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News

“I hope they tested this.”

We enjoy natural bodies of water for swimming, fishing, and boating.  How do we know it meets safety standards?

As an Environmental Testing Laboratory, a lot of non-potable water samples from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) come through our laboratory.  The treated water discharged by these facilities goes into our vast natural waterway system – our rivers, lakes and streams.  Testing this water to ensure it meets safety standards is critical.

WWTPs have state permitted analysis requirements that must be completed by an accredited laboratory.  In addition, public water supplies must often test untreated or “raw” water for harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and cryptosporidium.  We perform this analysis for our clients 365 days a year.

The public trusts that we are using the highest quality standards when analyzing these samples.  We understand that the results of our water testing are used to make important environmental decisions.  Trustworthy data quality is of utmost importance for us to meet that demand.

It’s Personal – A Dip Into A Local Lake

Blue Marsh Lake, Berks County, PA
Blue Marsh Lake, Berks County, PA

The health of all our regional bodies of water is important to us.  One happens to be in our backyard.

Our main laboratory is located five miles from Blue Marsh Lake in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and many of our employees use the lake for recreational activities all year long.  Owned and maintained by US Army Corps of Engineers, this lake benefits water control practices for the downstream communities of Reading, Birdsboro, Pottstown, Conshohocken and sections of Philadelphia.*

The lake is 1,150 acres and allows for a lot of recreational activities such as boating, fishing, swimming and hiking.  The lake is located on the Tulpehocken Creek, which is a tributary to the Schuylkill River within the Delaware River Basin.  The Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers are vast resources for drinking water supplies.

Chris Moyer, Field Scientist

The Creek was impounded in 1974 creating this 8-mile-long Lake, and there has been a total of 37 species of fish captured during surveys conducted by the PA Fish & Boat Commission.

We conduct various types of field analysis, sample collection, and laboratory testing for many different clients within this watershed.  It’s just one way we work to preserve the health of our local water environment, and our community.

To learn more about Blue Marsh Lake, visit the USACE website: http://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-

Moyer Collecting a Sample from Blue Marsh Lake

Works/Blue-Marsh-Lake/

To learn more about our Field Services, Wastewater and Drinking Water Analysis, visit our website: https://www.suburbantestinglabs.com/environmental-testing-services.html

* Per USACE