water testing lab

Changes to Sample Receiving Protocol & Cyanide Preservation Requirements Reminder

In light of the COVID-19 precautions and social distancing requirements, effective Monday March 30th Babcock Labs will be operating an outdoor sample drop-off arrangement.

Updated Sample Receiving and Sample Collection Policy in Response to COVID-19

Babcock Laboratories’ testing services are essential to continuing to protect public health during this unprecedented time. We have never wavered from our commitment to safeguarding our community, and as such the safety of our clients and our dedicated employee-owners is of the utmost importance. To continue critical testing operations while ensuring the safety of our clients and staff, we have implemented new protocol in response to COVID-19.

Governor Signs Safe Drinking Water Bill

This month Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill to establish the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, which aims to improve access to safe drinking water for residents in disadvantaged communities. Approximately 1 million Californians currently lack access to safe drinking water, the vast majority of whom live in small rural communities that rely on private drinking water wells or poorly maintained water systems contaminated by harmful constituents such as arsenic, nitrates, and 1,2,3-TCP.

Stricter Groundwater Testing Targets E.coli

Monterey County growers face new water-testing regulations that hope to lessen risk of an E. coli outbreak like the one that hit the more-than-$600 million romaine lettuce industry last year.

Does CA Really Deserve a C+ for Lead Testing in Schools?

Lead testing was in the mainstream news yet again this month after a report gave California a “C+” for its policies to protect children from lead in drinking water at school. In fairness to California, it was one of the only states to receive a “passing” grade, as 22 of the 32 states analyzed received an “F” letter grade. If you’re a parent like me, however, you probably feel like a C+ report card is hardly worth celebrating.

But what exactly did the report base its assessment on?

Pulling Water Out of Thin Air

March 22nd marked World Water Day, an annual United Nations observance aimed at tackling the global water crisis. This year’s theme, “leaving no one behind,” focused specifically on U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 6:  access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030.

With the wide-spread scarcity of safe drinking water supplies, one might wish it were possible to pull water out of thin air—and that’s exactly what one company has done.