A laboratory shall be certified for all analytical methods listed in subsection (a) that it uses for compliance purposes. At a minimum, the laboratory shall be certified for one total coliform method and one fecal coliform/E. coli method. In addition, for laboratories that may enumerate heterotrophic bacteria (as measured by the Heterotrophic Plate Count) for compliance with the Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR), the laboratory shall be certified for either the Pour Plate Method or the SimPlate method for heterotrophic bacteria.
https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-02/documents/rtcr_approved_methods.pdf
Test | Pre-incubation sample instructions 1,2 |
Colilert (Presence/Absence) | Specified 24-hour incubation time includes time it takes to bring sample temperature up to 35° ± 0.5° C 1 |
Colilert Quanti-Tray | Specified 24-hour incubation time includes time it takes to bring sample temperature up to 35° ± 0.5° C |
Colilert-18 (Presence/Absence) | Prewarm sample in 35° ± 0.5° C water bath for 20 minutes or 44.5 ° C for 7-10 minutes |
Colilert-18 Quanti-Tray | Allow sample to equilibrate to room temperature (20-30° C) before beginning 18-hour incubation time |
Colisure | Allow sample to equilibrate to room temperature (20-30° C) before beginning 24-hour incubation time |
Readycult Coliforms | Specified 24-hour incubation time includes time it takes to bring sample temperature up to 35° ± 0.5° C |
Modified ColitagTM | If results are to be read before 22 hours, sample must be prewarmed in a 44.5° C water bath for 7-10 minutes |
1Samples shall be brought to room temperature before incubation.
2 Information based on manufacturer's instructions.
Medium | Incubation | Total coliforms | E. coli |
M-Endo medium or M-Endo agar LES | 35° ± 0.5° C for 22-24 hrs | Metallic (green-golden) sheen colonies (presumptive) | N/A |
m-ColiBlue24 | 35° ± 0.5° C for 24 hrs | Count all red and blue to purple colonies under normal/ambient light and record as the total coliform result. | Count only blue to purple colonies and record as E. coli result. |
MI1 | 35° ± 0.5° C for 24 ± 2 hrs | Fluorescent colonies under UV light | Blue colonies under normal light |
m-FC | 44.5° ± 0.2° C for 24 ± 2 hrs | N/A | Blue colonies (fecal coliforms) |
1 If any blue, non-fluorescent colonies are found on the same plate, add their total to the Total Coliform count.
Method | Medium | Final pH |
Pour Plate | Plate count agar, also known as tryptone glucose yeast agar | 7.0 ± 0.2 |
SimPlate | Multiple enzyme substrate | 7.0 ± 0.3 |
Ill. Admin. Code tit. 77, § 465.360
Amended at 35 Ill. Reg. 14494, effective August 12, 2011