1. When will Aquatest kits to test drinking water be on sale in my area?
At the moment, the Aquatest device is in the research and development stage and needs more testing, both in the field and in the laboratory against existing standard tests for E. coli. We therefore do not expect that Aquatest kits will be commercially available before 2012. Meanwhile, please visit this web site again to find out how the development of the test is progressing. You can also sign up for our newsletter to be kept informed of our progress.
2. How can I stay informed about progress with the Aquatest device?
Please contact Aquatest for more details. You can also sign up for our newsletter to be kept informed of our progress.
3. I want to help with early trials of the Aquatest device. Can I collaborate with the project?
We welcome collaboration with other organisations. We will be working with a number of Early Adopters partners who will carry out pilot studies in field settings and report back their experiences of using the Aquatest system in 2011-2012. Once those pilots have run, there may be further opportunities for collaboration. Please contact Aquatest for more details.
4. My organisation has developed some technology that could be used for a low-cost water test. Is the Aquatest project interested in hearing about my technology?
Yes, we are interested in hearing about relevant technologies, even technologies that have not been developed through the project and for which the intellectual property rights are held by other organisations. If you would like to bring a technology to the attention of the Aquatest team, please contact Aquatest in the first instance.
There are a number of water tests, but these all have their limitations.
The Aquatest Device, Incubator and UV Torch designs have been finalized and as of 7 April 2011 contracts are in place for manufacturing. We have produced 3,000 devices for June 2011 for a validation study, which we hope will demonstrate that the Aquatest system is reliable and accurate for the detection of E. Coli in drinking water. Assuming the validation confirms that the system meets requirements, we will be shipping devices and associated equipment to a number of international Early Adopter organisations. These Early Adopters will carry out pilot studies in field settings and report back their experiences of using the system.
A cell phone based data management system, known as the Water Quality Reporter, has been in operation since early 2009. The latest phase of software development for the Water Quality Reporter has been finalised after comprehensive testing and feedback from potential users in South Africa.
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.
For further details on these and other developments within the project, see our newsletter pages.