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Alliance Announces New Company at Inventrek

This article was originally published on November 13, 2009 in the Kokomo Perspective

The Greater Kokomo Economic Development Alliance has announced that Criterion Water Labs, LLC, will become the newest tenant at Inventrek Technology Park, 700 E. Firmin St., when it begins testing water samples Nov. 23.

“Criterion is another example of our strategy to build new businesses based on our local assets in an encouraging and cost effective manner,” Jeb Conrad, Alliance president and CEO, said. “They are a great addition to our business environment and Inventrek Park.”

Coli form and e-coli bacteria can be a health issue in any water supply, and, as a Microbiological Testing Laboratory, Criterion Water Labs, LLC, can help local businesses, homeowners, well drillers, church officials – any one needing water testing – monitor their water sources.

Criterion owners David and Ann Ihms have lived in the Russiaville area since 1987. David has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Missouri- Rolla, which is now the Missouri University of Science and Technology. He is a senior project engineer at Delphi Electronics in Kokomo. Ann has bachelor of science and master of science degrees in materials engineering from the same university. She has worked at Delphi Electronics in Kokomo and as the chemical hygiene officer for Indiana Wesleyan University.

David will continue to work at Delphi, but he will oversee Ann’s work in Criterion’s lab. Ann completed the Fast Trac Tech Venture program that Inventrek offered in June.

“That excellent entrepreneurial course gave us the information and confidence we needed to create a small business and hopefully make it an asset for the community,” Ann said.

Criterion also will provide a package of water conditioning tests to help customers monitor what their water conditioning needs are and how well their systems are meeting that need.

“As an outside source, we can help provide information without trying to sell the conditioning system,” Ann said.

Criterion also is working with Indiana University-Kokomo on a grant to use interns in the lab. “We hope to be a resource to encourage young people in the fields of biology and chemistry,” Ann said.

Criterion Water is gathering local water information for its website ( www.criterionwaterlabs.com ) and will develop educational materials about groundwater and environmental issues.

“Criterion makes it easy to have your water tested,” Ann said. “It is extremely important to collect a water sample in a correct manner and to have it tested quickly because mailing a test lab can have time and temperature problems.”

Sample collection information is on the Web site (www.criterionwaterlabs.com).

Currently, Criterion can give a customer data on chlorine/chloride, hardness, iron, ammonia, nitrates, fluoride, coli forms, and e-coli.

Starting on Nov. 23, water samples can be dropped off at Criterion’s Lab at Inventrek from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and by appointment at Inventrek or Criterion’s Russiaville office, 8166 West County Road 200 South.

For more information call Ann Ihms at 883-7681 or 438-4995, or visit the company’s Web site: www.criterionwaterlabs.com.

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Criterion Gets the Youth Involved

Water Testing Company Offers Programs and Internships for Students

This article was originally published on July 28th, 2014 in the Kokomo Perspective.

072914-criterion-gets-the-youth-involved

by Alyx Arnett, Kokomo Perspective Features Reporter

There’s a lot to do when it comes to water, and Criterion Water Labs is proof.

The Inventrek tenant has proven to be an asset to the community. It became certified to offer nitrate and nitrite testing in 2011, making it the first local place to offer such a test, currently tests water of 23 area pools each week, and also offers bacteria testing–which came in handy during last year’s floods.

The company also deals heavily with the city’s wells–all 8,000 of them–and with all this knowledge on hand, owner Ann Ihms wanted to share it.

This past spring, Criterion hosted You Be the Chemist, a program that invited students in fourth through eighth grades to participate.

“It’s a national competition, and we’re really hoping to get more and more students involved,” she said.

Seven students participated last year, and all seven were invited to participate in the state challenge in Indianapolis this past March–two of whom walked away with prizes.

Northwestern Elementary School student Kaylynne Fernandes took home first place and a $100 gift card, and Northwestern Elementary School student Owen Myers was awarded second place and a $50 gift card.

