Community Lab Results

The results of our Community Water Lab will be posted here! For more information about the lab and how you can get involved or get a test done, visit our Community Water Lab page.

  • E. coli for recreation in inland waters in England is recommended to be less than 1,000 CFU/100mL.
  • This test also gives us a reading for total coliform, but there are no set recommended levels and so most people should be looking at E. coli.
  • Our regular tests allow us to test to up to 2,420 CFU/100mL. If we suspect that a sample will be higher than that, we perform a careful dilution with 50% mineral or distilled water (as well as a blank) to allow us to read results up to 4,840 CFU/100mL. In some instances, we dilute to 10% sample with 90% dilutant, allowing us to measure up to 24,200 CFU/100mL.
  • Each test is collected by, and processed by, volunteers on Friday mornings. We can only process samples that have been sponsored (by community sponsors or through a grant) or purchased (£15/sample, much more affordable than traditional labs).
  • Where “R-Card” is shown, this is using ROTH R-CardsTM as an alternative to the IDEXX method which requires some laboratory processes. We’re evaluating the results from these cards which can be processed at home with a small ‘egg incubator’ and will hopefully give us a means to increase the scope and scale of the areas we can test.
  • Water Rangers is providing this information as a service to the community. Our code of conduct does not allow us to take any political stance. Learn more about our code of conduct to understand why.

Help us test regularly!

We need help to monitor these locations (and others) every week! Learn more about how you, your local councillor, or a local business can help us test!

Latest Week’s Results

Previous Weeks’ Results:

4th May 2024 – Initial results from the Lab :

All read over 2419.6CFU/100mL for total coliforms.

For E. coli, Shalford Mill read 770CFU/100mL. Peperharrow and Downstream of Slyfield read 2419.6CFU/100mL. The rest of the samples all read as greater than 2419.6 CFU/100mL. For reference, for recreation, levels should be below 1,000 CFU/100mL.

Individual location results:

Next week, we’re recommending a 50% dilution on all samples as well as sample locations in Bordon, Liphook, and Haslemere.

This monitoring was supported by a grant from Godalming Town Council.