For the first time, water quality can now be assessed in a matter of minutes with the roll-out of new Bacterisk technology from Molendotech.
The University of Plymouth spin-out has developed the technology, which gives an accurate running water quality assessment in the field for the first time, with results available in just 15 minutes. Historically, water quality testing has taken up to 48 hours and required testing in a laboratory. The Bacterisk kit is portable and can be carried in a briefcase, allowing water utilities and other stakeholders to rapidly and accurately assess water quality on the spot.
Bacterisk uses patented endotoxin detection technology, cutting out long waits involved in lab testing as well as avoiding the dangerous practice of growing live bacteria. The new technology also offers more accurate testing than standard methods, which focus on assessing the presence of E.Coli and Enterococci only. Bacterisk technology also capture and inform of the risk other pathogens that cause diseases that are on the rise, such as Weil’s Disease (lepto) and typho (salmonella) plus Vibrius Vulnificus (flesh eating bacteria) in any running water.
The roll-out comes at a time when hospital admissions for waterborne diseases in England are up by 60% [source]. Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, has recently hailed sewage in water “a growing public health problem.”
