CPI International, California based manufacturer and marketer of laboratory analysis products, has received the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) approval, published on February 13th, 2004 for Colitag™, CPI's breakthrough test method for public drinking water under the Total Coliform Rule.

In making the announcement, David Hejl, President/CEO of CPI disclosed that this is the culminating event in the company's six-year effort to provide an added level of safety in testing public drinking water. Private laboratories, municipal and State governmental authorities responsible for water testing can now protect the public with confidence via this testing product.

Colitag™ was developed in the early-90s by George Chang, Ph.D., a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. According to Dr. Chang, Colitag™ differs from the methods approved by EPA over the last ten years because it can identify E. coli that have been weakened but not killed by water treatments. "If the treatment isn't quite right, you end up with injured pathogens that still may be able to resuscitate in someone's body and cause critical sickness." States Chang. "Any time water treatment breaks down, you have a problem. We look for E. coli that escapes the sanitation process and survives."

Colitag™ will go mostly to public agencies for testing for E. coli in water systems, which include everything from drinking water and wastewater systems to public pools and beaches. The Colitag™ product will also be utilized by food and beverage manufacturers.