News
Babcock Laboratories, Inc. (Babcock Labs) is thrilled to share a sneak peek at our new microbiology laboratory, which is opening today, August 9th. Our current service center, conveniently located at 1550 Pepper Drive in El Centro, is now an accredited microbiology laboratory.
Take this virtual tour of our clean, easy to reach facility with all the essential equipment needed to meet your microbiology water testing needs. The Babcock El Centro Lab will provide clients with…
After fifteen years leading the largest water provider in California, Jeff Kightlinger stepped down from his role as general manager at Metropolitan Water District (MWD). Over the course of his career, Kightlinger oversaw the water supply for 19 million Californians during unprecedented challenges to the state’s water security. His experience as general manager makes him a foremost expert on the many challenges currently threatening California’s water supplies—from crumbling infrastructure to a drying Colorado River. Before passing on the torch to his successor at Metropolitan, Kightlinger sat down with Western Water to provide some final thoughts about the future of California’s water.
In the years since Kightlinger first joined MWD district as a deputy general counsel in 1995, California’s waterscape has undergone rapid transformations. Global climate change and aging infrastructure threaten two of Southern California’s largest water sources: the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Colorado River. With traditional water supplies…
California is blazing new environmental trails again. The State is set to become the first government in the world to issue a standard testing methodology and preliminary health assessment for microplastics in drinking water. The guidelines, originally scheduled for release this month but delayed due to the pandemic, will be published during the fall of 2021. There is considerable interest in the State Water Board’s (SWB’s) upcoming report, both within the water industry and the broader public. With plastic creeping into every facet of modern life, the SWB’s conclusions will likely lay the foundations for further research and policies.
Since the creation of the first synthetic ivory in 1869, plastic has become the invisible backbone of the modern world. Synthetic materials often serve as cheaper, more durable substitutes for rare and expensive natural resources like silk, ivory, and wood. Plastic production also facilitates many modern inventions and comforts, such as…
Babcock Laboratories, Inc. follows The NELAC Institute’s ISO-based Quality Management System. Part of the management system includes a regular internal review of our analytical methods, corresponding standard operating procedures (SOPs), and additional quality documentation. As a result of a recent method holding time review, Babcock Labs will observe a 24-hour holding time for…
Babcock Laboratories, Inc. (Babcock Labs) wishes to inform you about the requirements for repeat testing following a positive test for Total Coliform per the Revised Total Coliform Rule, beginning July 1, 2021. If directed by the State Board, repeat analyses to a previous positive Coliform test may require Coliform and E. coli be determined on a density basis. If required to do so, Babcock Labs utilizes the…
Spring is underway, and across California, gardeners and farmers are combating the season’s annual pest problem: insects. But the pesticides that protect our roses and our lettuce may be harming more than just the bugs. Pesticides, in particular pyrethroids, are making their way from our gardens, farms, and houses into our watersheds, where they pose a serious threat to California’s aquatic populations. With annual pesticide use expected to peak in the coming months, now is the time to ask some questions. What are pyrethroids? How are they impacting our water systems? What is being done to mitigate the potential problems associated with their use?
Since the late 19th century, pyrethroids have been around and are similar to some naturally occurring insecticides, called pyrethrins, found in chrysanthemum flowers. But unlike pyrethrins, pyrethroids are manufactured chemicals designed to quickly incapacitate insect nervous systems and simultaneously resist environmental degradation. Their low toxicity to humans, mammals, and birds makes them ideal for a variety of agricultural, public health, and domestic purposes. Pyrethroid compounds are effective insecticides employed on farms and in homes across the US. In particular, pyrethroids are an efficient…
