What our test report looks like
A test report is only useful if the person receiving it can act on it. Below is the anatomy of ours, field by field, so you know what you are buying before you buy it — and so you can compare it against any other quote you are holding.
Kolkata 700080 · +91 93306 64877
No. SRAL/W/0000
Page 1 of 1
| Parameter | Result | Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH value | 7.4 | 6.5 – 8.5 | IS 3025 (P-11) |
| Turbidity, NTU | 0.8 | 1 (5) | IS 3025 (P-10) |
| Total dissolved solids, mg/L | 412 | 500 (2000) | IS 3025 (P-16) |
| Iron as Fe, mg/L | 1.6 | 1.0 | IS 3025 (P-53) |
| Total coliform, MPN/100 ml | Absent | Not detectable | IS 1622 |
Results apply only to the sample as received. This report shall not be reproduced in part without written approval.
Why each field is there
Sample point, not just sample type
A result is only meaningful attached to a place. "Overhead tank, Block B" lets you compare against the reservoir and the tap and find where contamination enters.
Date and time of collection, separately from receipt
The gap between the two is what tells an auditor whether the hold time was respected. A report showing only one date hides that.
The permissible limit beside every result
Without the limit on the same line, the reader has to look up the standard themselves — which in practice means they do not, and act on the wrong assumption.
The test method for each parameter
Two laboratories using different methods can legitimately produce different numbers. Naming the method is what makes a result comparable and defensible.
A plain-language opinion
One or two sentences stating which parameters conform and which do not, so the document is usable by someone who is not an analyst.
A named signatory with a qualification
Accountability. An anonymous report cannot be questioned, and an auditor knows that.
Three things to check on any lab report
A report with no test method, no permissible limit or no named signatory is very hard to defend in an audit. If a quote is unusually cheap, ask which of those three the report will be missing.