PUB Mobile Lab Application
Challenge Detected
PUB is Singapore’s national water agency and manages its water supply, water catchment and used water in an integrated way.
By investing in research and development and new technologies PUB has developed a robust and diversified water supply strategy with the Four National Taps.
The Four National Taps are:
Water from local catchment
Imported water
Reclaimed water or NEWater
Desalinated water
Singapore’s water quality is well within the water guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO), and is suitable for drinking without any further filtration. PUB has implemented a comprehensive water quality sampling and monitoring system that carefully tracks the water quality at raw water source, all stages of the water treatment process and throughout the distribution network.
By investing in research, development and new technologies PUB has developed a strong, sustainable and safe water network. Being at the forefront of water quality technology PUB is always on the lookout for more efficient and effective systems to enhance its water quality monitoring system in order to provide an increased level of service to its customers.
PUB is highly engaged with their customers and wanted to cut the time it took to test water from areas where they had received calls and/or feedbacks. They needed to have something that was mobile and easy to use, while still providing state-of-the-art technology and results that were fast and reliable.
The TECTA™ technology employed by PUB directly supports their work in this area by providing an automated, rapid E. coli and Total Coliforms detection system for the assessment of microbiological water quality and assuring the safety of drinking water.
Solution Detected
PUB customized a mobile lab which powered by Li-battery and equipped it with, amongst other instrument and test kits, a TECTA™ system to perform E. coli and Total Coliform tests on treated water matrix. The system is simple and convenient for quick sample preparation and analysis. With the custom mobile lab, samples can be analyzed inside the mobile lab upon even when it is on the move to the next location. This cuts considerable time off the reporting times during water quality investigations.
Success Detected
PUB has received SAC-Singlas accreditation of the TECTA™ unit within their mobile lab. This mean they are actually running accredited drinking water compliance tests for E. coli bacteria while driving down the road.
Once the team is dispatched, samples can be collected on site and be tested in the TECTA™ unit in the mobile lab. Once all the samples for the day are collected and running in the TECTA™, the mobile lab return to the central station where they are able to plug in the charging cable to a power source to charge up the Li-battery.