AQUATEST project

Stephen Gundry

Water and Environmental Management Research Centre

University of Bristol

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

Community water supply……

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

…looks murky…what about quality?

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

…but tastes good……

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

Millennium Development Goals Water Target:

Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by 2015

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

MDG #7 – progress report

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

MDG #7 – progress report

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

MDG #7 - Definitions Access to safe drinking water is

estimated by the percentage of the population using improved drinking water sources:

Household connection Public standpipe Borehole Protected dug well Protected spring Rainwater collection

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

AQUATEST Preparatory study to establish:

needs technological feasibility funding requirements

12 months analysis (18 month contract) Mid-2007: full R&D proposal Funding Euro 446,000 by European Union

under FP6:Global change and Ecosystems 13 participants (Europe 6; USA 3; Africa 3

and WHO)

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

Participants Europe

UK: University of Bristol (Coordinator), University of Southampton and University of Surrey

Eire: Royal College of Surgeons Ireland France: Chemunex SA

Developing countries South Africa: University of Cape Town and CSIR

Environmentek Zimbabwe: Institute of Water & Sanitation Development

Third countries and international organisations USA: University of North Carolina, AQUAYA Institute and

MIT World Health Organization Oxfam

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

University of Bristol WEMRC / Engineering Management

Stephen Gundry Chemistry

Prof Tony Davis FRPERC

Steve James Policy Studies

Prof Dave Gordon Computer Science

Walterio Mayol-Cuevas

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

What is it for?

Monitoring Risk assessment and response Measuring MDG progress Ad-hoc surveys (inc disasters)

People power ! Communities take responsibility Households react: better HWTS Hygiene educational benefit

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

What is currently available? Static laboratories

Expensive equipment, consumables and high calibre staff

Long chain to get samples from field Field labs / portable labs

Much cheaper, but also trained staff Disposable tests

Presence/absence by H2S Others – expensive

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

What do we want to provide? Low cost

Target price: USD 0.10 per test Low skill

Zero training e.g. home pregnancy test Better than P/A

Not full enumeration of E. coli Bands of water quality: ‘traffic light’

Links Water Safety Plans Risk monitoring systems not compliance

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

Who will use it?

Professionals Environmental health officers W&S commissioning engineers Survey technicians (disasters)

Water consumers Non-specialist staff (e.g. clinic nurse) Community leaders Householders

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

When? Mid-2007 Preparatory study complete End-2007 Full R&D funding End-2008 Complete prototype design

and lab tests 2009 Beta test in field End 2009 Evaluation and design

modifications 2010 Limited product availability 2011 Full product availability and

local manufacturing support

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

www.aquatest-research.org

Website now online Not-for-profit organisation, BUT Follow on water diagnostic products,

which may have commercial applications: Advanced technology version Other contaminant testing Biodiversity index

IAS Water Workshop October 2006

The Lancet 2006; 368:1212

Editorial:

“It is dangerously short sighted to pour immense time and resources into vaccinating children only for them to die a few years later from diarrhoeal illnesses.”