Before establishing a testing regime (what samples to take, how, requesting tests etc.) pool operators need to find a laboratory with established expertise in such work. They must be accredited – inspected against the ISO 17025 standard for the chemical and microbiological testing of different waters. They can be found on the UKAS website: http://www.ukas.com/find-an-organisation.
- Click on Browse by category, then on Testing Laboratories, then Environmental samples, then Water, recreational.
- That gives four pages of labs, about 40 of them, arranged in no obvious order. In order to establish if they handle pool samples, you need to click on their names to display their services.
- Start with the ones closest to your pool, for ease and speed of transport.
- Occasionally Cryptosporidium testing may be helpful but seek advice first. To find an accredited laboratory, when you get to Environmental samples, click on Water, drinking/potable, then Cryptosporidium. The methods are the same for potable and pool water, and there are few laboratories that can do it – about a dozen.
See Technical Note 53 Microbiological Testing for additional guidance.