Water testing is carried out in accordance with the following standards:
Report on Public Health and Medical Subjects No.71-The Microbiology of water (1994) part 1 - Drinking Water.
The Bacteriological Examination of Drinking Water Supplies (1982)
Welsh HTM 01-01 Part D Decontamination of surgical instruments (medical devices) used in acute care. Part D: washer-disinfectors.
HTM 01-01 - Management and decontamination of surgical instruments (medical devices) used in acute care Part D - Washer-disinfectors
HTM 01-06 - Decontamination of flexible endoscopes: Validation and verification manual
HTM 01-06 - Decontamination of flexible endoscopes: Testing methods
HTM 01-05 - Decontamination in primary care dental practices
Water can be tested from a wide range of sources. Commonly tested water sources include:
Final rinse, purified, Reverse Osmosis (RO), potable, hand washing, passivation, medical device manual washing, dental lines, steam condensate, endoscopy and deionised.
Water samples can be sent through the post or we can take samples as part of a site visit. Where possible, the technician will measure the temperature of the water supplies.
Water can be tested for Total Viable Count (TVC) or for Endotoxins in accordance with HTM, CFPP or ISO standards.
Testing can also be carried out to check for Coliforms, E. coli and Pseudomonas using selective agar.
For Endotoxin (pyrogen) testing, Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate (LAL) techniques are used in compliance with HTM standards. See the following link for details:
