Drinking Water Analysis

Drinking water – the most important foodstuff of all – must always maintain the same high level of quality.

It is therefore necessary for Swiss drinking water to fulfil specific microbiological, chemical and physical requirements. It must also be flawless with regard to appearance, smell and taste.

Do you need support in monitoring the quality of your drinking water? As an accredited Swiss contract laboratory, we can test all common and necessary parameters in accordance with current legislation. Fast, competent and reliable.

Would you like to know which points need to be considered for the commission? We can help you to select the relevant testing parameters as well as the appropriate sampling approach. We provide the necessary vessels for this free of change.

Legal principles

The microbiological, physical and chemical criteria are specified in the legislation. The definitive legislation here is the FDHA regulation on drinking water and water in publicly accessible pools and shower facilities (Verordnung des EDI über Trinkwasser sowie Wasser in öffentlich zugänglichen Bädern und Duschanlagen - TBDV). Compliance is regularly checked during official controls. Furthermore, there is a legal duty to carry out internal checks, as there is for all food business operators (chapter 4 of the Food and Commodities Ordinance LGV).

Those who operate their own springs must therefore be able to provide proof of the chemical and microbiological purity of the water. This occurs up to four times per year, depending on the quantity delivered.

Water quality requirements for food companies

Drinking water is of crucial significance in the context of industrial hygiene. In the HACCP concept (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points concept) water is considered to be an environmental factor. Additionally, as a raw material, drinking water must also be seen as a food ingredient under the heading “product quality”. As a foodstuff, drinking water must fulfil high quality requirements, as it has a great influence on the hygienic, technological and sensory properties of the finished products. 

It should be noted that the quality of externally-provided water can also vary with major changes in the weather (dryness, rainy periods, snowmelt). In Switzerland, more than 80 percent of drinking water comes from spring water and groundwater.

The remainder is obtained through the treatment of lake water, which is mainly available in the more heavily populated areas in the Swiss Plateau and the lake regions neighbouring the Alps. With regard to nitrate content, seasonal variations are observed in the groundwater.
 

The influence of water pipeline systems on the quality of water

There is also variation over time in water quality within a company’s internal water pipeline system. Depending on conditions (temperature, corrosion, limescale, flow characteristics) substantial populations of bacteria can form up to the level of biofilms, which represent a constant source of contamination.

It is therefore necessary to obtain an overview of the water quality at each respective point of withdrawal.

If the drinking water which is fed into the system fulfils the legally required criteria, it can be used for cooling, washing and production processes as well as for personal hygiene. When used as a foodstuff during processing, then the natural constituents of the water (e.g. minerals --> water hardness) can also have an influence on the end result. A variety of preparation procedures (filtration, decalcification) also affect drinking water with regard to the substances it contains, which can then influence cooking time, texture, and the colour of the other ingredients, as well as the smell and taste of the product. An overview of the possible treatment processes and their effect on the quality of the water is given in a leaflet produced by the Swiss Gas and Water Trade Association (SVGW) (Schweizerischen Vereins des Gas- und Wasserfaches SVGW).

The importance of water quality for milk processing companies

Water sources in mountainous areas can, under certain circumstances, be susceptible to contamination, as the cleaning capacity of their soils is relatively poorly developed. Consequently, the faecal matter of animals on grazing land can quickly pass through the thin layer of soil; the resulting filtering out of bacteria is insufficient. The indicator bacteria Escherichia coli and enterococci can be detected quickly and provide an indication that other pathogens may be present.

Similarly, cloudiness in the water indicates a lack of filtration on the part of the soil, representing favourable conditions for the multiplication of bacteria due the particles contained (minerals, organic substances, micro-organisms). Without the use of additional filtration, some pathogens can only be removed to an insufficient level, even after a disinfection process (UV radiation or chlorination). 
Water quality is subject to strong additional variations as the quantity of water extracted varies with the weather. 

Such shortcomings in hygiene can also then have an effect on the production of foodstuffs by firms which are based in the Alps, if perfectly clean water is not available for processing and cleaning purposes. As a result, contamination of foodstuffs can occur due to equipment (e.g. butter churns) not being clean enough. During the production of raw milk products, it is particularly important to ensure that water quality is good enough.

At the same time, hygiene problems regarding drinking water can also occur in the case of dairy operations in rural valley regions which are not connected to public water supplies. Here, the primary cause of the presence of faecal bacteria is the spillage of farmyard manure into areas upstream of the water source.
 

Water quality for meat processing companies

As part of the approval procedure, meat processing companies which are permitted to export within the EU must provide proof that the water used by the company is of drinking water quality and complies with the requirements of the “98/83/EC Guideline from 3rd November 1998 on the quality of water for human consumption”.

Sampling should take place such that the samples are representative of the quality of the water which is used over the course of the year.

Customer-focussed water analysis

We have testing programmes which cover a range of different scales in order to accommodate the most frequent questions. These cover the most important microbiological and chemical requirements of the FDHA’s regulation on drinking water and water in publicly accessible pools and shower facilities (TBDV).

Please find the services which we provide listed in the directory of services.

We will be happy to prepare a quotation for you on request.
 

Sampling

If you take the samples yourself, we will be happy to provide you with the sample vessels (sterile disposable bottles) free of charge upon request. Our trained field staff are at your disposal for independent and professional sampling.

Our Services in Detail 

• Measurement of the pH value of drinking water
• Consultation on the testing of drinking water, utility water and waste water
• Determination of bulk and trace elements
• Heavy metals
• Total hardness (from limestone and magnesium hardness)
• Ammonium
• Anions (nitrate/chloride/sulphate)
• Phosphate / P
• pH value
• Dry residue
• Silicic acid
• Alkalinity (p value)
• Acidity (p value)
• Cloudiness
• Sensory evaluation
• Conductivity
• Organic sum parameters (TOC, COD, DOC, AOX etc.)
• Carbonate hardness
• Microbiological testing
• Legionella
• Additional services are according to the directory of services or upon request