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When submitting drinking water samples to us for fluoride testing under NSW Health’s Drinking Water Monitoring Program, please following these instructions.

Sample container

Use a new high-density polyethylene (HDPE) 250 mL screw capped container that is clean and free from contaminants.

Label

  • Use a yel­low label with a bar­code begin­ning with 3.
  • Select a label for the cor­rect sup­ply sys­tem, cur­rent year and sam­ple type.
  • Using a water­proof pen record the site code, and time and date of col­lec­tion on the label.
  • Con­duct a flu­o­ride test on a sep­a­rate sam­ple and record the flu­o­ride field result on the label.
  • Ensur­ing the out­side of the con­tain­er is com­plete­ly dry, place the label even­ly around the sam­ple con­tain­er (not on the lid) so that the entire bar­code can be scanned at the laboratory.

Collection precautions 

  • Keep the con­tain­er closed until the sam­ple is to be taken.
  • Remove the lid only long enough to col­lect the sample.

Collection tips

  • Flush the lines for at least 3 min­utes before col­lect­ing the sample.
  • Fill the con­tain­er to the brim.

Transporting samples 

  • Pack the sam­ple into an insu­lat­ed cool­er with enough freez­er bricks to keep it cool (≤6oC) dur­ing transportation.
  • Attach a copy of the Foren­sic and Ana­lyt­i­cal Sci­ence Ser­vice (FASS) address label to the insu­lat­ed cooler.
  • Send/deliver the sam­ples to FASS as soon as possible.
  • If send­ing flu­o­ride and micro­bi­ol­o­gy sam­ples togeth­er in same cool­er, send/deliver to the NSWHP West­mead – Micro­bi­ol­o­gy Laboratory.
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