Earth Day 2016
Happy Earth Day from Suburban Laboratories!
“It is a requirement, not a luxury, that we protect our environment.”
Indira Gandhi
Lead in Drinking Water
There has been a lot of attention on lead in drinking water due to the cases in Flint Michigan and Chicago Illinois. So is this just an overblown issue or is lead a real problem? The answer is a yes, Lead is a big problem for many people living in older homes and neighborhoods.
What is lead?
Lead is a toxic metal that was used in pipes for many years. Even at low levels, lead may cause a range of health effects including behavioral problems and learning disabilities. Children six years old and under are most at risk because this is when the brain is developing. Older neighborhoods may have lead pipes that are used to bring water from the main service line into the home. A prohibition on lead in plumbing materials has been in effect since 1986.
What are lead’s health effects?
Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.
How does lead get into my drinking water?
Lead enters drinking water through corrosion of plumbing systems; and erosion of natural deposits. Lead leaches into water through contact with the plumbing and through corrosion – a dissolving or wearing away of metal caused by a chemical reaction between water and plumbing. Lead can leach into water from pipes, solder, fixtures and faucets and fittings. The amount of lead in your water also depends on the types and amounts of minerals in the water, how long the water stays in the pipes, the amount of wear in the pipes, the water’s acidity and its temperature.
EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of human exposure to lead may come from lead in drinking water. Infants who consume mostly mixed formula can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from drinking water.
What About Free Test Kits Available at the Store?
Beware of anything that says “free”. These samples are typically checked with an inaccurate test strip or other screening procedure and not analyzed by a certified lab using EPA approved methods. Furthermore, companies that offer these tests are usually trying to sell you an expensive water treatment system.
How Can I Test my Water for Lead?
Suburban Laboratories makes it easy. Simply order the test kit from our website and we will send you a sample bottle and simple collection instructions.
Order your test kit from drinkingwaterlabs.com today.
Suburban Labs has been awarded the ACIL Customer Service Award for 2015-2016
WASHINGTON, DC, OCTOBER 6, 2015 – The Washington, DC-based American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL) announced today the 17 laboratories receiving the nationwide 2015 ACIL Customer Quality Service Award at the ACIL Annual Meeting in Miami, Florida.
Developed in 1996 to address the industry’s quality issues and recognize those laboratories with exemplary quality performance, the Program provides laboratory data users with a mechanism to evaluate testing laboratories. Participants commit to ensuring data integrity, meeting customers’ quality needs and setting performance standards for the testing laboratory industry. No other evaluation program ranks customer satisfaction with laboratory services and requires laboratory management to commit to a data integrity program.
This marks the 3rd straight year Suburban Laboratories has been awarded this honor.
Sales Award
Suburban Laboratories recognizes Dan Galeher for achieving the Sales Presentation Champion award at the Dale Carnegie Sales Advantage Training Program. Dan was voted first place by 16 sales professionals in the program.
CSWEA Laboratory Pre-Treatment Seminar 4/14/15
Suburban Laboratories will be hosting the Central States Water Environment Association Laboratory Pre-Treatment Seminar Tuesday April 14, 2015 at 2000 S. Batavia Ave, Geneva, IL 60134. Presentations will include:
- Pretreatment and Laboratory Issues, City of Crystal Lake
- Case Study: PAA as an Alternative Disinfectant and Fecal Coliform vs E.Coli Monitoring, DeKalb Sanitary District
- Industrial Stormwater Inspections, Illinois EPA
- Phosphorous Testing, Investigations, Capture and Recovery, MWRD
- Pretreatment Update, Baxter & Woodman
- A tour of Suburban Laboratories Main Laboratory Facility
For more information and to register on-line visit http://www.cswea.org/ILLINOIS/events/
Visit Us In March
Visit Suburban Laboratories at two drinking water conferences in March.
1. Booth # 505 at AWWA Illinois Section’s Watercon 2015 . March 23-March 26, 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Springfield, IL. For more information http://www.isawwa.org/?page=WATERCON2015Attendee
2. Booth #90 at the Wisconsin Rural Water Association conference. March 24-March 27, 2015 at the Hyatt/KI Convention Center Green Bay, WI. For more information http://www.wrwa.org/2014-annual-technical-conference/
Wisconsin Lab New Address
Our laboratory in Southeast Wisconsin has relocated to:
400 Bay View Rd Ste. I
Mukwonago, WI 53149
Upcoming Jan/Feb 2015 Conferences
Visit our outstanding Suburban Laboratories team at the following conferences this January and February 2015. For more information call (800) 783-5227.
50th Annual Midwest Water Analysts Association Winter Expo, January 30, 2015 in Kenosha WI. http://www.midwestwateranalysts.org/upcoming-events.html
Wisconsin Water Association 10th Annual Midwest Water and Wastewater Operator Expo February 3 & 4, 2015 in Wisconsin Dells. http://www.wiawwa.org/
Illinois Rural Water Association 33rd Annual Technical Conference February 17-19, 2015 in Effingham, IL. http://www.ilrwa.org/
Illinois Water Environment Association 36th Annual Conference and Exposition February 23-25, 2015 in Champaign, IL http://www.iweasite.org/Conferences/AnnualConf2015.html
2015 Wisconsin Water Well Assoc. Meeting
Thank you to all the people who visited our booth at the 2015 Wisconsin Water Well Association Conference and Exhibition last week. The show was an unprecedented success. For more information on our well water testing services contact: Jeff Stoltz at (414) 349-0370 or Shane Clarke at 708-544-3260 x217. We look forward to serving you.
Jeff Stoltz (left) and Shane Clarke
Suburban Opens Lab in Burlington Wisconsin
December 15, 2014 – Suburban Laboratories is pleased to announce the opening of a laboratory in Burlington Wisconsin. The WI DATCP certified microbiology laboratory and will be managed by Jeff Stoltz, formally of Kodiak Laboratories. Jeff has over 20 years of environmental laboratory experience in operations, customer service and sales. The Burlington office will also function as a service center for Suburban’s DNR certified laboratory located in Geneva, IL. By combining the services of both facilities, Suburban will be able to fully support public and private drinking water customers throughout Wisconsin.
About Suburban Laboratories.
Founded in 1936, Suburban Laboratories, Inc. is a leading environmental testing company with a specific focus on the water quality market. The company’s portfolio of nationally accredited testing services includes drinking water, wastewater, ground water, soil and waste. The company has a strong history of generating value by providing clients with testing and related services that ensure their compliance with local, state and federal regulations. The Company is headquartered in Geneva, IL and maintains offices in Oakbrook Terrace, IL and Burlington, WI – For more information, visit www.suburbanlabs.com.