A load of these bacteria and germs indicates fecal contamination of the water.
In wells, this often occurs when there are leaks, allowing smaller animals (e.g., mice, insects, snails, frogs) to enter the well. Rainwater running off the surface can also be the cause of such contamination.
To prevent renewed contamination, the well should first be completely sealed. Subsequently, the well can be chlorinated. Chlorine tablets, which are used for the disinfection of swimming pools, are suitable for this purpose. It is important to chlorinate the entire pipe system and to pay attention to the appropriate dosage. In addition, the fountain should be thoroughly rinsed after chlorination.
The evaluation of your water was carried out by us according to the specifications of the Drinking Water Ordinance. Since the value of the colony count is above the limit prescribed in the Drinking Water Ordinance, the water is then immediately indicated as "unusable". The two parameters of the colony count give an overview of the general hygienic condition of a water. These bacteria do not necessarily have to be bad, disease-causing bacteria, but they cannot be ruled out either. The indicated temperatures represent the incubation temperature. This means that at 22 °C rather cold-loving bacteria grow, at 36 °C rather heat-loving ones.
Have you removed the water according to our recommendation? That is, did you unscrew the aerator and disinfect the tap before tapping? Bacteria and germs often attach themselves to the grid of the aerator, especially if it is covered with a lime film.
To counteract this, you should rinse regularly (every 1 to 2 days) with hot water (please also check the temperature of the hot water system, it should be at least 60 °C). Afterwards, you should rinse with cold water. You should also regularly decalcify the aerator in vinegar water. Another cause is poorly maintained water filters. There is often a pre-filter near the water meter that should be backwashed regularly. If you have a faucet with a pull-out faucet, you should regularly boil the hose installed in it or change to another faucet, because biofilms often form here, in which bacteria have optimal growth conditions.
We often observe elevated concentrations of nickel, zinc and copper in either very old pipelines/fittings or in newly installed ones. This is due to the fact that in new lines/fittings a protective lime layer has not yet formed inside the pipes, so metals can dissolve out of the material. The levels should decrease over time if the cause is the new fitting. To be sure that the cause was indeed the new faucet and not the rest of the piping system, you can have another test done after six months to a year.
A little tip: let the water run a little in the morning before using it for the first time to flush out the water that has stagnated in the line overnight.
The indications "<BG" mean that the measured value is smaller than the limit of determination. In this case, the indicated value represents the limit of determination (e.g. for arsenic: <8 µg/L means "less than 8 micrograms per liter"). Our measuring device cannot clearly determine concentrations smaller than this limit, which is why this statistically calculated value is given. However, since the value is below the limit of the Drinking Water Ordinance (e.g. 10 µg/L arsenic), there is no health risk for you.
Our water analyses are for personal information only. They cannot be used for the health department, expert evidence as well as legal disputes.
For an official analysis, an accredited sampler must take the sample at your site. This works differently with us: You would receive a sampling set from us, with which you take the sample yourself and send it back to us.
The water analysis takes approximately 1 to a maximum of 1.5 weeks after laboratory receipt.
If specified, you will receive the analysis result by e-mail. Otherwise, the result will be sent by post.
Our laboratory is not accredited.
An accredited water analysis requires sampling by an expert sampler (as a neutral third party) on a local basis, which we cannot offer. We use the same analysis methods and the same quality guidelines as accredited laboratories and have the most modern measuring technology at our disposal.
An accredited analysis usually costs more than double our fee rates due to higher costs for administration, sampling and documentation. An accredited analysis only makes sense when it comes to legal disputes or obligations to provide evidence to the health authorities. For self-monitoring, a non-accredited analysis with a better price-performance ratio is perfectly sufficient. Non-accredited does not necessarily mean poorer analysis quality. We provide you with reliable analysis results at a reasonable price and good expert advice!