Step-by-step user manual

Portal layout & menus

How the portal is organized after you sign in, and where to find each major area.

1. Left navigation. After login, the vertical menu on the left lists Home, Sample Status, Downloadable Forms, Invoices, and Payment Receipts. Click any item to open that section.
2. Top bar. Your name appears on the right. Open the avatar menu for Logout. If you are an administrator, Accounts also appears here.
3. Friendly URLs. The site uses short paths such as /home, /status, /sources, /invoices, and /receipts.

Tip: Resize or collapse the sidebar using the hamburger control on smaller screens so tables and forms stay readable.

Signing in & account access

Create an account, sign in, and recover access if you forget your password.

1. Log in. Open /login. Enter your email and password, then use Log in. Press Enter in either field to submit, same as clicking the button.
2. New registration. If self-registration is enabled, open /register, enter your name, email, and password twice, then complete sign up. Use the link back to login when finished.
3. Forgot password. On the login page, choose “Forgot your password?” to start the reset flow (/resetpassword). Follow the email instructions to set a new password.
4. Email validation. If your workflow uses email verification, use the validation link sent to your inbox (paths like /validate) before full access.

Tip: Keep your portal password unique and do not share it. Log out from the avatar menu when using a shared computer.

Disclaimer (first visit)

Some accounts must accept terms before using the rest of the portal.

1. Automatic redirect. If your profile has not recorded acceptance yet, you are redirected to the disclaimer instead of Home.
2. Accept. Read the text, choose the agree option, and submit. You are then sent to /home.

Tip: If you believe you already accepted terms but still see the disclaimer, contact your lab administrator to confirm your account flag.

Home — documents dashboard

View chain-of-custody records and laboratory result certificates in sortable tables.

1. Account and address header. The top card shows company name, contact name, and address for the active customer context.
2. Multiple accounts (if applicable). If your user is linked to more than one customer, use the Accounts dropdown to switch company. The page reloads with that account’s data.
3. Water source filter. Use the Water Sources dropdown to limit rows to one source or ALL. Your choice is kept while you move between pages until you change it.
4. Generated chain of custodies. The first table lists reference numbers, dates, water source, and actions. Use table controls to sort or search as provided.
5. Laboratory result certificates. The second table lists certificates with reference, source, dates, and actions to open PDFs where available.

Tip: Actions that open PDFs rely on documents uploaded for your account. If a file is missing, you may see an error—contact support with the reference number.

Sample Status

Track the status of samples with the same account and water-source filters as Home.

1. Open the page. From the left menu, click Sample Status (/status).
2. Filter context. Switch account (multi-customer users) and water source the same way as on Home so the table matches the site you are reviewing.
3. Review the grid. Use the data table to find samples, dates, and status columns. Sort and search using the table header and search box if present.

Tip: Changing water source on this page updates your session filter for other areas that respect the same setting.

Downloadable Forms

Download pre-filled or standard forms (for example drinking water, wastewater, Legionella, or custom) per water source.

1. Navigate. Choose Downloadable Forms in the sidebar (/sources).
2. Pick source and type. Select the correct water source and document type required by your regulator or sampling plan (e.g. DW, WW, LEGO, FD, or CUSTOM as offered).
3. Generate or download. Submit the form request. The portal builds or retrieves the PDF and opens or downloads it depending on your browser.

Tip: CUSTOM forms may pull the latest file from the lab’s file service for that source. If generation fails, verify the source ID and try again or contact the lab.

Invoices

Review open and paid invoices. Sensitive billing views require your PIN first.

1. PIN verification. When you open Invoices (/invoices), enter the PIN on file for your portal user. Verification unlocks the page for a timed session (about 15 minutes).
2. Session timeout. When the session expires, you must enter the PIN again. Invalid PINs show an error until the correct code is used.
3. Summary cards. Amount Due and Sampled Pending summarize payable totals and pending samples for the selected customer context.
4. Tabs: For payment vs Paid. Switch tabs to see invoices that still need payment versus history that is paid.
5. Select and pay. In the open tab, select the invoice rows you want to pay, then use Initiate Payment to continue to the card payment screen.

Tip: If you never received a PIN, ask your laboratory administrator to set or reset your portal PIN.

Card payment

Complete payment for selected invoices with card details on a secure entry form.

1. Arrive from invoices. You reach /payment only after choosing invoices and submitting Initiate Payment with a valid CSRF token.
2. Review amount. The total due is calculated from your selection and passed securely to the payment form.
3. Enter card details. Fill card number (masked as you type), name on card, expiry, and CVV as prompted. Submit using the on-screen payment button.
4. Confirmation. Watch for success or error messages at the top of the page. Keep a record of confirmation for your accounting team.

Tip: Never save card data in screenshots or email. Use official receipts from Payment Receipts after the payment posts.

Payment Receipts

List and download receipts for payments, protected by the same style of PIN as invoices.

1. PIN. Open Payment Receipts (/receipts) and enter your PIN. The session timing matches the invoice flow.
2. Account and filters. Use the same account switcher and water source filters as elsewhere so receipts match the entity you are auditing.
3. Table actions. Locate a payment in the grid and use the provided action to view or download the receipt document.

Tip: For finance reconciliation, export or print receipts per period after filtering to the correct water source or ALL.

Opening PDFs & certificates

How chain-of-custody, lab certificates, and invoice-related PDFs are opened from the portal.

1. In-table actions. From Home, Sample Status, or other grids, use the Action column to open the linked PDF. Your browser or a new tab displays the file.
2. Document handler. Technical requests may use /doc with server-side validation so only your customer’s files are returned.
3. Missing file. A “file not found” message means the PDF is not on the server path for that customer and document type. Note the reference and contact the lab.

Tip: Allow pop-ups for the portal domain if PDFs open in a blocked window.

Administrator — Accounts

For internal users flagged as admin in the database.

1. Open Accounts. From the avatar menu, choose Accounts (/accounts). Non-admin users are redirected to Home.
2. Manage users. Review the accounts table. Use Add Account (/account_create) or edit/view flows as presented to maintain portal users.

Tip: Admin tasks affect live login access—coordinate changes with your security policy.