Open-source mobile water quality testing platform

International audienceThe 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 water testing platform. A case study is presented where the platform is developed to provide both the colorimetry for BOD/COD and nephalometry 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 open-source hardware development is a promising solution for the equipment necessary to perform water quality measurements in both developed and developing regions