How to submit a sample

• Call into the Lab to pick up your free container(s).
• Fill container halfway.
• Shake container and discard water.
• Refill to top, leaving no air space in the container.
• Drop the sample into the team at the Lab with a completed chain of custody record(PDF, 255KB).

Call into the Lab to pick up your free container(s). For chlorinated samples, you will need to use a sterile jar containing sodium thiosulphate – we can provide this.

• Do not rinse the container before taking the sample.
• Disinfect the tap. The Lab will be able to provide details on this.
• Let water flow to avoid splashing and collect the sample.
• Drop the sample into the team at the Lab with a completed chain of custody record(PDF, 255KB).

Please contact the Lab for details of sample collection and correct containers required – call 07 5569 3103.

All samples brought in should be accompanied by a chain of custody record(PDF, 255KB).

A completed form provides information regarding who submitted the sample(s), who needs the results, description of the samples/project, date samples taken, the testing required and for non-routine Council work, a job number.

Once the samples are received, the job is registered into the Lab’s database (LIMS), so each job has a unique number and each sample in that job has a unique trailing number.

The time it takes to process a sample depends on the type of analysis and total number of samples. Depending on the range of testing required for the sample, there might be a multitude of different analysts and pieces of equipment/instrumentation used to test the water/soil.

Some tests take a few days, because that is how long the method dictates (for example, BOD takes 5 days) while others can be completed within an hour or so from sample receipt (e.g. pH, alkalinity). Metals, nutrients and many other tests are usually batched so a large run is performed on a weekly basis to do all those received during the previous few days.

As part of the requirements for accreditation with NATA, a number of quality control checks are performed which need to be within prescribed criteria before a batch of sample results can be validated.

• Duplicates are done on one in 10 samples.
• Blanks are included with sample runs to ensure there is no carry over or contamination between samples.
• Certified reference materials are standards provided by external suppliers with known values. These are plotted over time from each run of tests so that any trends away from the certified value can be assessed.
• Proficiency testing is completed regularly using samples with unknown values. These are tested by a group of laboratories and evaluated for outliers.
• Standard calibrations are used for instrument-based testing where a number of different concentrations of a standard are graphed. The regression of the points along the calibrated line also has acceptance criterion.