Microbiological Safety

Water Supply

  • Water is supplied by United Utilities.
  • Water quality report
  • Example Report PDF

Microbiological testing

SOP-Microbiological-Testing

Testing of the water supply is carried out by Pathology Management Services.

They conduct a 6-parameter test (TVC 22C & 37C, Coliforms, E.Coli, C.perfringens and Enterocci) (£14.95 + VAT plus £8.00 courier charge).

The cost for the analysis would be £14.95 + VAT per sample, sorry for the mistake but I misheard the lady in our office when she told me the price originally.

We can send the sterile bottles free of charge via DPD courier today and these will arrive with you tomorrow between 09: – 17:00, we ask clients to try and sample Monday – Thursday. We can then arrange with DPD for them to collect your parcel the day you take the samples and these are then transported overnight to the laboratory. The costs for a DPD collection is £8.00 + VAT.

If you wish to use the DPD collection service we ask the client to ring PMS on 0161 643 5330 before 10:00 on the morning the samples are being taken, we can then arrange with DPD for a same day collection.

Total cost water analysis: £14.95 x 3 = £44.85 Courier £8.00 TOTAL £52.85 + VAT

The analysis will take three days to complete after which you will receive a legal document / report which also contains our UKAS accreditation number.

We invoice at the end of the month and payment is due within 30 days either via BACS or cheque.

Water Test Results

  1. Upload to: Google Drive Folder
  2. Input results into the results spreadsheet
  3. Government guidelines for understanding the results of microbiological tests on drinking water https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standing-committee-of-analysts-sca-blue-books

General Notes

Other Microbiological Testing Companies

  • Feedwater Gary Hogben is very helpful. Recommended if we do food and water testing that we should use the same company. Suggested ALS Global or searching for a company at UKAS. He also said they do ATP testing and sell a self-test kit for £1300, which costs ~£2 per test to check for proper cleaning.
  • Fera – discount via CHAP
  • Eurofins – Alex recommendation
  • Alex Stewart – branch based in L30 1RD
  • SGS – based in Ellesmere Port.
  • Pathology Management Services – Nadeem’s recommendation.

Also look at ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) testing products we could potentially use ourselves? or something like this kit

After speaking to Nadeem

  • swab test for Listeria, should be ~£3 per test. Just test in packaging area and with initial frequency of 3 months, which could eventually decrease to 6 or even 12.
  • Product test and shelf-life test for Listeria, E-coli and Salmonella. Should be ~ £25
  • Do 6 parameter water test. One for where water enters space, and another for when it leaves the storage tank and goes into the systems. Should cost ~ £15

Looking at Horticulture AHDB guidance and some BRC Guidelines it looks like it’s worth testing for:

  • Listeria Monocytogenes – ready to eat foods but general indicator of hygiene.
  • E.coli – required for much fresh produce (e.g. sprouts in ready-to-eat produce) as an indicator of fecal contamination.

Water cleansing