Public swimming pools are required to test for bacteria, and we offer comprehensive solutions for your testing needs. We can provide certified analysis for coliform bacteria, pH, and chlorine/bromine as you need. We can also schedule automatic sample collection, send a second copy of the results to you and your regulatory agency. We will provide you with telephone consultation to help you troubleshoot water-related problems. Whether you are a summer-time only pool or open year-round, we can help!
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What to do if you have a coliform bacteria failure:
Coliform bacteria are a naturally occurring group of bacteria that indicate the potential presence of other harmful bacteria; even the best-maintained pool might have a coliform failure from time to time.
The most common problem with coliform bacteria is an insufficient disinfectant. The minimum required limit is 0.4mg/L. However, the National Spa and Pool Institute recommend a disinfectant residual of 2-4mg/L for normal usage and 3-5mg/L for heavy usage periods. When using chlorine or bromine as a disinfectant, it is important to verify that you measure FREE chlorine or bromine, not total or combined chlorine or bromine.
The next most common problem is contact time and pH. Chlorine may require 20 minutes of contact time to kill coliform bacteria completely. Chlorine also becomes less effective as pH increases.
It may be advisable to take an additional “Check” sample for coliform bacteria to verify that the contamination is gone. In any case, working with a regulatory agency is the best solution.