WATER TESTING

Potable, Non-Potable & Process-Water Testing

Biotrax provides microbiological and selected chemistry testing for potable water, non-potable water—including wastewater—and water used in manufacturing and other processes.

The appropriate analysis depends on where the water comes from, how it is used, why testing is needed, and whether a particular method or NYS ELAP-certified result is required. Confirm your testing and sample requirements before collection. Contact Biotrax before collecting your sample if the correct method, container, volume, preservation, or delivery time has not already been established.

IMPORTANT: Biotrax maintains NYS ELAP certification for specific potable- and non-potable-water microbiological analyses. Certification applies only to the analyte-and-method combinations listed on the laboratory’s current certificates—not every water service described on this page.

VIEW POTABLE ELAP CERTIFICATION

VIEW NON-POTABLE ELAP CERTIFICATION

WHICH TYPE OF WATER ARE YOU TESTING?

The right analysis depends on both the type of water and the question the testing needs to answer. Use these categories as a starting point.

POTABLE WATER

Potable water is water intended or approved for drinking or other human-consumption uses.

Testing may support:

Drinking-water monitoring.
Facility or production-water verification.
Investigation of changes in water quality.
Private or internal water-quality programs.
Customer or operational requirements.
Follow-up after maintenance, treatment, or system interruption.

NON-POTABLE WATER

Non-potable water is water that is NOT intended for drinking. This category may include wastewater, influent, effluent, utility water, reclaimed water, and other environmental or operational water samples.

Testing may support:

Wastewater and treatment-system monitoring.
Process or utility-water evaluation.
Sanitation and facility programs.
Environmental-quality programs.
Investigation of possible fecal or microbial impact.
Customer, permit, or internal specifications.

PROCESS WATER

Process water is water used during manufacturing, formulation, cleaning, rinsing, cooling, or other operational activities.

Testing may support routine process monitoring, internal quality programs, troubleshooting, and evaluation against applicable customer or operational specifications. The appropriate analysis depends partly on how the water contacts products, packaging, equipment, or food-contact surfaces.

IMPORTANT: Some process water may also meet a potable- or non-potable-water definition. Tell us where the water comes from, how it is used, and what you need the testing to determine so we can help clarify the appropriate testing path.

NOT SURE WHICH CATEGORY APPLIES?

NYS ELAP SCOPE TESTING

Available analyses depend on the water category, requested method, reporting requirement, and current laboratory scope. The following categories represent water-microbiology services provided by Biotrax. ELAP certification applies only to the analyte-and-method combinations listed on the current certificate. It does not mean that every analysis offered for potable or non-potable water is ELAP certified.

Total Coliform & E. coli (Qualitative)

IMPORTANT: This is a NYS ELAP-Certified Potable-Water Analyses.

Total coliform and E. coli testing evaluates indicator bacteria in water systems. Total coliforms are used as indicators of water-system integrity and possible pathways for contamination. E. coli is a more specific indicator of fecal contamination and may represent a more immediate health concern.

Biotrax uses applicable IDEXX chromogenic technology to detect total coliform and E. coli in potable-water samples.

E. COLI ENUMERATION

IMPORTANT: This is a NYS ELAP-Certified Potable-Water Analyses.

Enumeration provides a numerical estimate of E. coli present rather than only reporting detected or non-detected results.

This analysis may be useful when a program, investigation, or specification requires a quantitative result. The appropriate method and reporting units depend on the water type, intended use, and applicable requirements.

HETEROTROPHIC PLATE COUNT

IMPORTANT: This is a NYS ELAP-Certified Potable-Water & NON-Potable Analyses.

Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) estimates the general population of viable heterotrophic bacteria in water.

HPC may help clients monitor general microbial conditions, compare sampling locations, evaluate changes over time, or investigate concerns involving a water system. HPC is a general microbial indicator and does not replace specific total-coliform or E. coli testing when those organisms are the concern.

Fecal Coliform

IMPORTANT: This is a NYS ELAP-Certified NON-Potable-Water Analyses.

Fecal-coliform testing evaluates a group of indicator bacteria associated with fecal contamination.

It may be used for applicable wastewater, treatment-system, environmental, or non-potable-water programs. Confirm the required method and certification status before collection.

Heterotrophic Plate Count

IMPORTANT: This is a NYS ELAP-Certified NON-Potable-Water Analyses.

Aerobic plate count may help evaluate or trend the general population of viable aerobic microorganisms in applicable non-potable or process-water samples.

Results are most meaningful when reviewed against an established specification or historical data from the same system.

LET'S DISCUSS your elap water needs

Additional Water Microbiology

Biotrax also offers selected microbiological testing for appropriate process-monitoring, internal quality, trending, and investigative purposes. The services below are separate from the NYS ELAP-certified analyses listed above.

General Aerobic Microorganisms

Aerobic plate count may help evaluate or trend the general population of viable aerobic microorganisms in applicable non-potable or process-water samples. Results are most meaningful when reviewed against an established specification or historical data from the same system.

Yeast and Mold

Yeast-and-mold testing evaluates viable fungal organisms in a water sample. It may support investigation and trending in process-water systems, low-bioburden water, manufacturing environments, or facilities where fungal growth may affect product quality or operations. The significance of the result depends on the system, water use, historical data, and applicable specification.

Process-Water Membrane Filtration

Selected membrane-filtration analyses may be available for applicable process-water samples. The method concentrates microorganisms from a measured volume of water for enumeration.

Process-water membrane-filtration testing is NOT included under Biotrax’s NYS ELAP scope.

