Pathogen testing for water and wastewater

Mail-in qPCR testing for bacteria, viruses and fecal indicators, for utilities, municipalities, public health, research and industry. Results reach your online portal within 48–72 hours of lab receipt.

Request a test or write to info@oberonbio.com
Amplification plot, Household wastewater Sample data
Threshold 1102030400.00.51.0CycleFluorescence, normalized
Sample type (loads its recommended panel)

9 recommended targets. Kraken reads up to six per run, so this panel is shown as two runs.

TargetGroupCqResult
E. coliBacterial23.99Detected
CrAssphageIndicator22.55Detected
HF183Indicator25.52Detected
AdenovirusViral31.77Detected
SARS-CoV-2Viral34.16Detected
SalmonellaBacterial35.81Detected
Positive controlControl24.53Pass
No-template controlControlPass
Sample data for illustration, not a test result. Each curve is one target's fluorescence across 40 cycles; Cq is the cycle where it crosses the threshold. The control traces are illustrative; the lab uses no-template controls to monitor each assay.

What we test

Thirteen targets in three groups: bacterial pathogens, viruses, and indicators that show whether the water carries human fecal contamination. The tables below show what we recommend for each water source and each season.

By water source

Recommended targets by water source
TargetHousehold waste­waterRestaurants, food serviceFactoriesCooling towersConstruction sites, housesWell waterLake, surface water
Bacterial
LegionellaNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedRecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommended
E. coliRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedNot recommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommended
E. coli O157RecommendedRecommendedRecommendedNot recommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommended
SalmonellaRecommendedRecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedRecommendedRecommended
Listeria monocytogenesRecommendedRecommendedNot recommendedRecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommended
Total ColiformsNot recommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommended
Viral
AdenovirusRecommendedRecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedRecommendedRecommended
SARS-CoV-2RecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommended
RSV-BRecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommended
Influenza BNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommended
Indicators
CrAssphageRecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommended
HF183RecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommended
Total ColiphageNot recommendedRecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedRecommendedRecommended

Influenza B is recommended by season only.

By season

Recommended targets by season
TargetWinterSpringSummerFall
Bacterial
E. coliRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommended
E. coli O157RecommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommended
SalmonellaRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommended
Listeria monocytogenesRecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedNot recommended
Viral
AdenovirusRecommendedRecommendedRecommendedRecommended
SARS-CoV-2RecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedRecommended
RSV-BRecommendedRecommendedNot recommendedRecommended
Influenza BRecommendedNot recommendedNot recommendedRecommended

Recommended Not in the recommended panel

Need a target that is not listed? We develop custom panels on request. Name the target when you write to us.

How testing works

  1. Request a quote, then fill out the submission form with your project details and the tests you need.
  2. Pay for the testing.
  3. We send you a sampling kit.
  4. Collect your samples as the instruction manual (PDF) describes, on the day you ship them.
  5. Pack them with the gel packs and ship the kit back on a Monday or Tuesday, by FedEx Priority Overnight with the prepaid label.
  6. We test your samples on Kraken: as little as 2 hours from sample preparation to data.
  7. Your results are posted to your secure online portal within 48–72 hours of the lab receiving them.
What's in the kit
The sampling kit laid out: bubble mailer, biohazard specimen bag, three sample tubes, two cold gel packs, a rubber band, an absorbent sheet and a prepaid return label

Instruments

Kraken qPCR cabinet with the KrakenSense logo

Kraken™

Automated multiplex qPCR platform

Method
Multiplex qPCR
Targets per run
Up to 6
Workflow
Fully automated
Controls
Automated
Instrument time
As little as 2 h, sample preparation to data
CryoDeck refrigerated autosampler, front view

CryoDeck™

Refrigerated autosampler

Capacity
8 samples
Temperature
2–5 °C
Sampling
Time-based, composite or event-triggered
Chain of custody
Logged automatically
Works with
Kraken

Kraken™ and CryoDeck™ technology is licensed from KrakenSense.

The lab

OberonBio was started by biologists and scientists who care about clean water and pathogen detection, and who wanted testing that is cheaper, faster, more accurate and easier to use than the traditional route.

Advanced water testing has often been too expensive, too slow, or out of reach for community labs, researchers and small organizations. We built OberonBio so teams of any size can get scientifically robust results.

OberonBio: bringing powerful science to every scale.

Who we work with

  • Water utilities and municipalities
  • Public health agencies
  • Research institutions
  • Industrial facilities
  • Data centers and other sites with cooling towers
  • Schools, long-term care and high-density housing
OberonBio
886 Winston Churchill Blvd
Oakville, ON L6J 7X5
info@oberonbio.com

Request a test

Write to us for a quote with the details below.

  1. Your name and organization
  2. Where the water comes from
  3. How many samples, and how often
  4. The targets you want, or ask us to recommend a panel
Request a test

Opens an email with these questions filled in. Or write directly to

info@oberonbio.com

Before you order

Kit dispatch
Kits ship by FedEx Ground on Tuesdays. Orders received by Monday noon ship that Tuesday.
Collecting
Collect and ship on the same day, no more than six hours before shipment. Keep samples cold until handoff; refrigeration at 4 °C is recommended.
Shipping back
Monday or Tuesday only, by FedEx Priority Overnight with the prepaid label, from a staffed FedEx location or a scheduled pickup. Not a drop box. Samples held in transit over a weekend may be rejected.
Damaged kits
Tell us within 7 days of delivery if a kit arrives damaged or incomplete.
Use of results
Results are for research, monitoring and operational decisions. They should not be the sole basis for regulatory enforcement, public health determinations or legal action without independent confirmation.
Your data
Results go only to you and are kept confidential.

Full terms: shipping policy, return policy, terms and conditions.