During public water events, ensuring water quality and safety is essential. After heavy rainfall, sewer overflows can raise E.coli levels in canals, posing serious health risks. For more details, see the “Case Studies: Online monitoring and early warning system for bacterial contamination in public surface waters in Breda, the Netherlands”. Here, microLAN’s BACTcontrol provides an effective solution by continuously monitoring E.coli in real-time, integrating rainfall and pump data, and applying advanced AI algorithms for predictive insights.

The strength of BACTcontrol lies in its data visualization and automated alerts. By combining diverse data streams, it offers clear insights into water quality trends. See the attached graph for an example of the correlation we can achieve annually per system compared to the standard MPN method. This highlights BACTcontrol’s value as a reliable indicator of microbiological changes, with (semi)real-time data transmission via a cloud service. When E.coli levels rise, the system sends automatic alerts to authorities and the public, enabling fast response and increasing awareness.

The potential applications go beyond event safety. The BACTcontrol system can also be used for river monitoring, allowing drinking water companies to automatically halt water intake if high levels of E.coli are detected. Additionally, it is ideal for effluent monitoring by automatically activating or deactivating disinfection systems like UV/AOP based on real-time E.coli measurements.

Beyond BACTcontrol, microLAN offers a range of tools to protect our water resources and the environment:

  • Sensors for sewage overflow monitoring using Ponsel and Trios probes
  • The Maxx sampler—the market’s smallest sampler, ideal for lab validation and verification
  • TOXmini for quick lab-based toxicity confirmation in influent samples, with options for continuous monitoring through TOXcontrol
  • Expanding bacteria monitoring capabilities to include event-based sampling, eDNA analysis, and biodiversity assessment via NGS (stay tuned for more)

With AI-driven data integration and predictive algorithms, BACTcontrol and microLAN’s suite of tools are setting new standards in water safety. Together, they enable a proactive approach to maintaining water quality for public health, drinking water, and wastewater treatment.