Water quality assessment - issues from a laboratory management perspective

This paper considers issues relating to the measurement of water quality parameters in the laboratory, especially an external (usually commercial) laboratory. Many organisations now use testing laboratories for water quality measurements, a process that has advantages and some limitations. The interaction between the testing laboratory and the organization requiring the data is crucial, and this paper looks at some aspects where a full appreciation of the role of each partner is important. These include limits of detection and reporting, measurement uncertainty, sample storage and preservation times, and various quality control procedures.