Public Drinking Water Testing

Public drinking water supplies are tested for bacteria on a monthly basis to comply with the State and US Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Act. The State Public Health Laboratory, US EPA certified laboratory # MO 00003, and its Southeastern Branch Lab in Poplar Bluff, US EPA certified laboratory # MO 00071, test approximately 50,000 public water samples annually. These services are provided as part of an interagency agreement with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. 

For more information on public drinking water systems and compliance testing requirements, contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Public Drinking Water Branch (use link below).

MO DNR Public Drinking Water Branch Homepage:
http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/dw-index.htm

MO DNR Public Drinking Water Branch, list of certified laboratories: http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/labs/index.html

An employee of the State Public Health Laboratory serves as the Laboratory Evaluation Officer (LEO) for the Public Drinking Water Microbiology Laboratory Certification Program. For more information on laboratory certification, contact us.

Public water samples must be submitted using the appropriate collection kit provided by the State Public Health Laboratories. To request sample kits, public water supplies should contact the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Public Drinking Water Branch. 

The appropriate form must be submitted with each sample.

Bacteriological Water Analysis Request Form

Tests Available and Methods: All tests require a 100 ml sample

• Total Coliform Bacteria - Membrane filtration, Enzyme Substrate (Idexx Colilert ™ Presence/Absence and QuantiTray)
• E. coli Bacteria - EC with MUG Broth P/A, Enzyme Substrate (Idexx Colilert ™ Presence/Absence and QuantiTray)
• Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) - Pour Plate, SimPlate^TM
• Iron Bacteria - Membrane filtration

Other tests for specific waterborne pathogens (bacteria) may be available by special request.

Presence / Absence Test	Membrane Filter and QuantiTray	Heterotrophic Plate Count

Yellow color indicates presence of Total Coliform bacteria. Fluorescent blue color indicates presence of E. coli bacteria. Tests require a minimum 24-hour incubation period. Colilert, QuantiTray and SimPlate are registered trademarks of Idexx Laboratories.

Samples must be received at the laboratory and testing initiated within 30 hours of sample collection. The SPHL statewide courier system may be used to transport samples to the Jefferson City laboratory overnight. There is no charge for this service.

For a list of State Public Health Laboratory courier pickup locations, click on the link below, or contact your local public health agency.

SPHL Courier Pickup Locations