How to Prepare a Water Quality Report for Industrial Water Treatment

Choosing the right industrial water treatment system requires more than just an equipment catalog. One of the most critical yet often overlooked steps is obtaining a detailed water quality report. This document enables your supplier or engineering partner to customize the right solution based on your unique water source—ensuring long-term performance, efficiency, and compliance.

In this article, we’ll walk you through why water quality testing matters, what parameters to check, and how you can easily complete this step—whether through a lab or with basic tools. If you’re planning to purchase a system from STARK, this guide will help streamline the process and avoid costly errors.

What Is a Water Quality Report?

A water quality report, sometimes referred to as a water analysis or lab report, is a technical document that outlines the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of a water source. This report provides essential data for designing a custom water treatment system that meets your facility’s needs and industry standards.

Water quality reports typically include parameters such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), pH, hardness, turbidity, biological content, and concentrations of specific contaminants like iron, manganese, and chlorine. These factors directly influence equipment selection, such as the type of filtration, pre-treatment, and membrane systems required.

Without this data, system providers are forced to make assumptions—often resulting in over-engineered or underperforming solutions.

Why Do Suppliers Ask for a Water Quality Report?

At first glance, being asked to provide a water quality report may feel like an additional burden—especially if you’re eager to get quotations quickly. But in reality, this step is crucial for both sides. It allows your supplier to avoid assumptions and recommend a solution that is precisely tailored to your needs.

Here's why reputable manufacturers like STARK always request a water analysis before making recommendations:

• 1. Preventing Undersized or Oversized Systems: A system designed without knowing the actual TDS, hardness, or iron levels could be too small to handle your load—or unnecessarily large, inflating your investment.
• 2. Avoiding Equipment Damage: Certain parameters like high chlorine, heavy metals, or suspended solids can severely damage RO membranes or filters. Pre-treatment steps must be customized accordingly.
• 3. Enhancing Long-Term Efficiency: A water quality report helps us select the right membrane type, dosing strategy, and flow rate—maximizing operational efficiency and membrane lifespan.
• 4. Supporting Compliance: For industries such as pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, or electronics, water treatment must meet strict local or global water quality standards (e.g., WHO, EPA, GMP).

Without this data, you may receive generic proposals based on average assumptions—which often result in frequent maintenance, unexpected downtime, or failed compliance audits.

By investing just a little effort upfront, you gain long-term clarity, lower operating costs, and peace of mind that the solution is truly made for your water—not someone else’s.

What Happens If You Don’t Have a Water Quality Report?

Skipping the water analysis step may seem like a shortcut—but it often leads to costly consequences down the line. Without accurate water quality data, suppliers are forced to rely on assumptions or default system configurations, which may not be suitable for your actual conditions.

Here are the common risks of proceeding without a water quality report:

• Incorrect System Sizing: Overestimating or underestimating key parameters like TDS or hardness can lead to oversized systems (wasting money) or undersized systems (causing process failures).
• Frequent Maintenance or Downtime: Unanticipated levels of iron, chlorine, or biological contaminants can clog filters, foul membranes, and require frequent cleaning or part replacement.
• Compliance Issues: If your treated water fails to meet internal process requirements or external regulatory standards, it may impact production safety, customer audits, or product quality.
• Increased Operational Costs: A poorly optimized system may consume more chemicals, water, and energy over time—impacting your ROI.

Real-World Example: One of our clients in the beverage industry initially requested a standard 1000 LPH RO system. After installation, the system failed within three months due to high levels of iron and suspended solids—which were never tested. A water report would have revealed this, prompting us to recommend a sand filter and dosing unit upfront.

That’s why at STARK, we view water analysis not as a barrier, but as a foundation for long-term success—for both our clients and our systems.

How to Get a Water Quality Report Easily

If you've never prepared a water quality report before, don’t worry—it's simpler than it sounds. Below are three practical ways to obtain a reliable water analysis for your project. We strongly recommend using certified methods to ensure data accuracy and system compatibility.

1. Hire a Certified Water Testing Laboratory

The most accurate and professional method is to contact a certified third-party laboratory in your region. These labs specialize in analyzing water for industrial and commercial use and can provide detailed reports covering all essential parameters.

• What to Expect: Most labs offer test packages that include TDS, hardness, pH, turbidity, iron, manganese, chlorine, and microbiological content.
• Turnaround Time: Typically 2–5 working days after sample submission.
• Estimated Cost: $100–$300 depending on location and parameters tested.
• Tip: Ask for a digital report (PDF or Excel) to share with your water treatment provider directly.

You can search online for terms like “industrial water testing lab near me” or ask your local environmental protection bureau for certified labs.

2. Request a Report from Your Municipal Water Supplier

If your facility uses municipal tap water as the source, chances are the water authority already conducts regular testing. You can request their latest water quality report or “Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)” which may already include key parameters such as pH, hardness, and contaminants.

• Where to Ask: Contact the local water utility or check their official website—many publish test reports monthly or quarterly.
• Limitations: These reports are generalized for the entire distribution network, so they may not reflect localized conditions or aging pipes within your facility.

Still, this data is a great starting point, and we can work with it to provide an initial system recommendation.

3. Use Basic DIY Water Testing Kits (Preliminary Only)

While not a replacement for professional testing, DIY water testing kits can provide quick preliminary readings for parameters like TDS and pH. These kits are available online or at local hardware stores and can help you understand general water quality.

• Recommended Tools: TDS meter, pH strips, chlorine strips
• Limitations: DIY kits lack the precision and scope required for industrial system design
• Use Case: Only for rough assessments or remote site evaluations

If you choose this option, we recommend sending us photos of the readings and descriptions of your water source so we can guide you on next steps.

Checklist: What Parameters Should You Test?

Before selecting or designing an industrial water treatment system, it’s essential to test a core set of parameters. The following checklist outlines the most commonly requested values and why each one matters.

What to Do After You Get the Report?

Once you’ve obtained your water quality report—either through a lab, local utility, or other method—the next step is simple: share it with us. Our engineering team at STARK will analyze your report and provide a customized system recommendation based on your specific water characteristics, usage requirements, and industry standards.

Here’s what you can expect from us:

• Step-by-step system recommendation (e.g. pre-treatment, RO configuration, post-treatment options)
• Clear quotation with technical and commercial details
• CAD drawings or P&ID diagrams if required for project planning
• Consultation support from our expert team—at no cost

To proceed, simply email your water report (PDF or photo) to: [email protected], or upload it via our Contact Form. The more detail you provide, the better we can serve you.

Still not sure what to test or how to begin? Reach out to us. We’re happy to guide you step-by-step.