Your questions
The Aquatest Research programme
At what stage is the Aquatest Research programme?
The main area of our work focused on the development of the Aquatest device - a low-cost, simple-to-use test for water quality and, more specifically, on the engineering design, together with the microbiological and chemical aspects of the test.
The project has also made substantial advances in knowledge and learning in the field of water testing with for example colleagues at PATH producing market research reports on the potential opportunities for Aquatest in India and South Africa. In other research strands, the University of Southampton produced a systematic review of the H2S test, and colleagues at the University of North Carolina are conducting research to understand the policies, standards, and regulations related to drinking-water quality monitoring, as well as the costs associated with implementing monitoring programs and the impacts or outcomes of monitoring programs.
Following successful Early Adopter field pilots, we are now in the exciting phase of commercialising the test and researching ways of promoting its use. We are also looking at the impact of water testing on behaviour and health and how test results can be reported and acted upon.
For further details on these and other developments within the project, see our newsletter page.
The Aquatest system
What are the benefits of the Aquatest system
Aquatest is a creative application of proven traditional methods that have been used to measure drinking water quality for many years. The design removes many of the steps and complexity associated with traditional methods thus saving time, ensuring a simple user experience, and reducing likelihood of errors due to contamination. Clear test results make it straightforward to distinguish between high risk and low risk water sources which is an important benefit in many low-income settings.
Aquatest is not yet available, how can I test water quality?
There are a number of water tests, but these all have their limitations.
- Some readily available water tests include H2S. However there are concerns with the reliability of H2S and it is not recommended by WHO. (ref WHO document) H2S often gives false positive results
- The DelAgua water testing kit, developed at the Robens Institute at the University of Surrey
- Colilert
- Bluewater Biosciences.
Early Adopter Pilots
What are the initial findngs of the Early Adopter field pilots?
Preliminary feedback on the Aquatest system from Early Adopter partners in seven countries suggests demand for new microbial water quality testing tool from a range of water sector institutions, including professional urban water utilities, surveillance agencies and community water associations.
The key findings include:
- Entities have budgets for water quality monitoring, including Non-governmental Organisations, Government supported programs targeted at nationwide capacity building and Water utilities
- Some entities spend significant amounts on testing
- Current testing is centralised and costly which limits testing capability and coverage
- Some municipal suppliers provide treated water yet do not currently have the capacity to monitor water quality.
Is it possible to still get involved in the Early Adopter field pilots?
Unfortunately, the window of opportunity to participate in the Aquatest field pilots has closed. However, we welcome collaboration with other organisations and once the results of the pilot studies have been fully reported back and assessed there may be further opportunities for collaboration. Please contact Aquatest for more details.
Commercialisation
What plans are there to commercialise the production of the Aquatest device?
The Aquatest team are actively seeking strategic partnerships with organisations with capabilities to take the Aquatest system to market and to fulfil ‘Global’ Access’ terms required by the BMGF through quantity, cost and applicability.
These relationships can take the form of IP licensing agreements, corporate partnerships, joint ventures, and corporate/private funding investments. Aquatest encourages interested potential investors to contact Sue Sundstrom, Head of Research Commercialisation regarding a potential business opportunity to determine if a strategic fit exists.
What are the assessment criterian for potential partners?
- Financial Strength
- Management of growth and acquisitions
- Position of water testing in their business
- Presence in global access countries
- Strategic partnerships and funding
- Operational and distribution capability
- Manufacturing capability (actual and sourced)
The future
How can I stay informed about progress with the Aquatest device?
If you have a specific query about the availability of the Aquatest system contact Aquatest for more details.