Many of you may have seen a CBC media report today about water quality testing on Memorial’s St. John’s campus by a local company, Petroforma. That company is  not currently accredited to conduct the testing we required, and as such, we engaged accredited laboratories (in Nova Scotia and Ontario) to conduct the tests on more than 700 water samples in the last month. At the same time, we have gone back to conduct accredited testing on the areas highlighted in the media by Petroforma, namely the first floor of the Arts and Administration Building and the fourth floor of the Faculty of Science (not including labs, custodial closets and tempered water). When these results are received we will share them with the university community. 

We require testing to be done at an accredited laboratory because accreditation gives Memorial the assurance it needs that the results are credible, reliable and accurate. This allows us to make decisions with confidence that the results are held to the highest standard and verified by an independent third party. Laboratories that are accredited have demonstrated that they are technically competent and able to produce precise and accurate tests and/or calibration data. As part of accreditation, a laboratory's quality management system is thoroughly evaluated on a regular basis to ensure continued technical competence and compliance with ISO/IEC 17025. 

Also, to let you know that in order to complete water testing, access to fountains and water faucets needs to be restricted to allow for the appropriate period of time for water to be stagnant before testing is done. This does not mean that water in these areas are unsafe, it simply means testing is in progress. When water testing is scheduled, a notification will be shared via Newsline.  

For results from water testing, visit http://www.mun.ca/health_safety/Waterqualityupdate.php.