BactiQuick: Real-time river pollution detection
What is BactiQuick?
BactiQuick is an innovative research project led by the University of Plymouth and MolEndoTech, funded via Innovate UK, which aims to develop a portable, AI-enabled, near real-time test for bacterial pollution in rivers.
Traditional laboratory-based water quality testing can take days; BactiQuick seeks to deliver results in about 15 minutes, allowing rapid detection of contamination on-site. The system couples the test device with AI, flow data, GPS and cloud-based analytics to build a predictive “early warning” model for water quality risk.
The Bidwell Brook is serving as one of the “living laboratories” for this research: researchers are testing, validating and refining the technology under real catchment conditions.
BBP’s Role & Contribution
The Bidwell Brook Partnership (BBP) plays a key supporting role in the BactiQuick project, focused on three main areas:
Monitoring assistance & field sampling: We help coordinate the deployment of sensors and sampling stations, and collaborate in collecting water samples alongside the research team.
Citizen science & community sampling: BBP mobilises local volunteers and residents to take part in citizen-led water sampling, using the BactiQuick kit and standard methods, thus expanding spatial and temporal coverage of the data.
Stakeholder engagement & liaison: We liaise with landowners, farmers, local residents, community groups and other stakeholders in the catchment to explain the project, encourage participation, and facilitate access.
Through these roles, BBP helps ensure that the project is grounded in local knowledge, that sampling captures the diversity of conditions in the catchment, and that results are more likely to translate to local impact.
FIND OUT MORE – UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH
