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.
