Ensuring Quality and Safety: Water Testing for Wineries, Breweries & Restaurants
Water is a fundamental ingredient and essential resource for wineries, breweries, and restaurants in Oregon. Its quality directly impacts the taste and character of your beverages and food, as well as the safety of your drinking water for staff and customers. Whether you’re sourcing well water, using municipal supply, or managing wastewater, regular and comprehensive water testing is crucial for maintaining product quality, ensuring health and safety, and complying with relevant regulations. Alexin Labs provides tailored water testing services to meet the specific needs of the beverage and food service industries.
Why Water Testing is Essential for Wineries, Breweries & Restaurants
Water quality can significantly affect various aspects of your operation:
Product Quality (Wineries & Breweries)
The mineral content, pH, and presence of certain contaminants in your water source can dramatically alter the flavor profile, clarity, and overall quality of your wine or beer. Consistent water testing helps maintain batch consistency and desired characteristics.Well Water Safety (If Applicable)
If your establishment relies on a private well, regular testing is essential to ensure it meets drinking water standards and is safe for all uses.Food Safety (Restaurants & All)
Safe drinking water for staff and customers is paramount. Additionally, water used in food preparation, washing produce, and cleaning equipment must be free from harmful bacteria and contaminants to prevent foodborne illnesses.Identifying Potential Contamination
Unexpected changes in water quality can indicate contamination from various sources, requiring prompt investigation.Equipment Maintenance
Hard water and certain minerals can lead to scale buildup in pipes, brewing equipment, dishwashers, and other appliances, reducing efficiency and lifespan. Water testing can identify these issues.Meeting Regulatory Requirements
While specific regulations for water used in beverage production might vary, ensuring safe drinking water for staff and customers is a fundamental health code requirement for all food service establishments.Wastewater Discharge Compliance
Wineries and breweries, in particular, may need to monitor their wastewater discharge to comply with local regulations regarding pH, BOD, TSS, and other parameters.
Common Water Tests Used in Wineries, Breweries & Restaurants
The specific tests relevant to your business will depend on your water source, your production processes, and any specific concerns. Here are some common water tests used in these industries:
Microbiological Testing
Crucial for assessing the risk of waterborne pathogens affecting crops.
Total Coliform and E. coli: To ensure the absence of harmful bacteria in drinking water and water used in food/beverage production.
Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC): Can indicate overall bacterial levels.
- Learn More
Chemical Testing (General)
pH: Crucial for brewing, winemaking, and general water quality.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Conductivity: Can affect taste and brewing/winemaking processes.
Hardness (Calcium and Magnesium): Impacts brewing, winemaking (tartrate stability), and can cause scale buildup.
Alkalinity: Important for buffering capacity in brewing and winemaking.
Sulfate and Chloride: Can influence the flavor profile of beer and wine.
Iron and Manganese: Can cause off-flavors and staining.
Nitrate: Important for drinking water safety.
Specific Ions (tailored to brewing/winemaking needs)
Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Chloride, Sulfate, Carbonate, Bicarbonate.
Wastewater Discharge (Wineries & Breweries)
pH: Must be within permitted limits.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5): Measures the organic load in the wastewater.
Total Suspended Solids (TSS): Measures the amount of solid particles.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): Measures the chemical oxygen demand.
For Treated Water (If On-Site Treatment is Used)
Testing to verify the effectiveness of filtration, softening, or other treatment processes.
Treated Water (If On-Site Treatment is Used)
Testing to verify the effectiveness of filtration, softening, or other treatment processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
At this gov site: Drinking Water Data Online.
An annual potability test is recommended. Please refer to OHA’s Domestic Well Program for more information.
By contacting Alexin Labs, and discussing your water testing needs, we can determine the type of sampling containers which will be needed. It is important to use only the sampling containers provided by us as a certified lab to ensure the integrity of your results. All sampling containers provided by Alexin Labs have been quality checked for sterility and cleanliness as needed.
We’d recommend that you keep track of this yourself; however, we do keep all analytical results for at least five years. If you need copies of past reports, please contact our front office, additional re-processing fees will apply.
Alexin Labs: Your Partner in Water Quality for the Beverage and Food Service Industries
Alexin Labs in Tigard, Oregon, understands the critical role water plays in the success of wineries, breweries, and restaurants. We offer a range of water testing services tailored to your specific needs, helping you:
Our experienced team can help you determine the most appropriate testing panel for your business and provide you with accurate, reliable results in a timely manner. We are committed to supporting the success of your establishment by ensuring the quality and safety of your water.
Maintain consistent product quality in your wines and beers.
Comply with wastewater discharge regulations (if applicable).
Ensure the safety of your drinking water and food preparation processes.
Troubleshoot water-related issues.
Protect your equipment from scale buildup.
About us
