• Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Call Me Back
  • About
  • Knowledge
📞 Call us on 0330 223 31 31
  • 0Shopping Cart
Water Treatment Services
  • Home
  • Water
    • Applications
      • Boiler Water Treatment
      • Cooling Water Treatment
      • Closed Loop Water Treatment
      • Legionella Control
    • Services
      • Cooling Tower Cleaning
      • Cooling Tower Maintenance
      • Chlorine Dioxide Water Treatment
      • Commercial Water Softeners
      • Pre-Commission Cleaning
      • Tank Reline & Repair
      • TMV Servicing
      • Water Chlorination & Disinfection
      • Water Leak Detection
      • Water Testing
        • Drinking Water Testing
        • Metals Testing
        • Pool Water Testing
        • BSRIA Closed System Testing
        • SDI Testing & Analysis
        • Trade Effluent Testing
    • Training
      • Water Treatment Training
      • Basic Chemistry of Water
      • Industrial Treatment
      • Pre-Treatment
      • Boiler Treatment
      • Cooling Systems
      • Closed Systems
      • Wastewater Training
      • Advanced Treatments
      • Training Dates 2021
  • Wastewater
    • Metals Testing
    • Trade Effluent Testing
    • Wastewater Training
  • Air
    • Ductwork Cleaning
    • Indoor Air Quality
    • Local Exhaust Ventilation
    • Mould Testing
  • Energy
  • Legionella
    • Legionella Risk Assessment
    • Legionella Training Courses
      • Legionella Awareness Training
      • Responsible Person Training
      • Water Hygiene Awareness
      • Pseudomonas Training
      • Training Dates 2021
    • Legionella Testing
  • Contact
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
You are here: Home1 / Knowledge2 / Environment3 / Testing Total Aerobic Colony Counts in Water
Testing aerobic colony counts in water

Testing Total Aerobic Colony Counts in Water

Total Aerobic Colony Counts, commonly abbreviated using the acronym TACC, is one of the most misunderstood aspects of water quality analysis and microbiological testing. Partly it’s because microbiologists and water management professionals are so accustomed to using jargon that it becomes second nature, and they don’t realise that the terms they are using baffles and confuses the layman. Then when they’re asked to explain Total Aerobic Colony Counts in words of one syllable, they get all tied up in complicated scientific knots, and are unable to articulate simply what they are talking about.

What are Total Aerobic Colony Counts?

Total Aerobic Colony Counts or TACC doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s basically a way of describing what microorganisms have been found in a water sample, and how many microorganisms were found. It’s not just bacteria which are counted in a TACC test, it’s also similar microorganisms such as yeasts or moulds.

Bacteria and these other types of microorganisms are present everywhere, and getting a “zero” result is virtually impossible. The key is understanding what a normal result is for you and your water systems.

To complicate matters even further, the term TACC isn’t universally used in the water testing industry, and TACC can stand for other things too. You’ll also hear and see people talking about TVC (Total Viable Colony) or even ACC (Aerobic Colony counts).

Why should we be interested in testing for TACC?

TACC is a popular measure of the overall water quality. It can be done as a quick and simple test and the results are indicated on a dip slide rather than having to go through the laborious process of taking water samples, sending them off to the lab and then waiting days for the results to come back.

Testing for Total Aerobic Colony Counts can quickly identify when something has gone wrong in your water safety and microbial control programme – why has the number of bacteria doubled in 48 hours? Did we forget to add water treatment chemicals or has something else happened?

This type of measurement helps to alert people managing water systems of any potential issues allowing them to take appropriate action before bacteria reach levels which could start causing illness. When dealing with drinking water, higher levels of bacteria can often make the water taste stale, it may also have a strange odour, even at levels which might not be harmful to human health.

Spotting changes in water quality and microbial growth

Total Aerobic Colony tests can help spot increased levels of microbial activity that could include all sorts of potentially nasty bacteria lurking in your domestic or industrial water systems. Typically, these bugs could include coliform bacteria which includes things like E.coli.

If the tests come back as normal for your system with no elevated levels of bacteria being shown than that’s great news – it shows that whatever methods you have in place for controlling microbiological growth in your water systems are working. Keep doing what you’re doing, and remember to keep up your TACC testing program rather than resting on your laurels and assuming everything is all right.

How to test for Total Aerobic Colony Counts

There are lengthy EU guidelines about testing for TACC, when it should be done and the correct processes for doing the tests which you are free to read should you please. It’s a technical, complex read which is packed with jargon and unlikely to be of interest unless you are a keen microbiologist.

The EU guidelines are just that – guidelines – and not a legal requirement. However, organisations have the responsibility of coming up with their own programme of testing the water, at intervals which are appropriate given the circumstances for their business. If you are unsure about how to pull together a schedule of testing then it’s best to ask an external water safety specialist like Water Treatment Services to help you get it right.

