by A new technology to detect harmful insects in public water supplies is a “very significant improvement” over existing systems, scientists have announced.
Researchers at Heriot-Watt University have developed a new system for detecting waterborne pathogens which they say has a success rate of more than 70%, compared to an industry standard of 30%.
They said the system, which is undergoing performance testing at a “major UK water company”, will reduce the likelihood and severity of contamination incidents such as the Cryptosporidium outbreak in Devon earlier this year.
The outbreak saw around 17,000 households and businesses in Brixham town ordered to boil their drinking water and numerous cases of illness reported.
The researchers also pointed to figures showing that the number of cryptosporidia-related illnesses in the UK is increasing every year, with several thousand cases linked to the microscopic parasite occurring in the UK each year.
Project leader Professor Helen Bridle said: “People across the UK are very concerned about possible contamination of public water systems: incidents like the one in Devon show the serious impact they can have on people’s lives and livelihoods.”
“Our system has significantly improved the detection rates of harmful insects in water, so this technology will be much more effective at preventing disease and economic loss in the future.”
Water companies routinely monitor water quality, but the scientists said the “different approach” of their monitoring system had allowed them to perform “significantly better.”
The team is in the process of creating a spin-out company called Aquazoa to bring the new system to market. Commercialization is expected to take place in early 2026.
The company has secured high-growth spin-out funding from Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s national economic development agency.
