Analytical Services

MA Solutions has developed strong and long term business relationships with a number of the UK's leading environmental testing facilities. This allows us to offer a comprehensive range of expert analytical services including environmental analysis, sampling and monitoring throughout the United Kingdom.

We offer a nationwide container delivery and collection service with refrigerated same day sample collection if required.

This is an addition to our normal contracted analysis and sampling by our service engineers when undertaking routine site visits.

All laboratory facilities we use are accredited by UKAS, a global standard for laboratories.

A Typical Site Visit

We place great emphasis on the service aspect of water treatment as we believe that unless the service is individually tailored to the particular requirements of a site the water treatment programme will not operate at its most effective and economic level.

The first stage in of our treatment programmes is a detailed survey of your systems by our own qualified water treatment engineers and consultants who will produce a professional, detailed report with specific recommendations and costs.

Subsequent service visits by our service staff will consist of a complete analysis of all raw and treated waters and the production of a written report of their findings detailing and remedial action that may be necessary.

A typical site visit will involve:

• Test water samples pertinent to efficient operation of the system(s).
• Review water analysis records since previous call.
• Advise on treatment dosage and purge (bleed) schedules.
• Consult with operating personnel on methods of increasing overall efficiency and effectiveness of programme.
• Instruct operating personnel on correct application of chemicals.
• Instruct on methods of conducting control tests, care of test equipment and interpretation of test results. Investigate unusual conditions and make recommendations for their correction.
• Instruct on collection and dispatch of water samples (as per contract).
• Check water meter readings and log consumption/usage.
• Check stock levels on visit.
• Check automatic dosing and control equipment.
• Water Analysis will depend on the system for eg In accordance with BS2486 for Steam Boilers, HSE ACOP L8 for Cooling systems and BS 8552 for sampling and monitoring for closed systems.
• Take bacterial TVC sample or Legionella sample dependant on contract and or system and issue certificate.
• Remove, Clean and Recalibrate pH, Chlorine and Redox probes, where necessary. Submit a written report of service call to client.

Our comprehensive range of analytical services will ensure your ability to monitor and control all aspects of plant operation and ensure compliance with all relevant specifications and guidelines.

Bacteriological Screening

We are able to offer analysis from any water system including:

• Domestic Water Systems
• Cooling Tower re-circulating waters - legionella species sampling, total viable counts at 30c and provision of dip slides for site use to ensure compliance with the HSE ACOP L8 for Legionella Control.
• Closed Heating and Chilled System - Pseudomonas species and TVC counts
• Potable Waters - extensive range of organic, inorganic and microbiological parameters to ensure compliance with the Drinking Water Inspectorate
• Air Handling Units - full range of swab analysis to cover yeasts, moulds and TVC
• Legionella Sampling with full SERO-grouping where possible

Standards for Drinking Water

The Water Supply Regulations and Drinking Water Inspectorate list over 50 parameters and prescribe a minimum and maximum concentrations for these parameters.

Drinks Vending Machines

There is a published Code of Practice on the Hygiene and Water Supply for Drinks Vending Machines.

We would therefore recommend that samples are taken from the supply to and from drinks vending machines.

Standards recommended to its members by the Automatic Vending Association of Britain include the following:

• E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa shall not be present in any 100 ml sample of water dispensed by the machine.
• Presumptive coliform organisms should not be present if they are found in the water supply to the machine this should be investigated further.
• The total viable (colony) counts shall be less than 100 colony forming units per ml at 22oC and 10 colony forming units per ml at 37oC in water dispensed by the vending machine, and normally not more then ten times greater than the number in the supply water entering the machine (not flushed to waste).

We can offer advice on sampling and hygiene regimes for any situation.

Corrosion Monitoring

Corrosion can lead to failures in plant infrastructure and equipment which will be very costly to repair. Additional costs may arise from contaminated product, environmental damage, and human safety.

Decisions regarding the future integrity of a structure or its components depend entirely upon an accurate assessment of the conditions affecting its corrosion and rate of deterioration. With this information, our clients can make an informed decision as to the type, cost and urgency of remedial measures.

Corrosion monitoring systems vary significantly in complexity, from simple coupon exposures or hand held data loggers to fully integrated plant process surveillance units with remote data access and data management capabilities.

Metal Loss types: which measure the physical loss of material due to corrosion or erosion by either physical or electrical means.

Electrochemical types: which measure the corrosivity of an environment independent of actual material loss.

Supporting Analyses: Iron counts, biofilm testing, pH monitoring etc., a range of sampling based laboratory techniques which add to the overall understanding of the system performance.

We are able to offer a wide range of services to compliment our water treatment programmes and ensure cost effective chemical control.