The question of whether or not to have your water tested is a serious one that concerns the health of you, your staff, visitors to your building or your family if you are a domestic customer. Water supplied from the town mains supply will normally be of good quality which is  clean and safe to drink. Town mains water will normally be suitable for most household uses.

However, in addition to obvious illness, a variety of less serious problems such as taste, color, odor and staining of clothes or fixtures are symptoms of poor water quality.  Whilst water may appear to be visibly clean it may not necessarily be safe or acceptable.

It will normally be unnecessary, impractical and far too expensive to test for all possible contaminants in your water. However, there are a number of common contaminants that can be cost effectively monitored to provide clear demonstration of due care a diligence whilst also offering some protection to you, your staff and your family if you are a domestic customer.

Basic reasons for water testing

Whether your water is from a public or private water supply, you should consider testing if:

1) You use a water treatment programme or equipment in the office or home  to control water quality
2) There is a statutory requirement to do so, such as with cooling towers, private supplies or industry
3) You have a reason to suspect the water quality is below the required standards
4) You require documented evidence of the water quality provided to your staff or tenants
5) You require verification or reassurance of the water quality at a particular location
6) Family members or guests have recurrent incidents of gastrointestinal illness
7) You have lead pipe work or fittings

There a a number of other reasons why water testing will be required or valuable. At Aqua Legion UK we feel it makes cost effective  sense to eliminate your water supply as a possible source or cause of illness rather than to just assume it is not.

All our samples are tested via UKAS Accredited laboratories as standard. Whether its a tap at home or a large corporate office, Aqua Legion is able to offer uniquely tailored water testing and water sampling services of the highest standard.

What tests should you consider?

You should test the microbial quality of the water if you a trying to establish the general cleanliness of the system. A typical test may include:

TVC Testing – Total viable aerobic bacteria counts at 22°C and 37°C

37°C is human body temperature. We grow bacteria at this temperature to identify those bacteria most likely to survive and effect humans after consumption.  Obtaining a general TVC count can be used to assess the potential risks to occupants and cleanliness of the system.

TVCC Testing – TVC plus, Coliform bacteria and E.coli bacteria

Coliform bacteria is commonly used as the bacterial indicator of the sanitary quality of foods and water. Coliforms are abundant in the feces of warm-blooded animals, but can also be found in the aquatic environment, in soil and on vegetation. In most instances, coliforms themselves are not the cause of sickness, but they are easy to culture and their presence is used to indicate that other pathogenic organisms of fecal origin may be present.

E.coli bacteria is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most E. coli strains are harmless but some cause various illnesses including serious food poisoning in humans.  E. coli are not always confined to the intestine, their ability to survive for brief periods outside the body makes them an ideal indicator organism to test environmental samples for fecal contamination. If poor hygiene is practiced at home or in the office E.coli contamination can often be identified on taps and door handles etc. The bacteria E.coli has also been  responsible for the occasional costly product recall.

Drinking Water Testing

There are a number of reasons why it will be worthwhile testing your drinking water services. When testing drinking water it is usually worthwhile testing for a combination of both microbial and some basic chemical parameters which can be used to instill confidence in the mains water supply or verify that the most obvious and common contaminants are absent or below control limits.

Drinking water testing should be considered particularly in older buildings were corroded pipes may be an issue or where lead pipes may be present.

You should also consider water testing if you are having or have had a new baby and intend to use the tap water to make formula milk.

Installing a filtered water supply should be considered if you are having or expected a new baby.

Taste and Odour Issues

If you have an issue with the taste, colour or odour of your drinking water there are a variety of tests which can be conducted to identify the issue. Where the issue cannot be resolved fully, it may be worthwhile considering installing an under sink filtration systems which will remove the contaminants prior to use. This is one reason we offer a range of Brita Filtered water taps which produce great tasting water with much fewer impurities by simply replacing the tap and installing an under sink Brita Filter cartridge.

Chemical testing

There is a huge number of reasons why people or organisations carryout chemical testing to their water systems, and indeed there is a multitude of chemical processes and treatment processes that exist in the industrial and commercial industries where statutory chemical testing is required.

If you require chemical testing for statutory reasons, efficiency reasons or for reassurance purposes please do not hesitate to contact us.

Legionella Testing

Legionella testing should be conducted to cover cooling towers on at least a quarterly basis. Legionella testing should also be considered to cover particular premises such as hospitals, care homes and buildings were particularly susceptible persons may be present.

Furthermore, implementing a routine legionella sampling programme will ensure you are able to clearly demonstrate that the control scheme in place is working effectively.

If you are unsure of what to test for and need support in establishing an effective

routine water testing programme contact us

020 8555 3797