Heterotrophic Plate Count

About this Service

Heterotrophs are a group of microorganisms that use organic carbon sources to grow and can be found in all types of water. Heterotrophic plate count (HPC) is a method that measures colony formation on culture media of heterotrophic bacteria in drinking water. Thus, the HPC test can be used to measure the overall bacteriological quality of drinking water systems. High levels of microbial growth can affect the taste and odor of drinking water. To determine HPC, pour plate method can be used as a method.