When we clean water with chlorine, it can react with natural gunk to create hidden chemical leftovers that might hurt our health. Imagine a smart alarm system that spots these chemicals in real-time and a high-tech filter that scrubs them out. It's like adding a sophisticated security camera and a better air purifier to the city's water pipes.
Water utilities struggle with chemical byproducts formed during disinfection, which can cause liver and neurotoxicity. Current monitoring is often too slow or inaccurate to prevent these contaminants from reaching citizens.
A mid-infrared optical sensing system and a web-based placement tool called DBPFinder. They also built a pilot-scale water treatment unit and a Digital Central Knowledge Base.
If you are a municipal water provider dealing with fluctuating water quality due to extreme weather — this project developed a predictive sensing infrastructure and the DBPFinder platform that optimizes where to place sensors in the distribution system.
If you are a sensor manufacturer dealing with the slow speed of lab tests — this project developed mid-infrared optical sensing technology that detects chemical byproducts in water quickly and accurately.
If you are an engineering firm dealing with the need to remove unregulated contaminants — this project developed a pilot-scale water treatment unit and optimized results for removing disinfection byproducts.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the project objective was to develop cost-effective monitoring devices.
Yes, the project developed a pilot-scale water treatment unit and deployed sensing devices within the Águas de Coimbra drinking water distribution system.
Based on available project data, the specific licensing terms are not listed, but the results are managed through a Digital Central Knowledge Base designed for operators and regulators.
Yes, the project compared international practices and EU directives to help draw new policy responses and guidance for managing drinking water quality.
Based on available project data, the project period ran from 2022-11-01 to 2025-10-31 to develop and optimize these tools.
The project features a strong commercial orientation with a 33% industry ratio, including 6 industrial partners and 4 SMEs. With 18 partners across 10 countries, the consortium balances academic research (8 universities) with practical application, ensuring that the developed sensors and treatment units are grounded in real-world utility needs.
Contact Universidade de Coimbra for details on the DBPFinder platform and sensing prototypes.
Contact us to connect with the H2OforAll consortium for technology licensing.
