IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., have announced the European launch of Enterolert®-DW for the detection of Enterococci bacteria in drinking water. The new test exceeds both the speed and the accuracy of conventional testing methods.

European regulations require testing for enterococci in drinking water, as well as for coliforms and E. coli. All are indicators of possible water contamination that could pose a health risk to humans.

'The Enterolert-DW test provides proven, trustworthy results in just 24 hours, compared to the two days needed for conventional testing,' says Dana Belisle, Director and General Manager, IDEXX Water. 'The new test lets water-testing laboratories and utilities make health and safety decisions more quickly and confidently.'

The new method includes ready-to-use reagents and requires only one minute of hands-on time, making it easier to use when compared to the conventional testing method (ISO 7899-2, also known as the 'Slanetz and Bartley method'). The conventional method requires a technician to filter the water through a membrane, place the membrane on an agar plate to grow the bacteria for 2 days, transfer the membrane to another agar plate for confirmation, and then count bacterial colonies.

The Enterolert-DW test uses the same equipment and test procedure as the popular IDEXX Colilert®-18 water test for coliforms and E. coli. This means that laboratories and public utilities can now use a single platform for all their key microbial drinking-water tests and produce accurate and complete drinking water test results in just 24 hours.