Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications
Open-source mobile water quality testing platform
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2014
Volume
4
Issue
3
Journal
Journal of Water Sanitation and Hygiene for Development
First Page
532
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.2166/washdev.2014.137
Last Page
537
Abstract
The developing world remains plagued by lack of access to safe drinking water. Although many low-cost methods have been developed to treat contaminated water, low-cost methods for water-quality testing are necessary to determine if these appropriate technologies are needed, effective, and reliable. This paper provides a methodology for the design, development, and technical validation of a low-cost, open-source (OS) water testing platform. A case study is presented where the platform is developed to provide both the colorimetry for biochemical oxygen demand/chemical oxygen demand and nephelometry to measure turbidity using method ISO 7027. This approach resulted in equipment that is as accurate, but costs between 7.5 and 15 times less than current commercially available tools. It is concluded that OS hardware development is a promising solution for the equipment necessary to perform water quality measurements in both developed and developing regions.