What are hold fees?
Sometimes samples are submitted and the request is to put the sample “on hold” (there are no analytical tests requested and the sample is only to be held). This can be for various reasons such as: you are waiting on the results of other samples before determining what is needed for the sample on hold, analysis is pending instruction from others before proceeding, etc. The “hold fee” is applied as the sample must still be managed by Bureau Veritas Laboratories staff in terms of receipt, handling and it must be properly stored (in a monitored fridge for example).
If analysis is added to the sample, the hold fee is deleted and the applicable analytical costs are then added. If no analysis is added to a sample on hold, the hold fee along with applicable disposal charges are charged or invoiced. The exception is, if samples on hold have already been invoiced and then analytical requests are added to the hold samples, the hold fee on the original invoice is not deleted, a new invoice would be generated for the newly added analytical requests. Samples are held (with or without analysis) for 30 days from receipt and then discarded. If longer term storage is required, this must be arranged with the Customer Experience team prior to the expiration of the standard 30 day hold period.
Additionally, if samples are received with no analysis requests and no request for hold, the submission would be “Flagged” and you would be contacted by our Customer Experience Team.
What are filtration fees?
There are some analyses that require filtration of the water sample in order to determine the "dissolved" analyte in solution. This can include dissolved metals, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved phosphorus, etc. It is preferred that these samples are filtered in the field using a hand pump or syringe, but this is not always possible. Laboratory filtration must be conducted on these samples to remove particulates that would cause a high bias on dissolved parameters in water. There is a fee for this filtration since it is additional work outside of the testing scope for the laboratory.
Contact your Customer Experience team member if you have questions regarding laboratory filtration or its charges.