Council Directive 98/83/ECShow full title

ANNEX III U.K. SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF PARAMETERS

Each Member State must ensure that any laboratory at which samples are analysed has a system of analytical quality control that is subject from time to time to checking by a person who is not under the control of the laboratory and who is approved by the competent authority for that purpose.

1. PARAMETERS FOR WHICH METHODS OF ANALYSIS ARE SPECIFIED U.K.

[F1 The following principles for methods of microbiological parameters are given either for reference, whenever a CEN/ISO method is given, or for guidance, pending the possible future adoption by the Commission of further CEN/ISO international methods for those parameters. Member States may use alternative methods, providing the provisions of Article 7(5) are met.

Textual Amendments

F1 Substituted by Regulation (EC) No 596/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 adapting a number of instruments subject to the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty to Council Decision 1999/468/EC with regard to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny Adaptation to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny — Part Four.

Those measures on further CEN/ISO international methods, designed to amend non-essential elements of this Directive, inter alia , by supplementing it, shall be adopted in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny referred to in Article 12(3).]

• Coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli (E. coli) (ISO 9308-1)

• Enterococci (ISO 7899-2)

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa (prEN ISO 12780)

• Enumeration of culturable microorganisms — Colony count 22 °C (prEN ISO 6222)

• Enumeration of culturable microorganisms — Colony count 37 °C (prEN ISO 6222)

• Clostridium perfringens (including spores)

Membrane filtration followed by anaerobic incubation of the membrane on m-CP agar (Note 1) at 44 ± 1 °C for 21 ± 3 hours. Count opaque yellow colonies that turn pink or red after exposure to ammonium hydroxide vapours for 20 to 30 seconds.

Note 1: U.K.

The composition of m-CP agar is: U.K.

• Basal medium

  Tryptose	30 g
  Yeast extract	20 g
  Sucrose	5 g
  L-cysteine hydrochloride	1 g
  MgSO4 · 7H2O	0,1 g
  Bromocresol purple	40 mg
  Agar	15 g
  Water	1 000 ml

• Dissolve the ingredients of the basal medium, adjust pH to 7,6 and autoclave at 121 °C for 15 minutes. Allow the medium to cool and add:

  D-cycloserine	400 mg
  Polymyxine-B sulphate	25 mg
  Indoxyl-β-D-glucoside to be dissolved in 8 ml sterile water before addition	60 mg
  Filter — sterilised 0,5 % phenolphthalein diphosphate solution	20 ml
  Filter — sterilised 4,5 % FeCl3 · 6H2O	2 ml

2. PARAMETERS FOR WHICH PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS ARE SPECIFIED U.K.

2.1. For the following parameters, the specified performance characteristics are that the method of analysis used must, as a minimum, be capable of measuring concentrations equal to the parametric value with a trueness, precision and limit of detection specified. Whatever the sensitivity of the method of analysis used, the result must be expressed using at least the same number of decimals as for the parametric value considered in Annex I, Parts B and C. U.K.

Parameters	Trueness % of parametric value(Note 1)	Precision % of parametric value(Note 2)	Limit of detection % of parametric value(Note 3)	Conditions	Notes
Acrylamide				To be controlled by product specification
Aluminium	10	10	10
Ammonium	10	10	10
Antimony	25	25	25
Arsenic	10	10	10
Benzo(a)pyrene	25	25	25
Benzene	25	25	25
Boron	10	10	10
Bromate	25	25	25
Cadmium	10	10	10
Chloride	10	10	10
Chromium	10	10	10
Conductivity	10	10	10
Copper	10	10	10
Cyanide	10	10	10		Note 4
1,2-dichloroethane	25	25	10
Epichlorohydrin				To be controlled by product specification
Fluoride	10	10	10
Iron	10	10	10
Lead	10	10	10
Manganese	10	10	10
Mercury	20	10	20
Nickel	10	10	10
Nitrate	10	10	10
Nitrite	10	10	10
Oxidisability	25	25	10		Note 5
Pesticides	25	25	25		Note 6
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons	25	25	25		Note 7
Selenium	10	10	10
Sodium	10	10	10
Sulphate	10	10	10
Tetrachloroethene	25	25	10		Note 8
Trichloroethene	25	25	10		Note 8
Trihalomethanes — Total	25	25	10		Note 7
Vinyl chloride				To be controlled by product specification

2.2. For hydrogen ion concentration the specified performance characterisatics are that the method of analysis used must be capable of measuring concentrations equal to the parametric value with a trueness of 0,2 pH unit and a precision of 0,2 pH unit. U.K.

a These terms are further defined in ISO 5725.
Note 1 a:	Trueness is the systematic error and is the difference between the mean value of the large number of repeated measurements and the true value.
Note 2 a:	Precision is the random error and is usually expressed as the standard deviation (within and between batch) of the spread of results about the mean. Acceptable precision is twice the relative standard deviation.

Note 3:	Limit of detection is either: three times the relative within batch standard deviation of a natural sample containing a low concentration of the parameter, or five times the relative within batch standard deviation of a blank sample.
Note 4:	The method should determine total cyanide in all forms.
Note 5:	Oxidation should be carried out for 10 minutes at 100 °C under acid conditions using permanganate.
Note 6:	The performance characteristics apply to each individual pesticide and will depend on the pesticide concerned. The limit of detection may not be achievable for all pesticides at present, but Member States should strive to achieve this standard.
Note 7:	The performance characteristics apply to the individual substances specified at 25 % of the parametric value in Annex I.
Note 8:	The performance characteristics apply to the individual substances specified at 50 % of the parametric value in Annex I.

3. PARAMETERS FOR WHICH NO METHOD OF ANALYSIS IS SPECIFIED U.K.

• Colour

• Odour

• Taste

• Total organic carbon

• Turbidity (Note 1)

Note 1:

For turbidity monitoring in treated surface water the specified performance characteristics are that the method of analysis used must, as a minimum, be capable of measuring concentrations equal to the parametric value with a trueness of 25 %, precision of 25 % and a 25 % limit of detection.