| Founded by Donald
G. Saltman, Suburban Water Testing Laboratories, Inc., was first certified
by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in 1963, when pure drinking water was
more abundant, and water testing laboratories were rare.
The company
began as an outgrowth of his water treatment company, Suburban Water Technology.
The types of testing were primarily mineral analysis and coliform bacteria detection,
which was then simply termed a "potability test." Few people checked
their water in those days unless it tasted bad, smelled funny, or made them ill.
In 1974, Richard C. Stump, II, joined the company as a water treatment technician.
Stump recognized an ever growing need for reliable water testing services for
individuals who owned private water supplies. Greater public awareness was beginning
to be aroused,as the quality of many private water supplies, once thought to be
the purest source available, began to come into serious question. People began
to realize that in order for their water to be safe to drink, not only would it
have to be free from bacterial contaminants, but from potentially harmful chemicals
as well.
Throughout the 1970's the Environmental Protection Agency adopted
and began to enforce new testing standards for public water systems. In response,
numerous water laboratories were emerging, but few, if any, were interested in
the problems of private water supplies.
There were two simple reasons
for this trend: - It takes much more time and energy to consider
each individual's needs and then explain the test results to them than it does
to test public or industrial water supplies.
- Municipalities
and industry have significantly greater funds to be used for testing and compliance
with new regulations.
In 1978, Richard Stump was promoted
to the position of Laboratory Director, and Suburban Water Testing Labs became
an EPA approved facility. Under Stump's direction, the lab was set up to do testing
for nitrates, detergents, pH, iron, and hardness.
During the late 1970s,
the scene of water quality Pennsylvania was rapidly changing. In nearby Montgomery
County, for example, TCE, an industrial solvent,was discovered in fairly high
concentrations in private wells.
With numerous water related health concerns
and increased public awareness, there was growing public confusion concerning
where to turn for information on what to test for, where to have it tested, and
how to intelligently interpret the results.
As Suburban Water Testing
Laboratories began to add equipment to meet the new demand, the lab soon began
to dearly distinguish its unique role in this industry.
Unlike other
labs, SWTL was (and is today): - Accustomed to dealing
with individuals who had little or no knowledge of water and its related concerns.
- Familiar with which chemicals were most likely to
occur in certain areas.
- Uniquely designed to work
with the public consumer.
The growing public awareness
concerning safe drinking water prompted many banks and lending institutions to
require water tests on homes. Concerned real estate firms began to request water
tests on properties which they sold. Meanwhile, the public consumers saw a need
for a greater range of services at affordable costs.
The passage of time
brought new and more challenging water related problems, and Suburban Water Testing
Laboratories met the challenges head on by adding state-of-the-art equipment and
techniques.
Today SWTL is not now certified in six categories by the
U.S. EPA and the PADEP, and routinely test water for individual water supplies
throughout the country. The lab routinely receives samples from throughout the
U.S. and prides itself on being able, to diagnose and prescribe treatment for
almost any problem that one might have concerning drinking water contaminations.
Richard C. Stump is currently serving as the president and laboratory director,
as he has since 1978, and is responsible for the development of analytical methods
and quality control as well as providing education on water analysis and treatment.
It is Suburban Water Testing Lab's mission to help ensure that everyone has pure,
safe drinking water. |
