Currently, measurement of viable Legionella and other bacteria using standard culture methods require shipment of water samples to an analytical laboratory. The results typically take 12-14 days which can leave facilities in a holding pattern. The shipment of water samples can cause unpredictable changes: In some water samples, viable bacteria increase during transit and in other samples they decrease. When the facility receives their Legionella results, these challenges can make interpretation and decision-making difficult.

• The patents pending Phigenics Validation Test (PVT) completely eliminates the need to ship water samples, thereby giving more reliable data about the water system. The PVT is a field sampling protocol to obtain viable cell counts (CFU/ml) for the following:
• Total heterotrophic aerobic bacteria
• Legionella pneumophila (serogroup 1 and serogroups 2-14)
• All non-pneumophila Legionella species

Data is obtained for the exact moment when the PVT field sampler contacts the water sample

• Shipment of water samples to laboratory is not required
• Time required to obtain results is reduced 75-80% compared to the Standard Method for Legionella.

Test results including quantitative viable cell counts, digital photographs of the field samplers and authenticity labels are emailed to the facility, typically within 2-3 days of sampling. The PVT validates under operating conditions in the field that bacterial hazards in water have been eliminated, reduced or prevented from harming people (Principle 7 in Hazard Analysis and Control)

Compared to the Standard Methods for total bacteria and Legionella, the PVT is:

• More Accurate, because water samples are not compromised during shipment to the laboratory.
• Faster, because transit time is not wasted and microcolonies are enumerated directly on the PVT field samplers.
• More Convenient, because results for total bacteria AND Legionella bacteria are obtained and archived by the Phigenics Analytical Services Laboratory in a standardized protocol for future reference.