Palintest has been at the forefront of water analysis technology for decades – and has a long-standing relationship with the UK’s water sector.
The company, which is part of Halma plc, has deep roots in the water industry and has developed solutions that are employed on a daily basis for water quality monitoring and disinfection control.
In the UK, Palintest’s products are used to test for parameters including chlorine, pH, phosphate, turbidity, COD, fluoride, iron, nitrate and ammonia.
And over the last five years, the Gateshead-headquartered company has supplied more than 260 different product types and tens of thousands of individual units to water companies.
So where did it all start? The clue’s in the name…
In 1945, Dr Thomas Palin became the first chief chemist and bacteriologist to the Newcastle and Gateshead Water Co.
He gained world renown for the development of breakpoint chlorination in water and the invention of the diethyl para phenylene diamine (DPD) method for the determination of chlorine. The DPD method became adopted across the globe.
Dr Palin also developed a system of chemical reagents – presented in the form of reagent tablets – for use in the determination of the chemical constituents of drinking water.
In the 1950s, Dr Palin approached Newcastle-based Wilkinson & Simpson Ltd to manufacture the reagents. He formed a partnership with the firm and Wilkinson & Simpson Ltd began supplying the UK’s water companies.
The company established itself as a major provider of water testing solutions to the water industry and in 1989, was renamed Palintest in recognition of Dr Palin’s work.
And Palintest has continued to develop new technology in line with the needs of UK water companies.
Palintest’s innovations include Kemio™, which uses anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) and the company’s patented single-use sensor technology to test for chemicals and heavy metals in water, and the Lumiso photometer range, which features solutions to help water industry personnel test for chlorine and chlorine dioxide.
Innovation continues to be at the heart of its strategy…
The company recently launched Lumiso Expert, an evolution of its Lumiso photometer range.
A multi-parameter benchtop photometer, it has been designed as a highly accurate, all-round solution for water analysis in challenging environments and covers a range of more than 71 parameters, including ammonia, bromine, chloride, free chlorine, total chlorine, copper, fluoride and iron.
The technology allows staff to conduct testing multiple times per day, across key routine troubleshooting parameters, with little or no training. It has an IP67 rated waterproof design and does not require laboratory-grade handling.
Lumiso Expert also offers data traceability for audit compliance purposes, and results are retrieved via Palintest Connect, the company’s cloud-based data management software.
So how are Palintest’s solutions supporting the UK water industry?
Monitoring of inline metering equipment is just one example. Although inline meters monitor water quality constantly, the portability and flexibility of Palintest products enables water industry personnel to periodically test samples, to verify that inline meters are providing accurate readings.
Another example is turbidity and TSS monitoring: Palintest’s portable Turbimeter Plus is helping water industry personnel in the field to make rapid water quality assessments, as it can provide accurate results within just ten seconds.
Palintest’s solutions also support wastewater treatment programmes. By supplying accurate products which can test for parameters such as COD, ammonia and chlorine, the company is helping water companies to ensure compliance and maintain effective disinfection procedures.
And Palintest is continuing to work in partnership with the water industry, developing leading-edge technology shaped to the sector’s evolving requirements.
For more information visit www.palintest.com
