In this rapidmicrobiology special focus you can find the latest products for the microbiological testing of water - get faster results, improve recovery and workflow. Explore some of the options here to find the right fit for your laboratory.

The MICA from Diamedix combines artificial intelligence based algorithms with revolutionary optical equipment to deliver CFU results at the microcolony stage with a detection of 1 CFU per membrane whatever the sample volume. Fast time to result include Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 24 hours, Legionella pneumophila in 48 hours.

New for drinking water is the innovative Redberry Red One™ test platform that can deliver near real-time results of 10 mins for a TVC result (there's an E.coli method due to be launched shortly). The Red One uses solid phase cytometry with a fluorescent staining method and can detect single live cells or microcolonies in filterable liquids such as water.

Using a simple and automated flow cytometry platform, the rqmicro.COUNT counts single bacterial cells within seconds with applications for Legionella, E. coli, total counts and viable bacteria.

Make sure you keep up with the latest regulations - from January 2023, the new Drinking Water Directive (EU) 2020/2184 will require samples to be tested for coliphage. As coliphages do not replicate in the environment their presence in a water sample shows faecal contamination and can therefore be used as an indicator of water microbiological quality. ISO Easy Kits (BP1601 and BP1604) from Bluephage are designed to eiminate the tedious and time-consuming process of the standard ISO 10705-2 protocol for the detection and enumeration of both somatic and F-specific coliphages.

Chromogenic media for drinking water analyses are well established and include EPA approved Bio-Rad RAPID'E.coli™2 Agar medium for the direct enumeration of Escherichia coli and coliforms without the need to confirm. IDEXX methods have global approvals from more than 69 regulatory or standards organisations, and the IDEXX Water Academy offers free training and educational resources on a wide range of water microbiology topics of interest. The AquaCHROM™ ECC (presence/absence and MPN method) has been validated by the AOAC RI.

Naturally occurring Legionella in water and artificial water systems, together with ineffective water treatment, can provide a niche for Legionella growth. The standard approach is to use selective diagnostic media, but what's the best price for ready-to-use plates? Southern Group Laboratories, a large supplier of pre-poured plates for many applications are offering to provide a comparison quote on GVPC Agar (6 months shelf life), BCYE Agar, BCYE-cys Agar and Legionella Acid Buffer.

What’s the role of molecular testing in Legionella? AFNOR has validated Bio-rad's iQ-Check Legionella Aquadien DNA extraction short protocols and Free DNA Removal Solution protocol according to ISO TS 12869 and NF T90-471. Not sure whether to use standard plates or molecular detection? Join the Condalab webinar and discover how the Condagene^® Legionella qPCR test can compliment the traditional approach.

Listen to a very special guest on the rapidmicrobiology podcast - Ray Petrisek, who was involved in investigating the first outbreak Legionella in the ‘70s, Ray advises on how to sample and test for  Legionella and the limitations and advantages of test kits in today’s market.

Whatever water borne organisms are targetted - bacteria or viruses, improve your method sensitivity by using a concentrating pipette from InnovaPrep® which offers flexible solutions for concentrating pathogens from water and wastewater.

BIPEA offer proficiency testing scheme for many different types of water microbiology including analyses for coliforms, E.coli, Enterococci, Legionella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococci, Total Viable Count – TVC (culturable micro-organisms 22°C and 36°C)  and spores of sulfite-reducing anaerobe bacteria (Clostridium).

Bio-Rad’s AFNOR Validations for New Legionella PCR Protocols

Bio-Rad has received AFNOR validation for the iQ-Check Legionella Aquadien DNA extraction short protocols and Free DNA Removal Solution protocol according to ISO TS 12869 and NF T90-471. Learn more.
Find Out More

Discover High-Quality Pre-Poured Culture Media For Water Testing

SGL is one of the largest providers of pre-poured microbiological culture media for all water testing applications, from the estimation of overall numbers of culturable micro-organisms through to highly sensitive detection of waterborne contamination and specific isolation of Legionella pneumophila.
Find Out More

Condagene^® Legionella, An Alternative Rapid Solution for Detection

Legionella monitoring by traditional methods - i.e., culture media - is laborious and complex. Condagene^® Legionella is a qPCR kit developed to allow agility and simplicity in your analysis and is an ideal complement for obtaining quick results.
Find Out More

The New European Drinking Water Directive Requires Testing for Coliphages

The new Drinking Water Directive (EU) 2020/2184 in January 2023, will require coliphage analysis. Bluephage supports water testing laboratories for a new approach to water analysis, transforming and upgrading their laboratories to analyze samples easily and within hours for accurate results.
Find Out More

With MICA Pseudomonas, Keep Your Water QC Flowing

MICA Pseudomonas gives you results in 24 hours and in CFU. A new tool to improve responsiveness and performance now available for microbiological quality control in water. 99% similarity with ISO 16266 & easy to implement.
Find Out More

Detect E. coli and Total Coliforms in Water with EPA Approved RAPID’E.coli™2 Agar

Bio-Rad’s RAPID'E.coli ™2 Agar for water testing has received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for testing treated and untreated drinking water for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total coliforms.
Find Out More

Red One™: Rapid Quality Indicator for Tap and Bottled Waters

Redberry offers the fastest microbiological monitoring solution for testing drinking water. The 10-minute real-time analysis provides an unprecedented level of sensitivity for viable cell count or specific E. coli. quantification
Find Out More

IDEXX Water: World Leading Products & Technologies Are Just the Start

IDEXX water testing solutions protect billions of people daily, delivering easy, rapid, accurate and cost-effective information on water quality, and are backed up by comprehensive technical and customer support.
Find Out More

Improve Water Testing with AquaCHROM™ ECC

Water testing ensures a safe supply of drinking and industrial water protecting public health and infrastructure integrity. AquaCHROM™ ECC has been validated by the AOAC for the detection/enumeration of E. coli and other coliforms in water samples.
Find Out More

Water Microbiology Proficiency Tests

BIPEA interlaboratory comparisons can help laboratories to identify sources of analytical error, take corrective actions and improve the analytical performance on a short, medium, and long-term basis. Our tests can also be used for training, in order to check employees’ technical skills.
Find Out More

Simplify Water and Wastewater Sample Prep: One-step Sample Clean Up and Microbial Concentration

InnovaPrep^® offers flexible solutions for concentrating waterborne pathogens from water and wastewater. Whether you need minimal sample handling, prefiltering or portability, we can help you detect threats faster and with greater sensitivity.
Find Out More

Optimize Water Treatment Based on Rapid and Quantitative Microbiological Results.

Naturally occurring Legionella in water and artificial water systems, combined with inefficient water treatment, can provide a niche for Legionella growth. This is where the fast and reliable rqmicro method comes in, enabling operators to understand their water systems.
Find Out More

One Lab's Experience of Testing for Legionella - a rapidmicrobiology podcast

In this episode on Legionella testing, we have Ray Petrisek, a principal investigator in the discovery of Legionella in the ‘70s, who gives advice on testing and sampling for Legionella and the limitations and advantages of test kits in today’s market.
Find Out More