Anyone who is on their own water supply at home invariably has – or should, take samples to be tested for bacteria on a regular basis. Taken on a quarterly basis, this kind of check keeps tabs on the effectiveness of a water treatment system and/or the quality of your water supply.

We live in a bacteria world. There is bacteria on us, in us, and all around us. The technique you use for sampling your home has a huge effect on the reliability of the results. You need to sample in such a manner as to exclude outside interferences.

Sample location is one of the most important considerations. It is better to choose an area that’s kept clean of dirt and clutter on a regular basis, such as a kitchen tap. This is a better choice than say a basement laundry room tub that probably has years of accumulated dirt, grime and grease.

The type of tap is important too. The best tap to take a sample from is one that has separate hot/cold faucet handles, rather than one hot/cold faucet handle. The latter uses a mixer valve, and over time those mixer valves can leak hot water into the cold water side, even when not asking for hot water. Hot water tanks and heaters tend to grow bacteria, so could skew your results.

Make sure you run your water for at least two minutes. You want to make sure that your water is fresh, clean water, and not stagnant water that has been sitting in your pipes for some time.

Before you take your sample, remove your aerator. Aerators can collect sediment which can harbor bacteria. Filling your sample bottle, turn your water off. Heat up the tip of your tap with a propane torch, just until you hear a squelching noise when the water is turned back on. This will kill any bacteria that is on the surface of your tap from daily activities that will skew your result.

Finally, make sure you inspect your sample bottle. Bottles should come from your lab or health unit pre sealed and steralized. Give your bottle a squeeze. If air enters or escapes, throw the bottle out and get another one. When you are sampling, take the cap off carefully. Do not touch the inside of the cap, don’t put it down, and make sure that you hold the cap in such a manner (downwards), so nothing can fall into it.

When submitting your sample, use a small cooler and ice pack. Most laboratories prefer it at refridgerator temperature.   This is to ensure that if there is any bacteria in the sample, it will not grow while in transit, skewing the results.

Follow these simple steps when taking your bacteria samples, and you can be sure that you’ll have accurate results.

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