“This is a great way to get more young people interested in science at an early age. That’s our goal,” she said. “It’s teaching them skills, how to understand techniques, the periodic table. Kids don’t get to sometimes explore science like they do sports, and I would like to see more kids getting involved in that type of competition. It makes it more of a goal setting.”

This fall, a parent/teacher workshop will be hosted for anyone interested in participating in the 2015 challenge.

Having the lab, Ihms said one of Criterion’s purposes is to be an educational resource.

“We’re a general resource on water problems, and that ties directly into what students need, which is hands-on learning,” she said.

Ihms also works with students doing science fair projects.

Currently an 11th grader is working on a Wildcat Creek study. Another student is doing a pool study, while yet another is doing a comparison of disinfectants.

In addition to working with area elementary and high school students, Criterion also has partnered with IU Kokomo, offering internships. So far, Criterion has provided internships to six students.

“More and more college students are becoming interested,” she said. “Students are recognizing that they need job experience and we offer that.”

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Certified Pool Operator Course

A Certified Pool Operator (CPO) Course will be offered in Kokomo, Indiana.
When: Fridays, May 10 and May 17, 8AM – 4PM
Where: Ivy Tech Kokomo Event & Conference Center, 1500 N. Reed Road, Kokomo (U.S. 31 North)
Cost: $359, which includes instruction, training materials and a certification exam
Deadline:  May 3, 2013
The CPO certification course covers pool and spa chemistry, testing, treatment, filtration, maintenance, automatic feeding equipment,and government requirements.
The certification exam includes an open book written examination and the certification is valid for five years.
Criterion Water Labs,LLC has served pools in the Kokomo area for three years and we are thrilled that Ivy Tech is offering this great opportunity locally. Pool chemistry is complicated, but with the right tools your pool can be safe and fun!
For more information about this course, contact Mike Federspill or Jennifer Hughes at Ivy Tech Corporate College:
765.459.0561, ext. 233 or 283
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A Guide for Disinfecting Wells

The EPA has published a basic guide for disinfecting wells: Complying with the Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule: Basic Guide. It’s designed for small systems adding any chemical disinfectant.

In addition to this guide, owners and operators of systems adding chlorine dioxide or ozone should obtain Supplement A of this guide or contact their state to learn about additional requirements of the Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule.

Owners and operators of conventional filtration systems should read Supplement B of this guide or contact their state for more information on how additional requirements of the Stage 1 DBPR apply to them.

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Watertable Trends

Rainfall, snowfall–they all have an effect on the watertable near your well. The U.S. Geological Survey tracks the watertable in several counties adjoining Howard County. Here is the trend in Cass County from November 1st through this month! For more information, see the U.S. Geological Survey website.

 

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Protecting Your Groundwater

No one wants to have a contaminated water source. To protect your groundwater, know what common contamination sources are in your household. These could be anything from cleaning products, to fertilizers or pharmaceuticals.

Also, learn how to dispose of them properly. Prevention is much more cost-effective than cleanup.

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) offers these suggestions:

  • Do not pour chemicals down the drain or on the ground, take them to a hazardous waste collection site
  • Take used motor oil to a recycling center (Advanced Auto in Kokomo also processes used oil)
  • Do not flush medications or personal care items down the toilet

What may seem like a small decision today can have large consequences later!

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Wells: To Have and To Hold

On November 6, 2010 Criterion Water Labs, LLC attended the Indiana Ground Water Association Conference on Understanding Well Problems.

Mr. Stuart Smith, a Ground Water Science Consultant, presented very important information about wells. Mr. Smith is a hydrogeologist and applied microbiologist. He has over 30 years professional experience in ground water and wells. Two area well drillers that I know attended were:

  • Armstrong Drilling, Inc., (765) 566-3362
  • Ortman Drilling & Water Services, (765) 459-4125

Criterion Water Labs, LLC highly recommend these companies to assist you with your well water needs.

