Speed Meets Safety – FluIDect revolutionises water safety with rapid parasite detection and wins “Water Breakthrough Challenge 5”
FluIDect has been selected as one of the winners of Ofwat’s Water Breakthrough Challenge 5, a prestigious UK innovation competition delivered by Challenge Works in partnership with Arup and Isle Utilities.
Together with our project partner Severn Trent Water, one of the UK’s largest water suppliers, we will develop an automated system to detect Cryptosporidium, a chlorine-resistant intestinal parasite that poses a serious threat to water safety and public health.
Cryptosporidium can cause severe gastrointestinal illness and is particularly dangerous for immunocompromised individuals. Due to increasing extreme weather events, oocysts from agricultural areas are more frequently washed into rivers and groundwater. Once in the supply system, the parasite is difficult to eliminate. Even in countries with advanced water infrastructure like United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia, the parasite remains a persistent challenge due to its resistance to conventional disinfection methods and its low infectious dose.
Currently, detecting Cryptosporidium requires complex, manual laboratory analysis, taking up to 48 hours to generate results. In the meantime, contaminated water may already reach customers, potentially triggering boil water notices, damaging public confidence, and costing millions in compensation.
Our innovative solution aims to reduce detection time from days to hours, enabling water utilities to respond more quickly, prevent exposure, and limit the impact of contamination events. The system builds on our SpheroScan Explorer platform – a compact, automated analyser designed for on-site microbial particle detection. By combining advanced optics, microfluidics, and AI-powered analysis, the platform detects and classifies particles based on their size, shape, and optical characteristics, enabling the identification of Cryptosporidium oocysts with high specificity.
This project represents an important step forward in protecting drinking water and improving resilience across the water sector.
To learn more about the winning projects, visit: 👉 www.waterinnovation.challenges.org/news-updates/b5-winners