Drinking Water Testing – Private Citizen
Specimen Requirements
| Test Requested | Required Requisition(s) | Specimen Type | Minimum Volume | Collection Kit |
Total coliform and E. coli |
Private Citizen drinking water for single households ONLY |
200 mL (to the fill line on the bottle) |
PHO laboratory water collection bottle |
Submission and Collection Notes
Specimen Type:
Private Citizen drinking water for single households ONLY (i.e., private drinking water systems such as a private well), is defined as: Potable water from any source which is protected from surface or ground water contamination, regardless of any filtration procedure and / or chemical disinfection applied, is aesthetically acceptable, and serves fewer than 6 private residences but not to the public. For analytical purposes, water passing through a point-of-use treatment device will be regarded as a private water source.
Container/Kit:
PHO laboratory water collection bottle. Other collection bottles are not accepted.
Collection information:
The collection kit may be picked up at your nearest PHO laboratory or public health unit. Use the PHO laboratory water collection bottle in the kit to collect the sample and follow the water sampling instructions.
Timing of Specimen Collection
Ensure adequate time to collect and transport the sample to the laboratory. It must be tested within 48 hours of collection.
Limitations
Samples will not be tested if the acceptance criteria are not met.
Drinking water that falls under one of the Ontario drinking water regulations O. Reg. 170/03 or O. Reg. 319/08 (e.g., city water that is treated and provided by a municipal source) will not be tested. Owner operator(s) of public drinking water systems must use licensed and accredited commercial laboratories for their routine testing.Storage and Transport
Place the completed form in the plastic bag supplied and wrap it around the collection bottle with the elastic band.
Specimens should be stored at 2-8 °C following collection and shipped to the drop off location inside insulated containers or in a cooler. Pack with frozen ice packs. Do not freeze samples. Samples received at the laboratory above 25 °C will not be tested. Submit samples as soon as possible; they must be tested within 48 hours of collection. Check your local public health unit for drop off times. PHO laboratory drop off times are listed on the PHO Water Testing webpage.
Special Instructions
All drinking water must be tested within 48 hours of collection in order to comply with the purposes of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002.
Complete all fields on the Bacteriological Analysis of Drinking Water for Private Citizen, SINGLE HOUSEHOLD ONLY Test Requisition Form.
Ensure all gray shaded areas of the form are completed, including the full date (including the year) and time collected and if possible the optional information as well. Samples will not be tested if the acceptance criteria are not met. Refer to the instructions in the collection kit.
Test Frequency and Turnaround Time (TAT)
Samples are only accepted at the laboratory Monday – Friday during regular operating hours.
Turnaround time is up to 4 days.
Drinking water specimens are tested by the Membrane Filtration method for the microbiological indicators Total Coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) (method modified from MECP E3407: Membrane Filtration Method Using DC Agar for the Simultaneous Detection and Enumeration of Total Coliforms and Escherichia coli in Drinking Water).
The Public Health Ontario Laboratory holds a drinking water testing license (Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP)) for each testing site and drinking water tests, which are limited to the scope of testing, are accredited by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation Inc. (CALA) to ISO 17025.
Reporting
Results are reported to the individual indicated on the requisition and not released by fax. The results are available by:
a) Mail: The report is sent to the name and address that appears on the requisition.
b) Picking up the report at the laboratory: If this was indicated on the requisition, photo identification is required when picking up the report. A designate may pick up the report at the laboratory with photo identification and a completed Potability of Water Release form.
c) Telephone by calling the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) 1-877-723-3426 / Teletypewriter (TTY) 1-866-828-2238 and keying in the sample barcode.
For TTY calls:
- Call 711 with your TTY device or follow the instructions provided by your telecommunications provider to call the Relay Service Operator.
- Ask the operator call 1-877-723-3426 and press 1 for English.
- Give them your barcode number and ask them to follow the prompts.
Clients requiring assistance with the interpretation of results or advice on the correct course of action are to contact their local public health unit.
d) Electronic: A written request may be submitted to the PHO Laboratory Customer Service. Include the timeframe of the results you are looking for, the sample barcode(s) (if available) and the location of water source address (i.e., street address or lot and concession number, township/municipality, county and postal code).
Notes
For general inquiries, please contact the PHO Laboratory Customer Service Centre.
Samples are not tested for other contaminants, including chemical contaminants, and therefore may be unsafe to drink even if there is no significant evidence of bacterial contamination. Consult your local public health unit for more information about testing for other contaminants.
It may be necessary to refer the sample to another licensed laboratory for testing, other than the laboratory to which the sample was initially submitted. Submission of a drinking water sample with the test requisition means the submitter accepts Public Health Ontario’s accredited methodology and grants consent to the transfer of the sample to another accredited laboratory, if necessary.
For information about the PHO laboratory drinking water testing licenses and accreditation click this link.
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