As the year draws to a close, food and water distributors make time to take stock of various processes and evaluate the quality of their products. For municipal water departments, a crucial element of this evaluation process is microbiological suitability testing. Learn what this type of water testing entails, why it’s important, and how to streamline the testing process at your water department.
What Is Microbiological Suitability Testing?
At least once a year, municipal water departments must perform microbiological suitability testing on the water they use to make their media. Suitability testing is used to test and document the quality of the reagent water for quality assurance purposes. In order to perform accurate microbiology tests, municipal water departments need reagent water that does not contain unspecified substances that can impact the growth of microbes.
Municipal water departments must complete microbiological suitability testing at least once a year for quality assurance purposes. However, performing this test on an infrequent basis can be particularly time consuming and work intensive. This process requires four days of work as well as an aseptic technique and testing materials such as fresh stock bacterial culture with the ultra-pure water and reagents. This allows for high sensitivity to toxic agents and growth-promoting substances that could increase or decrease the microbes in the water.
The Importance of Microbiological Suitability Testing
Despite the difficulty of microbiological suitability testing on an infrequent basis, performing this testing is crucial to ensure compliance with SM 9020 Quality Assurance Guidelines. The EPA requires this regular testing, as do state governments. This testing process plays a role in preventing harmful bacteria from slipping through routine tests in municipal water supply. Microbiological suitability testing protects the health of the public by safeguarding procedures for testing the water supply.
Streamlining the Testing Process
One of the best ways to streamline the process of microbiological suitability testing is to work with a lab that performs the tests on a regular basis. With water departments located throughout the United States and with weekly tests offered, Daily Laboratories provides streamlined solutions to cut down on the most work intensive and time consuming aspects of the testing process. With Daily Laboratories, municipal water departments can meet EPA and state health requirements through cost-effective and efficient protocols.
Daily Laboratories provides crucial microbiology tests to help municipal water departments ensure compliance with water safety measures. Holding EPA certifications, Daily Laboratories can help municipal governments stay on top of required water tests. With almost 40 years of experience and a dedicated staff, we provide reliable testing for the dairy industry. Get in touch with us via email, dailylab@gmail.com, or phone, (309) 691-4513, to learn more today!
