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Have lunch and take a tour of our facility! You can enter a chance to win one of two $50.00 Gift Cards to any “Lettuce Entertain You” restaurants.
We look forward to seeing you!
Suburban Laboratories, Inc.
1950 S. Batavia Rd. Ste. 150
Geneva, IL 60134
October 6, 2014 Geneva, IL – Suburban Laboratories, Inc. has been awarded the ACIL Seal of Excellence Award.
The Washington, DC-based American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL) has announced that Suburban Laboratories has received the nationwide 2014 ACIL Seal of Excellence (SOE) Award for the second year in a row. The ACIL is the laboratory industry provider for evaluating integrity of data, meeting customer’s quality needs and setting the standards of performance. No other evaluation program ranks customer satisfaction with laboratory services and requires laboratory management to commit to a data integrity program.
About Suburban Laboratories, Inc.
Founded in 1936, Suburban Laboratories, Inc. is a leading, sample collection and 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. In addition to being a full service laboratory, Suburban provides field services including water sample collection and field testing. The company has a strong history of generating value by providing clients with sampling and testing services that ensure their compliance with local, state and federal regulations. The Company is headquartered in Geneva, IL and maintains a service center in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. – For more information, visit www.suburbanlabs.com
The Importance of Well Maintenance
In order to protect the safety of your drinking water, you should practice regular maintenance of your private well. This will keep your well functioning properly and keep your water quality levels high. Maintenance, combined with water quality testing, can keep you and your family safe and free from water-borne illnesses.
Inspections
You should routinely inspect the visible portions of your well, looking for cracks and breaches that could allow contaminants into your water supply. You will want to check the well cap to ensure that it still fits tightly over the well. The earth around the well should slope away from the well cap, so as to prevent rainwater from pooling around the top of the unit.
Practice Safe Chemical Use
You should avoid using hazardous material and chemicals near your well. Pesticides, fertilizer, and industrial-strength chemicals should never be used near your well. These products can seep into the ground water and can enter into your well, which means that your drinking water can become compromised.
Regular Water Testing
While you should always have your water tested if you find damage or cracks on your well cap or if your area has experienced flooding, you still need to have your water tested throughout the year. Since you are not able to visually inspect the entire well, you will not always be aware of problems with your system below-ground. Regular testing can not only tell you if the water is contaminated; it can also tell you if repairs are needed.
Water quality testing, and routine well maintenance, will keep your well functioning properly and ensure that you always have safe and clean drinking water.
Well Water Contamination after a Flood
Whenever there is a flood after a massive storm, there is a potential for drinking water to be affected. Contaminants can make their way into water wells and municipal water supplies. While your local municipality is responsible for testing public water sources, homeowners with well water will need to get drinking water testing done themselves.
You should always assume that your water is contaminated after massive flooding. Water that overwhelms your well can be contaminated with harmful pathogens that can cause disease, particularly in young children and the elderly. If you experience flooding, be sure to get drinking water testing done before using water straight out of the tap. E. Coli and Shigella are often found in contaminated water.
Before your drinking water testing is completed, you should get your water from a safe source, such as pre-packaged water bottles. If you are not able to purchase drinking water, you can use your tap water, but you must boil the water for at least one minute before using it for cooking or drinking. Make sure that you use safe water to wash your hands, prepare food, and mix infant formula. If your water smells of petroleum or any other chemical, do not use your water for any purpose until your water supply has been decontaminated.
Remember that many pathogens are colorless, odorless, and tasteless, so don’t trust the look and taste of your water; get it tested, to be sure that it is safe. If your home has experienced flooding and you get your water from a well, have the water tested.
Testing for the Presence of Coliform in Your Well Water
Ensuring that your family’s drinking water is safe is one of your biggest concerns as a homeowner. E. Coli and other bacteria can thrive in your home’s well water. One way to ensure that your drinking water is safe is to have it tested for the presence of coliform. Coliform testing is a simple procedure that can help you determine the safety of your drinking water supply.
Coliform is a type of bacteria that lives in the digestive tracts of animals. While some forms of coliform bacteria are safe, others, such as E. Coli, are cause for concern. Testing of your well water can determine if coliform is present, giving you an indication of whether or not your water is contaminated. If coliform is found in your water, the chances of you or a family member becoming ill is greatly increased.
You may be wondering how E. Coli and other coliform bacteria can get into your well water, in the first place. There are several ways this can happen, and many are easy to prevent. Your well cap may be missing, cracked, or defective, allowing pathogens to enter your drinking water with ease. Cracks or holes in your well’s casing can also introduce bacteria and other contaminants. A third cause is well-flooding during heavy rains and storms.
Coliform testing is typically done in the spring, though you should make sure to have testing done before you move into a new home, regardless of the time of year. Making sure your water is free from E. Coli and other harmful contaminants will keep you and your family healthy.
