Drinking Water Testing

The importance of high quality drinking water can’t be overstated. Many of us in the Kootenays get our water from surface sources or shallow wells. While the water is generally excellent quality, it can become contaminated naturally or through human activities. Passmore Laboratory can perform microbiological tests to assess the safety of your water. We generally perform three tests as follows:

Total Coliforms indicate the presence of bacteria from plant and animal source. They can include bacteria that are pathogenic.

 

Fecal Coliforms indicate recent contamination from a warm blooded animal source

E.coli, a member of the Fecal Coliform group, is considered a specific indicator for the presence of bacteria that cause human infection.

Another useful microbiological test: Total Aerobic Bacteria Count helps in assessing the overall quality of water.

Please see our info page regarding sample collection, submission and frequently asked questions.