Sorry we don’t have any more concrete answers to your questions.

1) Visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/tcr/regulation.html and you will see that the allowed testing window for a drawn sample is 24 hours, not 30.

2) We have learned that the Bacteria Check product DOES use the same sort of media as outlined in the “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater”, 9221 D, Presence-Absence (P-A) Coliform Test and has gone through sterilization process. Additionally we are told that the product went through an evaluation by an outside, independent laboratory before going on the market

3) Don’t you think it slightly rude to imply that the average home or business owner cannot POSSIBLY follow directions and get useful and accurate information about the quality of their water using a home test kit?

4) Define EPA Compliant for us, since you seem to have its definition right at your fingertips. As far as we know, and at no time do we ever claim to know everything, the term EPA Compliant means using pretty much the same chemistry and procedure as an EPA Approved Method, only deviating slightly at some point. . . and still getting comparable, accurate results.

5) Yes, the Total Coliform procedure outlined in Standard Methods DOES specifically state that samples should get incubated at the temperature you mentioned. Does that mean, however, that people who don’t HAVE incubators handy should not use available tools to at least SCREEN their water?

5) Yes, the Bacteria Check, and all tests for that matter, require aseptic sampling to ensure accurate test results. That does not MEAN, however, that even if a person followed the instructions as closely to the letter as possible that an accidental slip up would not occur and a sample would get contaminated. Even laboratory veterans such as yourself may fall victim to an occasional slip up in procedure once in a while. To imply otherwise would make you… Perfect?

In conclusion, we do not suggest that ANYONE trust the results of a home water test kit if they have serious reason to believe their drinking water may have gotten contaminated. Home water test kits allow end users to pre-screen their water and perform routine checks on their water to make certain the quality of their water has not changed over time. In the event that they get unusual results, they should ALWAYS call upon Certified Laboratories (such as yours) for the final word on the safety and potability of their drinking water.

I have an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, (cost me 30K) and I am NELAC accredited for Arsenic in drinking water. I have an MDL (method detection limit) of o.002 mg/L., or 2 parts per billion. How can you get a 0.0 MDL with a test kit? Also, are you testing total arsenic? (+3 & + 5?).

C’mon you guys. Most NVLAP accredited labs (like mine) use a defined substrate media (like Colilert) to test E. coli as well as Total Coliforms simultaneously.

Let’s get with the program and stop pretending home test kits used by inexperienced “analysts” will give accurate results. There are many great home test kits, but there are reasons why the incubation temperature for Coliform bacteria is 35.0 degrees C. +/- 0.5 degrees C.

With regard to the “sloppy sampling technique” aseptic sampling is required for Total Coliform analysis, and instruction for taking the sample must accompany the sample kit.

I am glad to answer any questions anyone has about this subject.

We have heard that ’sloppy sampling techniques’ cause a lot of the inaccurate bacteria test results. As for whether or not shipping can cause inaccurate results, we do not know.

We DO know that many states require water samples to undergo bacteria testing within 24 hours of getting drawn from the source. Therefore it would make sense that water samples which take longer to reach a testing facility (as in by regular postal service) may yield possibly inaccurate test results.