RESEARCH
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Aquafor is proud to partner with Del Agua for all water testing. More information about Del Agua's program and our alliance can be found below.
Del Agua has been at the forefront of research in water quality for 30 years. In partnership with universities and other research organisations they provide practical solutions that help to improve people's lives.
QUICKTEST
An accurate microbial detection system that works in under 15 minutes.
REMOTE REPORTING
Real time reporting from the field using GPS data-logging.
REMOTE REPORTING
PROBLEM
Obtaining accurate and timely information from equipment in the field can require considerable resource. One such situation concerns Del Agua's Rwanda project where the use of new water filters and cookstoves in rural villages has to be closely monitored but there are many other examples where water testing kits and other equipment are being used.
SOLUTION
Working with Del Agua's partners at the SWEETLab at Portland State University, SWEETSense™ technology can provide objective, quantitative and continuous operational data on the usage and performance of equipment in a variety of situations. The data are then directly integrated into SWEETData™, an internet database presenting summary statistics on performance and usage of the monitored technologies to front-end users. Rather than infrequent engagement, such remote monitoring systems ensure that community partnerships are maintained through continuous monitoring. This approach seeks to raise the quality and accountability of these projects internationally.
APPLICATION
Aquafor is applying this technology to its Water Testing Kits to audit their use in the field, record real time data and map positioning. This technology also provides accurate data to prove adoption and usage of equipment in Del Agua's Programme in Rwanda.
QUICKTEST
PROBLEM
Current water testing technologies to identify bacterial contamination in water supplies, including our own market leading test kit, are generally time consuming (up to 24 hours or more) and require skilled operators. From end user feedback Del Agua identified the need for a rapid microbial tester (less than 1 hour) capable of detecting species or even strains of bacteria and which would be user friendly enough to be used by unskilled persons in the field.
SOLUTION
In collaboration with the University of Surrey Del Agua started development of Quick-Test in 2011. The aim is to identify one colony forming unit of bacteria in 100ml of water sample. The technology behind Quick-Test has far wider application beyond water testing. It can be adapted to satisfy the testing requirements of many industries that have a need to identify and quantify bacterial contamination to a species or even strain level. Del Agua's project is co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board.
