Australia’s Sydney Water receives NATA accreditation of the TECTA method for testing...

Press release Kingston, Ontario – June 8th, 2020 Australia’s Sydney Water receives NATA accreditation of the TECTA method for testing of fecal coliforms and enterococci bacteria in environmental water samples.

June 8th, 2020 KINGSTON, CANADA – Sydney Water has received NATA accreditation of the Tecta method, supplied by Canadian technology firm TECTA-PDS, for the key target bacteria for rapid monitoring of sewer spills and overflows. The accreditation, received April 2020, enables Sydney Water to officially report test results from Tecta instruments, which are being implemented to shorten the overall test time versus the traditional method previously being used. This will significantly improve Sydney Water’s ability to intervene to protect both the community and environment from sewer overflows. The Tecta-PDS rapid microbial detection system, Tecta-B16, offers extreme ease-of-use to municipalities, industrial clients, and government agencies around the world. The portability and complete testing capabilities, including automated interpretation of results and instant email reports, provides laboratory-grade enterococci and fecal coliforms results for Sydney Water with significantly shorter test times. Peter Beatson, technical specialist at Sydney Water’s laboratories, said “Tecta provided customized internal calibrations based on testing against our methods currently in use. This makes it simple to show our end users that changing to Tecta will not affect their outcomes when comparing results against regulatory or response limits.” The Tecta-B16 instruments were supplied through Tecta-PDS’ regional distributor, Thermo Fisher Scientific. Tim Adams, Tecta-PDS’ EVP, says having Sydney Water gain NATA accreditation for these Tecta tests will not only assist in making their operation more efficient but will help protect public health and the environment. “We are pleased to continue to provide new and innovative ways of working with Sydney Water and are thrilled that Australia is one of our top markets in the world. Sydney Water is a fantastic partner and a true example of how visionary thinking can improve the quality of service to their customers; an ethos that should be observed and adopted by operators globally.” Julia Bartlett, Head of Laboratory Services at Sydney Water says “We are looking at innovative ways to achieve faster turnaround times for lab results, especially when it comes to protecting the environment. Tree roots and wet wipes can cause overflows in our sewer network, and Tecta enables our front line staff to quickly determine how far an overflow has reached, and assists in prioritizing our clean-up efforts. Use of the Tecta plays a significant role in facilitating a rapid response capability and assists us in ensuring the health of Sydney’s residents and that diverse environments are preserved.” About Tecta-PDS: TECTA-PDS was formed in 2003 as Pathogen Detection Systems as a direct result of the Walkerton (Ontario, Canada) disaster in which 7 people died and several thousand became ill as a result of fecal contamination of drinking water. Working together, researchers at Queen’s University and industry specialists set the goal of revolutionizing current microbiological monitoring standards in which the tried-and-true testing methods that, although deemed the gold standard, were decades old, unreliable, and simply inadequate to protect human health. The Tecta-PDS rapid microbial detection platform is the only automated US EPA-approved method for drinking water compliance testing in the world. TECTA-PDS today has evolved into a global organization having systems in over 35 countries and has revolutionized the way in which water is being tested around the world in both municipal and industrial environments. Over the years the core value of the company has never changed, with a mission to be the most innovative organization in water monitoring and to ensure a Walkerton disaster never occurs again in any part of the world. About Sydney Water: Sydney Water delivers essential and sustainable water solutions for the benefit of the community. We are responsible for supplying water, wastewater, recycled water, and some stormwater services to 4.9 million people in Sydney, Illawarra, and the Blue Mountains. Sydney Water is Australia’s largest water utility, with 3,000 staff and an area of operations covering 12,700 km2. Sydney Water is a statutory State owned corporation, wholly owned by the New South Wales Government. Sydney Water has three equal, principal objectives: to protect public health; protect the environment; and be a successful business. To learn more about this partnership, please contact: Patrick Wolfe Regional Director Tecta-PDS patrick.wolfe@tecta-pds.com toll free: (+1) 844-215-7122