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COMPLIANCE TESTING vs. INFORMATIONAL TESTING
Water quality test kits are analyzed for informational purposes. When choosing a
test package for water analysis, consider your needs and how you will use the
data. Is the testing strictly for your own information or is a regulatory agency
requiring that testing be performed? Compliance testing is required when testing
must meet local, state or federal regulations, or when results are to be used in
a court of law.
Compliance testing must be performed according to US EPA approved analytical
methods. Costly paper trails are necessary to document that analyses were
performed following the exact procedures required by the EPA method. These
methods are rarely efficient, and highly complex, which can make compliance
testing quite expensive. The cost of a compliance test may be two to five times
higher than an information test.
An accurate informational test is an excellent economical choice if compliance
testing is not needed. Since informational testing is not regulated, a
laboratory is free to use any analytical method suitable for the test required.
This means a water analysis lab can use new accurate and cost effective analysis
methods that have not yet been approved by the EPA for compliance testing.
History has shown that getting new methods approved by the EPA can take years.
Informational testing is often acceptable for applications such as: monitoring
home water quality, water treatment diagnosis, monitoring drinking or process
water quality in businesses, preliminary testing for new water sources, real
estate transactions, and new well drilling/development.
A competent laboratory with experienced analysts can provide an informational
test with a high level of accuracy and at a much lower cost than a compliance
test. National Testing Laboratories is certified by many states and has years of
experience performing compliance and informational tests on samples from all
over the world. The informational tests are performed by the same analysts,
using the same laboratory equipment that is used to meet the standards required
for compliance testing. Certain variations in methodology for informational
testing can reduce costs without reducing accuracy.
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