Field Testing in Low Resource Areas

 

No labs, electricity or expensive equipment needed

 

 

Microbiological Water Quality Test Kits for Field Testing

Simple

  • Easy for anyone to use with little training
  • Color-change test results easy to interpret
  • No labs, electricity, expensive, complex equipment or cold chain required
  • No media preparation required
  • Small number of simple, light weight, environmentally friendly  components

Flexible

  • Ambient temperature incubation at 25° Celsius and above
  • Works at variable temperatures, constant temperature control not required
  • Robust test designed for field testing in low resource, rural, remote areas
  • Lots of testing options – Presence/Absence and Most Probable Number Kits
  • Used for small projects to large scale surveys

Reliable

  • Rapid, accurate test results for E. coli, Total Coliforms or H2S bacteria
  • Similar test results compared to Gold Standard, more complex methods
  • Ambient temperature test results in 20-48 hours
  • Color change test results easy to identify
  • CBT E. coli MPN test results calculated on Akvo and mWater mobile apps

Cost Effective

  • Removes barriers to field testing where it was previously too expensive
  • Eliminates expensive equipment this is difficult to use and transport
  • Eliminates complex methods that require intensive training and capacity
  • Eliminates costs for lab testing, electricity, cold chain, sample transportation
  • Shelf life of Aquagenx® EC+TC growth medium is two-years

Why Simplicity Matters for Field Testing

Environmentally Friendly Water Quality Test Kits

“We selected the Aquagenx CBT E. coli Kit as our microbiological water quality test after an exhaustive study of available tests. Nothing matches its ease-of-use and reliable quantitative results, or its cost effectiveness, especially for low resource, rural areas.”
Mert Blommestijn

 

“We use the CBT EC+TC Kit because it’s easy to use, accessible and generates precise test results. It is very valuable to us because it does not require specialized equipment for microbial analysis of drinking water and testing can be carried out in the field. We will continue to incorporate the CBT Kit for water quality analysis in all our programs.”
Héctor Castelán

“Aquagenx products offer a balance of high quality information while being easy to use. They have helped both charity: water and our implementing partners understand the impact of our work.”
Anna Murray

“The CBT lets us mobilize resources and make informed decisions very quickly in the face of a disaster. We will continue to use the CBT in other disaster settings because of its ease of use and handling, low cost and efficiency.” Jay Matta

“WaterAid’s use of the Aquagenx CBT Kit in the Asia and Pacific regions has been very successful and has greatly improved WaterAid’s water quality monitoring capacity. Our staff and partners like the simplicity of the CBT Kit and the fact that anyone can undertake E. coli testing with very basic training and capacity.”
Tim Davis

The CBT’s speed, convenience and quantitative test results add value to water quality investigations and validate projects and programs, It is simple to use on-site in remote locations, and its color-change test results are an excellent way of raising water quality awareness for local communities.”
Stuart Bryan

“Being able to perform our own reliable quantitative testing saved our organization time and money. We will continue to use the CBT because we routinely test water sources for the presence of E. coli, and we now prefer to have a clear, quantitative understanding of the magnitude of fecal contamination.”
Ted Barlow

“Having no prior training or knowledge of these kinds of water quality tests or the methodology behind results evaluation, our teams found the Aquagenx testing equipment to be very user-friendly. Using the educational materials provided by Aquagenx, we have been able to deliver the test results to our clients in a simple, direct and easy to understand fashion. Aquagenx products are easy for our team to use, and the results are fast and easily deliverable to our clients. Additionally, the professionalism and personalized care with which representatives from Aquagenx have shown in working with our team are second to none.”
Stephen Libbey

“A major advantage of the CBT Kit is many of our volunteers test stream sites that are not near the lab. We have a system of runners who meet volunteers and bring samples to the lab. The CBT Kit eliminates the need for runners delivering samples to the lab to meet bacteria holding times. Another big advantage is cost. The CBT Kit cost per test is half or less than half the cost of lab testing.”
Karen Schaffer