LET'S DISCUSS YOUR WATER MICROBIOLOGY NEEDS

SELECTED WATER CHEMISTRY

Microbiological testing is only one part of evaluating water quality. Biotrax also offers selected chemistry analyses based on the water type, intended use, testing objective, and required method. Testing may support routine process monitoring, investigation or troubleshooting, and applicable customer, internal or regulatory requirements.

Availability, certification status, and whether an analysis is performed in-house or coordinated through a qualified partner laboratory may vary.

If your project requires an ELAP-certified result or a specified method, contact Biotrax before collection to confirm the available testing path and submission requirements.

pH

pH measures how acidic or alkaline the water is.

Water pH may influence:

Treatment effectiveness
Corrosion and scaling
Cleaning and sanitation chemistry
Equipment performance
Product formulation
Microbial behavior
Overall suitability for the intended process

The appropriate pH range depends on the water source, use, and applicable specification. Testing may support routine process monitoring, troubleshooting, and evaluation against internal or customer specifications.

NITRATE & NITRITE

Nitrate and nitrite testing measures nitrogen-containing compounds that may enter water through agricultural activity, wastewater impact, treatment processes, or natural sources.

Testing may support:

Water-quality investigations
Environmental or agricultural concerns
Treatment-system evaluation
Internal or customer specifications
Applicable drinking-water requirements

IMPORTANT: The correct container, preservation, holding time, method, and certification needs should be confirmed prior to collection.

LEAD

Lead testing measures the concentration of lead in a submitted water sample.

Lead may enter water through:

Plumbing materials
Fixtures
Solder
Service lines
Source-water contamination

The collection procedure affects what the result represents; first-draw, flushed, source, and point-of-use samples may answer different questions.

Contact Biotrax before collection so the intended purpose, container, preservation, sampling procedure, and required laboratory scope can be confirmed.

DISCUSS A WATER CHEMISTRY NEED

BEFORE COLLECTING YOUR WATER SAMPLE

Water-testing methods may require a specific container, sample volume, preservation, temperature, collection procedure, holding time, and delivery timeframe. Confirming these requirements before collection can help prevent a sample from becoming unsuitable for the requested analysis.

Requirements may include:

A sterile or preserved sample container.
A minimum sample volume.
Method-specific collection instructions.
Temperature control.
Protection from outside contamination.
A defined holding time.
Delivery to the laboratory within a specific timeframe.
Accurate documentation of the location and collection time.

Microbiology samples commonly require at least 100 milliliters, but the exact amount depends on the analysis and number of tests requested. Process-water membrane-filtration methods may require a different or larger volume.

BEFORE COLLECTING, CONFIRM:

Whether the water is potable, non-potable—including wastewater—or process water.
Where the water comes from and how it is used.
The analysis or testing objective.
Whether an NYS ELAP-certified result is required.
Whether the method is in-house or coordinated.
Whether a particular method or reporting unit has been specified.
The correct container and sample volume.
Whether preservation or temperature control is required.
The applicable holding time.
Whether Biotrax collection vessels are needed.
The planned collection and delivery time.
Whether on-site collection is available for the request.

VIEW WATER SUBMITTAL RESOURCES

WHAT A WATER RESULT CAN AND CANNOT TELL YOU

A water result applies to the submitted sample collected from a specific location at a specific time.

A not detected microbiological result means the target organism was not detected in the tested volume under the conditions of the method. It does not prove that an entire water source, plumbing system, process line, or facility is free from contamination.

Water quality can vary based on:

Sampling location
Time and date of collection
Water use or stagnation
Seasonal conditions
Treatment performance
Plumbing and distribution conditions
Maintenance activity
Production schedules
Collection technique

One sample provides one data point. When appropriate, repeated sampling and review of results over time may provide more useful information about a larger water or process system.

Biotrax can clarify the method, reporting units, and terminology shown on its laboratory report. Treatment, regulatory, public-health, and system-operation decisions should follow the applicable program and qualified authority.

NOT SURE WHICH WATER TEST APPLIES?

Tell us:

Where the water comes from.
How the water is used.
Whether it is potable, non-potable, wastewater, or process water.
What concern or requirement prompted the testing.
Whether a NYS ELAP-certified result is required.
Whether a customer, regulatory, or internal method has been specified.

Our team can help clarify the available analysis, certification status, required container, sample volume, collection instructions, holding time, and appropriate testing path.

LET'S DISCUSS YOUR WATER TESTING NEEDS

VIEW WATER FORMS AND CERTIFICATES

ORDER WATER CONTAINERS

SCHEDULE ON-SITE WATER SAMPLE COLLECTION

WATER TESTING

Potable, Non-Potable & Process-Water Testing

WHICH TYPE OF WATER ARE YOU TESTING?

POTABLE WATER

NON-POTABLE WATER

PROCESS WATER

NYS ELAP SCOPE TESTING

Total Coliform & E. coli (Qualitative)

E. COLI ENUMERATION

HETEROTROPHIC PLATE COUNT

Fecal Coliform

Heterotrophic Plate Count

Additional Water Microbiology

General Aerobic Microorganisms

Yeast and Mold

Process-Water Membrane Filtration

SELECTED WATER CHEMISTRY

pH

NITRATE & NITRITE

LEAD

BEFORE COLLECTING YOUR WATER SAMPLE

BEFORE COLLECTING, CONFIRM:

WHAT A WATER RESULT CAN AND CANNOT TELL YOU

NOT SURE WHICH WATER TEST APPLIES?

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