The 7 Best Reasons You Should Do Your Own Stormwater Sample pH Testing

Written By: Doug Ruhlin | Apr 25, 2014

Time to Read 7 Minutes





Learn why you should analyze your stormwater discharge samples for pH yourself!

A lot of our clients talk to us about testing the pH of stormwater. Many of them are looking to make the process as easy, quick, and cheap as possible, and for some, that means testing the pH of their own stormwater.

If you're thinking about testing the pH of stormwater yourself, you've come to the right place. Understanding how and why you can test the pH of stormwater is important because doing it incorrectly can mean being out of compliance with your stormwater permit, and usually costs you money. Testing your own pH isn’t that difficult, but knowing when you can – and when you shouldn’t – can be very important.

Can I do my own stormwater pH testing?

So when can you test the pH of stormwater samples?

1) Do your stormwater sample testing results matter?

In other words, are you doing your stormwater pH testing under a regulation? If the answer is yes, you need to know if you can do your own pH, or if you need to have a certified analytical laboratory do it.

2 - No labs necessary.

Maybe your state doesn’t require a certified pH lab for stormwater pH testing. If that’s the case, then you can do your own pH testing. However, you’re still better off doing pH testing by following standard testing procedures.

3 - It's cheaper!

If you don't need a certified lab, it's cheaper to do stormwater pH testing yourself. As long as you know what you’re doing and have the appropriate equipment, then perhaps you should do the pH testing yourself.

4 - You're an expert.

Maybe you're trained, knowledgeable with stormwater pH testing, and you know what you're doing. If you don’t know what you’re doing, get the training you need! Online pH training can be a great way to get caught up to speed on everything you need to know! If that's too involved, let the labs do it for you.

5 - Complete control over samples.

If you’re interested in when samples are taken and under what conditions, then perhaps doing your own stormwater pH testing makes sense. Bringing in an outside lab to do the pH testing might result in someone who really doesn’t care too much about when or where the samples are taken. Your results don't matter to them, and they don't get in trouble if your stormwater samples exceed limits or benchmarks.

6 - You've got the right tools.

If you are testing for compliance with an NPDES stormwater permit that requires specific USEPA protocols for testing, then you really can’t be using litmus strips to do pH testing. You need an appropriate pH meter for measuring the pH in stormwater, along with lab reagents, and a suitable workplace environment. If you have all the appropriate equipment, and know-how to use it, then doing your own pH testing might work.

7 - 15 minutes or less!

The USEPA protocol for stormwater pH testing requires that tests be performed within 15 minutes of a sample being taken. If you are the only one who can do it within 15 minutes of taking the sample – and that’s what you’re required to do – then you might want to consider doing your own pH testing. This is usually your only bet if no labs are within 15 minutes of your facility.

Additional Stormwater Sampling Thoughts

Finally, a word of caution. Some might think that if you do your own pH testing, you can play with the results, such as ignoring bad results or only reporting the good ones. Wrong! If you are under a permit or regulation, you will need to report all results obtained – including the bad ones. Failure to report all results can result in serious prosecution against you and your organization.

There are some good reasons to do your own pH testing, and other reasons why you should have an outside lab do it for you. But the bottom line is this – know why you’re doing pH testing, and let that be your guide whether you should do it yourself or not.

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Need help with pH testing and stormwater permit compliance?

For a lot of folks out there, this is a pain to deal with. After all, you have a business to run! If you're overwhelmed, you're not alone. RMA has been actively involved in helping companies get and stay in compliance with stormwater permits across the United States since our founding in 1992. Long story short, we know the ins and outs of the environmental problems industrial and commercial facilities face and can help you get into compliance with stormwater permits and other applicable environmental laws and regulations, ensuring your business stays out of trouble and in compliance.

Our staff members have been on-site at thousands of operations across the country, so when we say we've seen it all and done it all, we mean it. We've helped everyone, from globe-spanning, multi-national organizations to small "mom & pop" operations. No matter your size or location, we'd love to learn how we can help.

So, if you're having any type of issue at your facility and need the help of an environmental consulting firm with a proven track record, reach out. Even if we can't help, we’ll do our best to steer you in the right direction. Feel free to contact us at info@rmagreen.com, click here to contact us, or give us a call anytime at 888-RMA-0230 to learn how we can help your facility deal with stormwater permits and other environmental regulations.


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