MCERTS for Water Monitoring Continues to Gather Pace

The MCERTS product certification scheme for water monitoring instruments continues to grow in popularity, despite recently published news to the contrary.

MCERTS is the Environment Agency’s certification scheme which provides means for process operators to carry out environmental monitoring according to the EA’s requirements.

The MCERTS scheme encompasses laboratories, services, personnel and equipment for carrying out emissions monitoring to both air and water. Not only does it provide assurance to the EA that performance standards are being met, it also provides manufacturers of monitoring equipment with independent verification that their products are fit for purpose, a unique marketing tool.

Since 1996, over 130 instruments have been certified for air emissions monitoring. The MCERTS personnel certification scheme has seen over 500 certificates issued and there are in excess of 30 laboratories accredited to the MCERTS performance standard.

MCERTS for water monitoring was a recent addition to the scheme, the first four product conformity certificates being issued in 2005. Since then nearly 40 certificates have been issued to manufacturers of water monitoring equipment.

Sira (the MCERTS certification body) reports that it is currently working with over a dozen manufacturers. The following manufacturers wish to promote that they are currently undergoing certification, and should be contacted directly for more details; BioTector Analytical Systems Limited, Endress & Hauser Ltd, GE Water & Process Technologies, Hach Lange Ltd and Nivus GmbH. Further, steady growth is expected throughout the year and beyond. It is expected that the number of certificates is likely to exceed 50 by the end of 2011 (see graph).

Some manufacturers prefer to cover a complete product range on one certificate. Aquamatic Ltd, for example include a range of fourteen portable and stationary wastewater samplers on a single certificate. The number of certified products is therefore considerably more than the number of certificates issued.
Details of all MCERTS certificates issued can be found at www.siracertification.com/mcerts

Since the EA’s Operator Monitoring Assessment (OMA) scheme was extended to cover emissions to water in 2009, demand for certified products has grown significantly. Process Operators can achieve a higher OMA score by installing and using MCERTS certified equipment. Manufacturers are seeing the benefits too. More and more plant owners/operators are specifying MCERTS equipment in their procurement procedures, even in territories outside those regulated by the Environment Agency.

Further progress has been made on another MCERTS scheme. The self monitoring of effluent flow scheme has seen rapid growth in recent years. To date over 250 industrial sites and 3600 sewage works have been certified. Certification demonstrates that flow measurement is being carried according to the EA’s requirements. Some considerable cost savings are being reported by industrial operators as a result of the scheme’s introduction.

MCERTS therefore, is fast becoming the recognised standard for monitoring instrumentation throughout the world. Sira reports interest from USA, Canada, Australia and throughout continental Europe, the middle-east and far east.

For more information please contact Sira:
tel: +44 (0)1322 520500 email: info@siracertification.com web: www.siracertification.com