One statement that Mr. Smith made that really stood out was that widespread understanding of the need to care for your teeth was not in practice in America until World War II. Soldiers were issued toothbrushes and information about the health needs of their teeth. Mr. Smith sees a similar awakening of understanding well needs. Your teeth are a blessing not to be taken for granted. So is your well. In general we probably do not think much about the water coming from the tap until it turns colors, starts smelling or stops coming out. There is preventative maintenance that can be done to avoid some major problems and since our ground water supply is connected to ground water of others around us we must take in to account what we dump on the surface and its effect on soil and water underneath. Likewise, we must understand the best that we can what materials we are putting down into a well.

About 80% of the wells in our county are documented, i.e., they have been listed in a directory when they were dug and how deep. Our home well is not, therefore, any work done on it cannot be guaranteed. Sure, it was probably dug when the home was put in but that was before our time in the home and nothing was recorded about it. We are fortunate that we have not had major problems but when the pump went out we became aware very quickly the need for good information.

Freedom to manage your well and therefore your personal water supply may be dependent upon your understanding of your well and your family’s water needs. This is not an overstatement. It is a truth. Ignorance is not bliss. Water is a very, very, very precious commodity. Many countries do not have the access to direct water supplies – clean water supplies in particular – that nearly everyone in America has. I would like to share with you some of the great information I learned at this Indiana Ground Water conference and also what we are seeing in the lab as we test area waters.

The general thought about underground water was that it was “sterile.” Not true!!! Very few water supplies are “sterile.” Maybe the Dead Sea water – maybe. Even the heavily chlorinated water coming in on public water supplies is not sterile. I can show you plates of bacterial growth from public water supply water. Is this bad? Of course not. It just means there is life in the water. Microbiologists are diligently studying what is growing in water and how to better monitor and identify the organisms. Criterion Water Labs, LLC, are certified by the Indiana State Department of Health to test for total coliforms and specifically E. coli in your water. We are also certified to give you a plate number. We can tell you how many heterotrophic bacteria (general bacteria present in water) are in your water supply. Total Coliforms is a general name for a group of bacteria that show up in soils and/or digestive tracts of warmblooded animals. Some of them can make you very sick but most are completely harmless and in fact necessary for normal active breakdown of solids in the soil and the intestines. The HPC count is a quantitative observation of how “clean” a system is – that includes your pipes. Criterion Water Labs, LLC, is looking forward to studying and understanding a wider variety of bacteria groups that are found in area water as another great IUK intern comes on board in January. We have been blessed to have several great interns from IUK already.

At the conference Mr. Smith said that bacteria have been found 3000 ft. below the earth. Glacial sands have abundant biomass and nitrogen. Upheavals over the centuries have introduced organic material deep underground and these materials introduce bacteria to water supplies. There is not much keeping bacteria from moving through the earth. Now, however, it is true that the soils and sands act as fantastic filtering sieves for water as it moves downward but note that cracks exist above and below ground that open up “roadways” for transport. Microbes traveling through these cracks are like “ships in a canal.” The only thing holding them back is that they like to stick to things. They also like to join together and create colonies. The outer surface bacteria in these colonies can take on different shapes and forms as they adjust to different jobs within the colony. It is amazing stuff!!! Just think of it – a million little bacteria working together to survive in a water supply source deep underground or in an up take pipe. They are capable of transferring information and food resources to one another!!!! Don’t let it creep you out. Rejoice and stand amazed at the incredible intricacy of the world God has given us.

Please appreciate your area well drillers and let them help you understand what can be done to insure that your well will stay in great shape for many years to come.

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Different Species of E. coli

It may have surprised you to have heard that there are such different species of E. coli. The deaths and illlnesses in Europe are being connected with an unusual species of E. coli – a species that is not usually widespread. E. coli is one of many bacteria that are a subgroup of the fecal bacterias. I have seen conflicting data on what is an optimum temperature for this bacteria. I would suspect it is due to the variety within this species – some E. colis may thrive better at 35˚C while others may like 44˚C. Some give off very harmful toxins as they grow and die. Some are harmless to your health. Strange isn’t it? There is still LOTS to learn about even about this much-studied organism.

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