BactoSense, our sustainable solution for groundwater analysis
Did you know that only 3% of the water on our planet is freshwater? With climate change, this precious resource will become even scarcer in the future. In our vision for sustainable management of water, bNovate joined the mission of World Water Day to raise awareness on this critical issue.
With groundwater accounting for almost the entire freshwater available on Earth, it’s essential to understand this resource. Lying beneath our feet, groundwater is a hidden resource that nourishes our lives. Its importance is increasing as climate change intensifies – this is one of the reasons for choosing groundwater as the United Nations’ World Water Day theme in 2022.
Why is groundwater monitoring essential for the future?
"Urbanization and the rising frequency of extreme weather events are putting even greater pressure on water resources, with often disastrous effects for water quality due to increased microbial pollution. Continuous monitoring of the microbiological quality of the water from the catchment to the consumer is therefore critical to ensuring its safety. Clearly, automated and online monitoring of microbiological parameters is a key development in the Drinking Water Industry", declares Dr. Luigino Grasso, CTO at bNovate.
As humanity adapts to climate change and its effect on our lives, we need to find reliable ways to tackle water, among other matters. IWRA (International Water Resources Association) highlights this issue in one of its recent policy briefs*:
"Monitoring networks and models are crucial for understanding hydrological and hydrogeochemical processes related to groundwater quality. Groundwater systems are both seen and unseen, requiring substantial efforts to map, monitor, and model. Policymakers and other decision-makers, many of whom are not water experts or engineers, must acknowledge this urgent reality, enable and promote monitoring."
At bNovate, we created with BactoSense a unique solution combining flow cytometry technology and continuous, online monitoring of bacteria in water. This environmental-friendly innovation for safe water has been awarded the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label, which recognizes solutions that protect the environment while also being profitable.
Online, automated monitoring of bacteria in water
BactoSense is an innovative mobile lab for water samples and an excellent instrument for monitoring changes in groundwater. With the unique combination of online monitoring of water and high sensitivity to microbial pollution in real-time, our customers benefit from reliable, continuous surveillance of the water – even from a distance.
BactoSense can increase the efficiency of groundwater extraction with its online 24/7 monitoring of water as well as its high sensitivity to accurately detect bacteria in water.
Using the award-winning BactoSense, our customers can better comprehend the microbiome from the extraction point.
In addition, they detect microbiological pollutants in real-time and respond promptly – at the right moment, and in the right way. Thus, more existing groundwater is used without wasting this valuable resource.
BactoSense enables multi-barrier mitigation of microbiome pollution as well as quick response (e.g., shutting down the well). As a result, companies that use BactoSense can influence groundwater extraction and improve their operations, sustainably and profitably.
"BactoSense is a good measuring instrument that we have been using for two years. BactoSense enabled us to learn a lot about our groundwater aquifers and it has allowed us to move the new well / pump sites to an even better location (hydro-geologically better). The groundwater quality is safely and reliably monitored."
Bruno Burkhalter, Process Engineer, WVRB (Water Supply Bern, Switzerland)
"We have been using several BactoSense for the last 5 years in our groundwater wells at IWB. In addition to having our water monitored continuously and reliably, we like the instruments as they are easy to use and need very little maintenance. We plan to equip further extraction points with a BactoSense."
Pascal Brand, Head Inspection and Online Analytics, IWB (Basel Industrial Works, Switzerland)