UKAS Unveil New Water Sample Matrices
Jun 9, 2014
The United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS) have today published "Guidance On Water Matrices Definitions for Sampling and Testing to ISO / IEC 17025:2005". The UKAS guidance includes definitions and examples of the 11 broad Water matrices that will be the standardised matrices moving forwards.
ALS Environmental have introduced the new water matrix types and all of the new and revised matrices are available for customers to select from Monday 9th June 2014. The 11 new matrix types are:
| Matrix | Example |
| Drinking Water | Regulatory Tap water, Bottled water, Tank / Bowser Water, Treated Surface or Ground water |
| Ground Water | Well water, Borehole water, Spring water |
| Land Lechate | Borehole samples from Landfill Lechate or Contaminated Land Runoff samples from Landfill Leachate or Contaminated Land |
| Prepared Leachate | Prepared leachate for WAC testing Prepared leachate for Construction Products Directive (CPD) |
| Process Water | Cutting fluid, Cooling water, Grey water, Tap water (not drinking), Ultra pure water. |
| Recreational Water | Man made - Spa pools, Hydratherapy pools, Fountains Natural - Fresh waters, Bathing water lakes, Sea waters |
| Saline Water | Sea water, Formation water, Estuarine water, Tidal water, Brackish water |
| Surface Water | River water, Lake, Open Reservoir (Non-Bathing) |
| Trade Effluent | Water used in Prodution facilities, washing facilities, cooling facilities |
| Treated Sewage | Treated Sewage effluent or Partially Treated Sewage (such as Primary Sedimentation effluent) |
| Untreated Sewage | Crude Sewage |
ALS Environmentals Quality Director, Christopher Caird welcomed the UKAS guidance on water matrix types and comments:
"The UKAS clarification on water matrices will allow customers to make informed decisions based on a like for like accreditation structure from all accredited UK laboratories. We at ALS Environmental have been working hard to ensure that our matrices match the updated UKAS guidance and have been very proactive in informing our customers of the upcoming changes."
The new water matrices definitions have been prepared by UKAS in collaboration with The Drinking Water Inspectorate of England and Wales (DWI), the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland (DWQR), the Drinking Water Inspectorate for Northern Ireland, the Environment Agency and the Standard Committee of Analysts microbiology working group 2.
If you have any questions or concerns about the new water matrix types then please contact our customer service team on 02476 42 12 13 or e-mail us.
