By Jackie Taylor, Special to WaterWrights.net
Have you ever found yourself needing to remain in compliance with your local groundwater agency? We have the partner to help with that! Introducing Zalco Laboratories Inc., of Bakersfield, California. Zalco Laboratories Inc. would be honored to assist you with any agricultural laboratory testing you may need.
Zalco Lab was founded in Bakersfield in 1979 by Dr. John Zaletel and Jim Etherton. The lab started as a small, independent testing lab for the petroleum industry in Central
California but quickly grew into a full-service, state-of-the-art testing facility. Today, Zalco Laboratories Inc., is certified through the State of California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) for the analysis of drinking water, ground water, surface water, wastewater, and hazardous waste. Zalco Laboratories Inc. also provides analysis of crude oil and natural gas for the Oil and Gas industry.
To get started with Zalco Laboratories Inc., give them a call at (661)395-0539 or send them an email at info@zalcolabs.com. A staff member will direct you to collect a water sample in a specified and sterile sample container and deliver it to the laboratory. The three ways to deliver samples to the laboratory are: through a field technician collecting samples for you, personally delivering samples to the lab, or shipping your samples in the mail.
Testing is performed as required by the regulating agency, for example, local, state, or county Water Boards.
Sampling costs vary due to each county’s own testing requirements for new private water wells. According to a spokesman at Zalco Laboratory, “for example, Kern County testing requirements for new domestic wells costs $460 and $330 for an irrigation well. Different testing rules apply for Irrigation districts/water districts who supply domestic water for the community. In general, the testing involved covers General Mineral, General Physical, Inorganic Chemical, Bacteriological, and Organic Chemicals.”
So why use Zalco Laboratories, Inc.? First of all, they’re friends of Water Wrights and just plain down to earth people. More importantly, they are ELAP certified, which meets most local water agency testing requirements for groundwater analysis. What’s ELAP you ask? It is the Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) certification that is obtained through biannual audits from ELAP Auditors, which visit a laboratory for two days inspecting analytical data to ensure that its methods are followed to a T. Zalco Lab also participates in an annual Performance Evaluation of samples that are also required as part of the re-certification process. Most importantly, the staff at Zalco Labs is highly qualified and trained in field sampling which can be performed throughout the state of California.
The services that benefit agriculturalists most are:
Oilfield and wastewater analysis
- Geochem and BLM characterizations
- Water and fluid compatibility testing for injection, source water, cogeneration, and EOR
- Assessments of potential corrosiveness and scalability, including organic acids
- Glycol and oil / grease analysis
- Waste waters
Groundwater & Wastewater Testing
- Dairy Product Pollutants
- Injection Wastewater Analysis
- Injection Water Quality
- Irrigation Water Suitability Analysis
- Petroleum Refining Pollutants I & II
- Priority Pollutants, Metals
- Priority Pollutants, Organics (VOCs / SVOCs)
- Priority Pollutants, Pesticides / PCBs
- Storm Water Testing
- VOC Sump Rule Testing
Now you know who to call the next time you receive a postcard from your local GSA asking for a groundwater sample from your well! Zalco Laboratories Inc. will treat you better than any other lab in the valley, HANDS DOWN! Their customer service is unmatched and ready for your next water analysis needs.
DISCLAIMER OF RESPONSIBILITY; Waterwrights strives to provide his clients with the most complete, up-to-date, and accurate information available. Nevertheless, Waterwrights does not serve as a guarantor of the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, and specifically disclaims any and all responsibility for information that is not accurate, up-to-date, or complete. Waterwrights’ clients therefore rely on the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of information from DAW entirely at their own risk. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not represent any advertisers or third parties.
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