This test kit is particularly useful in 5 situations:
1. In any environment without easy access to a lab. Many sites with critical water supplies are in remote locations without ready access to lab testing. On site testing provides invaluable reassurance.
2. Checking after a disinfection treatment. Once an infected water system has been treated, the faster it can be confirmed that the treatment has been effective, the faster everyone can get back to work.
3. Checking systems where control measures have gone out of conformance e.g. cold water too warm, hot water not hot enough, or biocide levels too low. The system may not be compromised, but a quick real time check will allay doubts and mitigate risks if a treatment is indicated.
4. Routine monitoring of water systems. If a water system is infected, then the faster this is identified the faster corrective action can be taken. The UK L8 guidelines rely heavily on the risk assessment procedure, which requires that testing regimes are tailored to specific circumstances of the water system.
5. Identifying source of outbreaks. If there is an outbreak it is important for both public health and legal reasons to establish the source as soon as possible. Immediate testing can provide immediate detection and should be carried out before any disinfection treatment as part of a sampling regime.