Environment Agency for England and Wales has awarded Hach Lange a framework agreement to supply wastewater analysis (COD) test reagents and associated services for a period of four years
Commenting on the award, Robert Rand, team leader at the National Laboratory Service, says: "The NLS provides an analytical service to the Environment Agency which requires consistently high standards of accuracy".
"Hach Lange was selected, based on our assessment of analytical performance, price, quality, and environmental impact".
Laboratory sales manager for Hach Lange, Mathew Dillon, expressed his delight with the award, adding "We now supply the EA and ten of the main 11 water companies with COD tubes and associated instruments.
"The quality and reliability of our DR2800 spectrophotometer, heating block and COD reagents means that customers can rely on the correct reading every time".
"The test is extremely simple to perform and it incorporates several unique features designed to substantially eliminate human error".
COD stands for chemical oxygen demand.
It is a measure of organic pollution in wastewater, and is the most frequently mentioned parameter in European legislation.
The Hach COD test follows the ISO 15705 standard method exactly, with all reagents supplied ready-to-use, in precisely the correct amounts in a small cuvette.
To perform a test, users simply add a water sample to a cuvette and leave it in a heater for two hours.
At the end of this period the intensity of colour in the solution is directly related to the COD value in the sample, and can be measured quickly and easily.
Hach Lange claims that its COD analytical instrumentation and associated reagents almost completely dominate the UK market and feedback from some of the company's major customers is given below.
Bob Capron from United Utilities (wastewater manager) says: "The laboratory at United Utilities has recently, after carrying out extensive trials involving all major COD suppliers, awarded Hach Lange a three year contract to supply 120,000 COD tubes per year.
"The contract has been running since October 2004 and during this time the service in terms of quality, reliability, delivery and removal of used tubes has been excellent.
"Hach Lange staff involved in the contract have been extremely helpful at all times".
Mark Boldy from Anglian Water (chemistry manager) adds: "The Anglian Water Services laboratories have used the Lange COD tubes and spectrophotometers for the last eight years.
"The main reasons for initial and continued use are the reliability and reproducibility of the product, enabling Anglian Water to meet the requirements of our regulators and customers with respect to COD analysis.
"Hach Lange takes responsibility for the safe disposal/recycling of the used tubes and we have been very pleased with the level of service".
In addition, Graham Coe from Thames Water (laboratory manager) says: "Thames Water has used the COD test system from Hach Lange for the past nine years, during this time we have found it both reliable, reproducible and cost effective for the analysis of COD within waste waters and trade effluents.
"It passed our validation criteria and the Urban Wastewater Directive and has been audited by both the EA and Ukas.
"We have not encountered any problems with either deliveries or the removal of spent tubes or the Hach Lange calibration and repair service."
