Water Quality

Testing drinking water from taps or water basins ensures the safety of everyone who consumes or uses it in their daily lives. The sampling tests measure the concentration of pollutants and metals in the water and detect the presence of potentially harmful bacteria by counting, among other things, fecal and total coliforms. They also ensure that the water being tested meets current microbiological standards and verify that sanitation treatments are effective. 

In the agricultural environment, special attention must be paid to water runoff caused by rain or snowmelt. This movement of liquid can lead to contamination of waterways by many types of contaminants, such as manure or fertilizers. Water for livestock watering should also be tested frequently to prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases. 

Because of its fundamental nature in the food industry, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency requires that all water that comes into direct contact with food be tested monthly. So, whether it is used to make juice or beverages or for laboratory culture media, water must be rigorously tested.  
 
Water sampling tests are used to evaluate the safety of the water and to ensure that the concentration of disinfectants is adequate and follows government guidelines. These tests also analyze the presence of pathogenic microorganisms, such as coliforms or E. coli.

Lakes, rivers, streams and beach waters are natural swimming waters that can be contaminated not only by pollutants but also by parasites, bacteria or viruses that are harmful to human health. 
 
Swimming in contaminated water is risky. Swimmer’s itch, which is a skin condition caused by the presence of cercariae in the water, is one such risk. These small larvae, almost invisible to the naked eye, stick to the skin of swimmers and sting it when they get out of the water. Swimming in a contaminated natural environment can also cause gastroenteritis and eye, ear or throat infections. The presence of blue-green algae blooms, E. coli or Campylobacter can also cause health problems. 
 
Sampling swimming waters allows us to establish the safety of swimmers and ensure their peace of mind during their aquatic activities.  

Swimming water also includes indoor and outdoor pools, spas and artificial pools. According to the Regulation respecting water quality in swimming pools and other artificial pools established by the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, the person in charge of a public pool or spa must conduct daily sampling tests. These analyses allow us not only to verify the chlorine level but also to confirm that there are no pathogenic microorganisms in the water. A record of testing must be maintained by the responsible person and must be readily available for public inspection.  
 
LABPLAS offers a Water Sampling Kit to enable those responsible for water testing to detect potential pathogens in the water. It contains a sodium thiosulphate tablet that neutralizes biocides such as chlorine, bromine, iodine and oxidizing agents.