The company's Laboratory Services Department proved that the first time out was no fluke when its ISO 17025:2005 accreditation that expired last October was renewed by the ISO through the Department of Trade and Industry's Philippine Accreditation Office. This means that the laboratory meets both the technical competence and management system requirements that are necessary for it to consistently deliver technically valid test results and calibrations.

This also means that the laboratory meets the principles of ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality management that gives the company the distinction of being a trustworthy laboratory of choice, both here and abroad.

"This new plum will convince our current clients that with us, they cannot go wrong in their laboratory concerns about their products or the environment they operate in. This can also help us market our services more easily since industrial and academic institutions will be able to completely trust our competence and the integrity of our test results," said Victoria Santos, department manager of Manila Water's Laboratory Services.

The company earlier obtained its ISO 17025:2005 for technical competencies in October 2006, and this expired in October 2009. "Even with this certification alone, and being one of the credible testing facilities in the country, we were able to attract customers from government, the academe and industrial companies," Santos said.

"Now, with the combination of the certifications for technical competency and quality management systems from ISO, our laboratory will certainly attract even global companies to have their testing done in our facility," Santos added.

Manila Water's laboratory is actually designed to test water and wastewater samples but in recent months, it has also been tapped to test even consumer products and other samples delivered to it by media institutions like GMA 7, which undertakes investigative reports on the safety of water and other consumable products in the market.

Prior to its certification in quality management systems, the laboratory participated in proficiency testing (PT) programs of a US- and a Malaysian-based PT provider. Samples were sent by these firms to an ISO-accredited certifying agency for testing, after which the findings were sent back to these providers.

"When we submitted the findings of our analysts, they were rated satisfactory, good and excellent by the American and Malaysian certifiers, which is one of the reasons why we were finally given the accreditation," Santos explained.

Among Manila Water's current client base are provincial water districts, Fortune Tobacco, refilling stations, high-rise buildings and government offices.

Santos said that what is more gratifying for Manila Water is the fact that government agencies like the Department of Health, which are themselves applying for ISO certification, "are benchmarking with us and asking for our guidance on how to go about complying with the documentation and procedural requirements."