particular household. To make this commodity safe for drinking, faucet and pitcher filters can be used to filter off the lead. There are many counterfeit filters in the market hence the need to acquire only filters that are certified by the NSF.

Problems relating to quality can be easily detected. Among the factors one has to deeply look into include the color, any stains on clothes washed and odor emanating from the liquid. Health experts advise that wells should be located a safe distance from septic tanks to avoid contamination.

It is a statutory requirement that all laboratories make their findings known to the local federal, tribal or state agency. These agencies have a responsibility of ensuring that the water-resources are free of contamination and that they do not cause a health risk. Annual consumer confidence reports should be generated by the quality control engineers and proper filing procedure carried out to avoid mix up of information. The report usually contains the procedures carried out and the findings and recommendations of the technicians.

The engineers responsible for quality have to ensure that the records are constantly updated on any new findings. These makes it easier for any new technician to have some background understanding of the tests carried out so far and therefore lay the basis for future tests. Harmful bacteria such as total coliform bacteria have to be well tested for as any oversight on the part of the technicians can result in the spread of water-borne diseases.

Babies are always welcome and a moment of celebration for the family. There are precautions that have to be carried out. A nitrate test has to be carried out at various stages. The stages include during pregnancy, before the baby is brought home and in the first six months of the infants life. The best period to carry out the nitrate test is after the rainy season has come to an end.

Water testing labs should test for the presence of minerals salts such as chloride, manganese and iron which might have easily corroded into the system. These tests need to be repeated after every three years. Testing for volatile organic compounds can be very expensive and therefore such tests should be limited to only when necessary.




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