Key facts
- Molendotech, a University of Plymouth spinout, is launching a water quality app in the UK and US in October.
- The app will use AI to create predictive models for water quality, incorporating data from daily tests, rain flow, and tidal flows.
- Molendotech's existing portable test, Bactiquick, detects harmful bacteria like E. coli in under 15 minutes.
- The company aims to provide real-time water quality risk assessments, contrasting with current slower laboratory methods.
- Recent incidents of water pollution and sewage spills have increased calls for more frequent and rapid water testing.
Molendotech, a spinout from the University of Plymouth, is set to launch a new app in October that will provide live, AI-powered water quality maps for the UK and US. This development comes amid increasing concerns over water pollution and a rise in reported illnesses among swimmers.
The app aims to collate data from Molendotech's rapid bacterial water testing kits, alongside information on rain flow and tidal patterns, to create predictive models. This will offer real-time risk assessments for water users, a significant improvement over current testing methods that can take days for laboratory results.
Simon Jackson, Professor of Environment and Human Health at Plymouth University and Molendotech's Chief Scientific Officer, highlighted the limitations of existing testing regimes, which often test water only weekly and have lengthy turnaround times. Molendotech's portable Bactiquick test, for instance, detects harmful bacteria like E. coli in under 15 minutes, providing a colour-change reaction that is converted into electrical signals and a numerical readout via a smartphone app.
The company's technology has shown discrepancies with official water quality ratings, suggesting that current testing may not accurately reflect the immediate risks. Jackson noted that warming waters due to climate change are also leading to the emergence of bacteria like Vibrio in UK waters, a concern echoed by health officials in Louisiana who recently issued warnings about Vibrio vulnificus infections.
Molendotech has secured significant funding, including £1.4 million in grants and an additional £860,000 from investors, to support its expansion into North America, New Zealand, and Australia. The company is already collaborating with UK water companies and local authorities on trials of its devices.