Studies have shown that not all water sources classified as “improved” produce water that is free from faecal contamination, the case is worse for unimproved sources. To ascertain that water is safe, tests need to be done. Water quality tests that are easy, faster to use and cheap are being advocated for worldwide.
Ulster University, UK, (under the Safewater Translate project) developed an Internet of Things (IoT) water quality testing device that is simple to use, effectively autonomous, can detect the presence of indicator organisms (E. coli) and communicate the results via mobile signal. The project aimed to investigate the performance of the device in a field set up and compare the results to standard methods for E. coli enumeration. It also aimed to investigate different pathways to commercialisation of the technology including social economy and for-profit approaches. In Malawi, the device was piloted in Thyolo and Mulanje and the study ran from March 2020 to March 2022.
The Safewater Translate
March 2020 – March 2022Ulster University, UK, (under the Safewater Translate project) developed an Internet of Things (IoT) water quality testing device that is simple to use, effectively autonomous, can detect the presence of indicator organisms (E. coli) and communicate the results via mobile signal. The project aimed to investigate the performance of the device in a field set up and compare the results to standard methods for E. coli enumeration. It also aimed to investigate different pathways to commercialisation of the technology including social economy and for-profit approaches. In Malawi, the device was piloted in Thyolo and Mulanje and the study ran from March 2020 to March 2022.
Publication from this Project
Work conducted under the Safewater Translate project has contributed to the following peer-reviewed publication:
Pichel, N., Hymno de Souza, F., Sabogal-Paz, L.P., Shah, P.K., Adhikari, N., Pandey, S., Shrestha, B.M., Gaihre, S., Pineda-Marulanda, D.A., Hincapie, M., Luwe, K., Kumwenda, S., Aguilar-Conde, J.C., Cortes, M.A.L.R.M., Hamilton, J.W.J., Byrne, J.A., & Fernandez-Ibanez, P. (2023). Field-testing solutions for drinking water quality monitoring in low- and middle-income regions and case studies from Latin American, African and Asian countries. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 11, 111180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2023.111180
Funding
The project received funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
