What’s the difference between informational and compliance testing in the water testing industry?

Informational testing is conducted to provide information about the quality of water. This type of testing is often used by individuals or businesses to determine the safety of water or to identify any potential problems. Informational testing can be used to test for a variety of contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and heavy metals.
Compliance testing is conducted to ensure that water meets certain regulatory standards. This type of testing is often required by government agencies. Compliance testing is typically more rigorous and expensive than informational testing. Maintaining a chain of custody that not only requires a paper trail but also requires the lab to send out a certified technician to draw the water samples and personally transport them to the lab, is mandatory in compliance testing.

The main difference between informational testing and compliance testing is the purpose of the testing. Informational testing is designed to provide information about the quality of water, while compliance testing is designed to ensure that water meets certain regulatory standards. Informational testing is employed when the results do not need to meet any agency requirements or do not need to be used in a court of law.