WHEN IS A DETAILED ASSESSMENT REQUIRED
A Detailed Assessment is typically required where there is a known meth problem, and there are clear indicators of contamination or where formal action may be required, including situations such as:
- Police involvement, or where methamphetamine paraphernalia is found onsite, indicating possible manufacture or heavy use
- A local council has issued a cleansing or remediation order and has requested a Detailed Assessment
- A Screening Assessment has identified elevated methamphetamine levels, requiring further testing to determine the specific areas affected within the property
DETAILED ASSESSMENT SERVICE TYPE & PURPOSE
A Detailed Assessment is undertaken when there is a need to quantify the presence and distribution of meth contamination at a property AND to make a determination under the regulatory requirements associated with the Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations 2026 as to whether or not a property is contaminated AND to identify what decontamination is required.
This is a Pre-Decontamination Assessment. The Pre-Decontamination Assessment Report is used to support the decontamination process.
If decontamination is required, a further Detailed Assessment is taken after completion of decontamination works.
This is a Post-Decontamination Assessment. The Post Decontamination Assessment Report is used to either support completion of additional decontamination work or, under the provisions of NZS8510:2017, support issuance of a Certificate of Clearance by the decontamination contractor that undertook the work.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
What constitutes a Detailed Assessment is defined in NZS8510:2017.
At the Pre-Decontamination stage, the key focus is determining distribution of meth through the property on surfaces most likely to be contaminated. In this way, meth residues requiring decontamination are more likely to be identified.
At the Post-Decontamination stage, the key focus is determining distribution of meth through the property on surfaces most likely to REMAIN contaminated. In this way, results that increase confidence in the effectiveness decontamination are more likely to be obtained.
The Certificate of Clearance referenced in NZS8510:2017 is in effect a quality assurance statement by the decontamination contractor, that the quality cleaning completed in the areas sampled in a Post-Decontamination Assessment is representative of cleaning undertaken elsewhere in the use area from which the sample was taken. This means confidence can be high that the results of testing on the surfaces sampled are reflective of the meth status on surfaces which WERE NOT sampled.
OUR PROCESS
Individual (discrete) samples are taken from all use areas within the property including bedrooms, kitchen, lounge, hallway, bathroom, laundry and other living spaces, including garage and other outbuildings, as well as limited use areas such as roof cavities and crawl spaces under the house.
Samples are sent to the laboratory analysed individually. Results can be directly compared to reference levels. Distribution of meth residues are understood and determinations regarding contamination can be reached.
Sampling follows the NIOSH 9111 sampling technique, aligned with NZS8510 and the regulatory requirements associated with the Residential Tenancies (Managing Methamphetamine Contamination) Regulations 2026.
Minimum sample numbers are determined by the using the framework of decision making included in NZS8510:2017. Numbers are calculated on the number and size of use areas and the types of materials present.
SERVICE STANDARDS AND PRICE
We generally get on site not later than 48 hours after a booking is confirmed.
Detailed reports including results, determinations regarding the contamination status of the property and recommendations for next steps are typically provided within 48 hours of receipt by the laboratory. Each property is different and costs are determined by the size of the property, the number of buildings on the property and the size and number of use areas in each building and the materials present.