Aquatest Research Programme

In October 2007, after initial European Union funding, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded the University of Bristol a grant to research and develop a user-friendly, low-cost water quality test that can be used on-site in developing country field conditions and to prepare for the future introduction of the test in developing countries.

Our vision is that by 2017, low-cost water testing devices will be widely used in 80 percent of developing countries. The devices will be used by water professionals, community groups and part-time/volunteer supply managers who won't need specialist scientific knowledge to use the test kits or interpret the results.

  • The tester goes into the field and collects 100ml of sample water
  • shaking mixes the selective growth medium with the sample. 
  • a twist of the lid separates it into chambers for incubation.
  • after 24 hours incubation at 37°C, chambers are checked under a handheld UV lamp
  • the number of chambers fluorescing indicates the level of E.coli contamination.
  • once testing is complete, built-in disinfectant is released to ensure safe disposal.
  • The incubator requires a single charge of boiling water.
  • The water melts a phase change material (PCM), storing enough energy for an incubation cycle.
  • E. coli bacteria grow best at around body temperature (37ºC). If the temperature goes too low growth is slow; too high and the bacteria might die.
  • The torch designed using low power UV LEDs shine directly into the chambers
  • design limits the entry of external light into the chambers and maximizes the brightness of UV LEDs by creating a dark-room effect
  • powered by AA batteries which will last for an estimated five years
  • the use of cost-efficient LED illumination also gives the torch a long-term shelf life.
 

Water Quality Reporter (WQR) is a cell phone application for:

  • recording;
  • storing; and
  • transmitting

water test results to a central database

  • users are prompted to enter water quality and other water management information into forms;
  • transmitted to a central database via a low cost mobile data service
  • the cell phone tools allow information to be relayed from a community-based water supply manager to relevant decision makers and support staff.
  • relays information accurately and quickly to facilitate improved drinking water management
 

Pilot scheme

The final stage of the Aquatest research and development process was to take the technology out of the lab and put the device in the hands of the end users.

In November 2011 an extensive pilot scheme began to test c.10,000 devices in the field in partnership with 17 organisations in 16 countries:

  • Water suppliers: Kenya, Vietnam, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Cambodia, Bolivia, S. Africa, Mozambique, Canada
  • Health surveillance agencies: Bolivia, S. Africa, Mozambique, Canada
  • International NGOs and researchers: India, DRC. Somaliland, Bangladesh, Kenya, Ghana

The Aquaya team conducting a landscaping survey to understand:

  • who is responsible for water quality testing;
  • current testing capacity;
  • technologies in use; and
  • constraints to water quality testing.

Following on site training, feedback was obtained on the experience of end-users and institutional managers through semi-structured interviews and direct observation of testing data.

Useful links

Consortium partners

University of Bristol*

Aquaya

Health Protection Agency

Path

University of California

University of Cape Town

University of Southampton

University of Surrey

Other organisations involved

  World Health Organisation

Kinneir Dufort

  Oxfam

Water institute