Senior Airman Ryan Smith walks across thousands of bottles of water July 20, 2012 to reach a pallet of water which has a specific production date. Smith pulls and tests random bottles from every shipment of water to ensure all water is free of any form of bacteria. More than 1.3 million bottles of water are consumed at this installation every month. Smith is the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group bioenvironmental program manager. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Bryan Swink)
Senior Airman Ryan Smith pours agar into a pulled sample of water July 20, 2012 here. The test is conducted to ensure no bacteria or ecoli is found in the bottled water. Smith ensures all water consumed by service members here adheres to Air Force Central standards. Smith is the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group bioenvironmental program manager. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Bryan Swink)
Senior Airman Ryan Smith pours agar into a pulled sample of water July 20, 2012 here. The test is conducted to ensure no bacteria or ecoli is found in the bottled water. Smith ensures all water consumed by service members here adheres to Air Force Central standards. Smith is the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group bioenvironmental program manager. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Bryan Swink)
Senior Airman Ryan Smith places a bottled water sample into an incubator July 20, 2012 here. The test is conducted to help grow any potential bacteria which may be found in the water. More than 1.3 million bottles of water are consumed at this installation every month. Smith is the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group bioenvironmental program manager, (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Bryan Swink)
Senior Airman Ryan Smith takes a water sample of a pool July 20, 2012 here. Along with testing drinking water for bacteria, he also tests the swimming pools to ensure the pH and chlorine levels are correct. Smith is the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group bioenvironmental program manager. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Bryan Swink)
Senior Airman Ryan Smith pulls a random bottle of water from a pallet of water with a specific production date. Smith pulls and tests random bottles from every shipment of water to ensure all water is free of any form of bacteria. More than 1.3 million bottles of water are consumed at this installation every month. Smith is the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group Bioenvironmental program manager. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Bryan Swink)
by Senior Airman Bryan Swink
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
7/31/2012 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)
The human body is made up of approximately 60 percent water. With that knowledge, as temperatures rise in Southwest Asia, it is crucial for service members to know that their bottled water consumption is safe to drink.
That is where Senior Airman Ryan Smith comes in.
Smith, the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group bioenvironmental program manager, ensures all water consumed by service members is bacteria free, processed safely and adheres to Air Force Central standards. He conducts bacteriological tests on every batch of water received.
With more than 1.3 million bottles of water consumed at this installation every month, the importance of having safe drinking water is mission critical.
"I've been here for two months and we haven't had a single abnormality in the water," said Smith, stationed at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. "Every test has come back clear and free of any bacteria."
Smith explained that his process begins with pulling four bottles at random from every production date. He said he could receive anywhere from up to 60 pallets of bottled water from every production date.
After bottles are randomly pulled, they are taken back to the lab to get tested. Each bottle is labeled and identified by which lot it originated from. With gloves on to prevent contaminating any samples, Smith begins the testing.
He mixes a packet of agar with the water samples to cultivate the growth of any possible bacteria living within the water. The sample is placed into an incubation chamber for 24 hours, and heat is applied to further cultivate potential growth of bacteria.
If a sample tests positive for bacteria or E. coli, the water color will turn from a clear transparency to various tints of yellow.
"Senior Airman Smith runs the most important program on this base," said Capt. Stephanie Harley, the 379th EMDG bioenvironmental engineering element chief. "Without safe drinking water, the base couldn't operate. His efforts have a direct impact on executing the Air Task Orders."
Imagine the impact on the mission if a batch of water contained bacteria or did not meet Air Force standards. Serious illness and significant loss of production would follow.
After each lot of water has been cleared and deemed safe for consumption, Smith marks the pallet of water with a large, yellow 'C'.
Smith's job requires him to be focused and pay attention to detail. With millions of bottles of water being consumed every month, there is no room for error.
He doesn't just test for bacteria within drinking water. He also conducts pH and chlorine testing and led and copper surveillance sampling of all water sources. Random samples are taken from all faucets, restroom trailers, dining facilities and various other locations across the base. Additionally, he tests the water at the swimming pools as well. The water here is guaranteed safe.