There are a couple of options for testing for TACC. The easiest method is by using a dip slide which is simple and cost effective, and gives you results quickly, but is only a general indicator and is much less detailed than laboratory testing.

You also don’t need any particular scientific background to analyse the results from a home testing kit as often you’re just comparing the results from the previous samples. If your test results indicate that the levels of microorganisms in your water are gradually creeping upwards, then it could be time to consider taking a larger sample to send off for proper testing in the lab.

  • More about laboratory water testing and analysis

In most cases, the Total Aerobic Colony Count protocols recommend water is tested when it is at a temperature between 22oC and 37oC, with particular emphasis being placed on testing in water cooling towers. The protocols also recommend having a strong procedure for keeping records to help pick up any sudden changes in the test results which could indicate some sort of problem.

It doesn’t really matter whether you keep paper records in a folder in the office, have an app on a tablet or a spreadsheet on the office computer – as long you are keeping records and in a format which makes it easy to compare results from different periods and identify when action needs to be taken to address any issues.

Getting expert help with your water quality analysis

Testing for Total Aerobic Colony Counts can be complex, and it’s important to get it right especially if operate cooling towers or you’re in the food production or drinking water sectors. It’s worth thinking about paying for external experts such as Water Treatment Services or hiring an in-house microbiologist to keep on top of your water testing and maintenance programme in order to nip any issues in the bud.

Expert water testing solutions

Contact Water Treatment Services today to find out more about our laboratory water analysis services including detailed microbiological testing of drinking water.

With offices in London serving the South and South East England, Manchester (North West), Birmingham (Midlands), Bristol (South East England and Wales), Leeds (North and North East) and Glasgow (Scotland), supported by regional teams of specially trained technicians and consultants we can offer professional, cost effective microbiological water analysis solutions to support you.

Contact us today for more information or for your FREE, no obligation quote.

Contact Us Today

Further reading…

More information about our drinking water testing and microbiological analysis … here →

Tags: Drinking Water Testing, Laboratory water testing, Swimming Pool Water Testing, Water testing
You might also like
Soil testing and analysis of contaminated land Soil Testing & Analysis Methods for Contaminated Land
Blue-green algae testing Blue-Green Algae Testing in Lakes, Ponds & Recreational Waters
Hydrotherapy pool water safety Managing Hydrotherapy Pool Water Safety
When to test for legionella When Should You Test For Legionella?
Cryptosporidium in Swimming Pools Managing Cryptosporidium in Swimming Pools
Recreational water quality standards Managing Recreational Water Quality Standards
Swimming Pool Water Treatment Guide to Swimming Pool Water Treatment
What is aerobic wastewater treatment? What is Aerobic Wastewater Treatment?

Search…

What’s New

  • Health Effects of Drinking Softened Water

    Health Effects of Drinking Softened Water

    This article looks at the potential health effects of …
  • How to Stop Pipes Freezing

    How to Stop Pipes Freezing

    Whether plumbing systems are used at home or at …
  • What is Trade Effluent?

    What is Trade Effluent?

    Trade effluent is defined as any liquid waste which …
  • Troubleshooting Problematic Closed Water Systems

    Troubleshooting Problematic Closed Water Systems

    This technical troubleshooting guide looks at closed water systems, …
  • District Heating – Heat Distribution Networks Explained

    District Heating – Heat Distribution Networks Explained

    This technical guide explains the concept of district heating …
  • Legionella Guidance for Landlords

    Legionella Guidance for Landlords

    In the UK landlords have a legal responsibility to …

REVIEWS

4.8
Rated 4.8 out of 5
Water Treatment Services is rated 4.8 out of 5 stars (based on 94 reviews)
Read our reviews

Free Newsletter

Receive exciting features, news, latest research and special offers! Just add your email address and we'll do the rest.

Contact us

Water Treatment Services

[email protected]

Tel: 0330 223 31 31

© Copyright 2021 - EDG Ltd. Operating as Water Treatment Services
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Home
  • About
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • Environment
  • Reviews
  • Sitemap
10 Facts About Water Boreholes 10 facts about water boreholes Trade effluent and liquid waste management Trade Effluent & Liquid Waste Management
Scroll to top

WTS response to Covid-19. As a responsible organisation we have robust Business Continuity Plans in place to ensure business as usual whatever the circumstance. In response to Covid-19, our aim is to ensure continued operations whilst protecting both our people and our clients. To this end we have initiated a number of practical measures that will allow us to continue to support our clients in the most appropriate way. Rest assured that we are making every effort to prevent or minimise any impact on our services during this public health challenge.

OK

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Google Analytics Cookies

These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience.

If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here:

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Other cookies

The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Privacy
Accept settingsHide notification only