Water Hold Times for O.Reg 153 and CCME
Modified on: Mon, 21 Jul, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Test | Holding Time | Containers | Notes |
O.Reg. 153/04 | CCME (2016) | O.Reg. 153/04 | CCME (2016) | O.Reg. 153/04 & CCME |
INORGANICS IN WATERS | Chloride, Electrical Conductivity
| 28 days
| Glass or HDPE
| Glass or HDPE
| No field preservation is required
|
Cyanide
| 14 days
| HDPE or glass
| HDPE or glass
| Must be field preserved - NaOH
|
Hexavalent Chromium
| 28 days if buffer solution is used; 24 hours if preserved with NaOH only
| HDPE or glass
| HDPE or glass
| Must be field filtered for ``dissolved``
|
pH
| 28 days
| 15 minutes (FIELD TEST)
| Glass or HDPE
| Glass or HDPE
| No field preservation is required
|
Metals
| 60 days (field preserved)
| 180 days (field preserved)
| HDPE or Teflon
| HDPE or Teflon
| HNO3
|
Mercury
| 28 days
| glass or Teflon
| Glass or Teflon
| HCl ; must be field preserved
|
Methyl Mercury
| 28 days
| glass or Teflon
| glass or Teflon
| HCl or H2SO4; do NOT filter
|
Ammonia, Nitrate+Nitrite
| -
| 28 days preserved; 3 days unpreserved
| -
| HDPE or glass
| H2SO4 preservation
|
Total N, Total P, TKN
| -
| 28 days preserved; 3 days unpreserved
| -
| HDPE or glass
| H2SO4 or HCl preservation
|
Fluoride, Sulphate
| -
| 28 days
| -
| HDPE or glass
| No field preservation is required
|
Colour, o-Phosphate
| -
| 3 days; laboratory to commence analysis within 48 hrs of receipt
| -
| HDPE or glass
| No field preservation is required
|
Reactive chlorine species, Dissolved Oxygen
| -
| 15 minutes (FIELD TEST)
| -
| HDPE or glass
| No field preservation is required
|
Solids, TSS, TDS
| -
| 7 days
| -
| HDPE or glass
| No field preservation is required
|
Turbidity
| -
| 3 days; laboratory to commence analysis within 48 hrs of receipt
| -
| HDPE or glass
| Protect from light
|
ORGANICS IN WATERS | BTEX, PHCs (F1), THMs, VOCs
| 14 days preserved; 7 days unpreserved
| 14 days preserved; 7 days unpreserved (aliphatics); must preserve for aromatics
| 40-60mL glass vials, 0-headspace (minimum 2 vials)
| 40-60mL glass vials, 0-headspace (minimum 2 vials)
| NaHSO4 or HCl; CCME - Na2S2O3 if chlorinated water is sampled
|
1,4 - Dioxane
| May be sampled and analyzed as a VOC or ABN; 14 days preserved or unpreserved
| May be sampled and analyzed as a VOC or ABN;
| -
|
PHCs F2-F4
| 40 days preserved; 7 days unpreserved
| 14 days preserved; 7 days unpreserved
| Glass, Teflon lined lid
| Glass, Teflon lined lid
| NaHSO4 or HCl
|
ABNs, CP, OCs, PAHs
| 14 days unpreserved
| 14 days preserved; 7 days unpreserved
| Glass, Teflon lined lid
| Glass, Teflon lined lid
| Field preservation not mandatory; CCME - NaHSO4; Na2S2O3 if chlorinated water is sampled
|
PCBs
| 14 days unpreserved
| Indefinite
| Glass, Teflon lined lid
| Glass, Teflon lined lid
| CCME - Na2S2O3 if chlorinated water is sampled
|
Pesticides & Herbicides
| -
| 14 days preserved; 7 days unpreserved
| -
| Glass, Teflon lined lid
| Field preservation not mandatory; CCME - NaHSO4; Na2S2O3 if chlorinated water is sampled
|
PFASs
| -
| 14 days preserved; 7 days unpreserved
| -
| Glass, PE-lined lids
| No Teflon to be used when sampling for PFASs
|
Dioxins & Furans
| Indefinite
| Glass, Teflon lined lid
| Glass, Teflon lined lid
| Field preservation not mandatory; CCME - Na2S2O3 if chlorinated water is sampled
|
Glycols
| -
| 14 days preserved; 7 days unpreserved
| -
| 40-60mL glass vials; minimum of 2 vials
| CCME - NaHSO4 or HCl
|
Legend:
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HDPE - high density polyethylene
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PET - polyethylene terephthalate
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PP - polypropylene
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H/LD PE - high / low density polyethylene
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