Teagasc to take part in €9m project to improve safety of drinking water
The research will be led by Prof Paul Hunter from the university’s medical school. Consortium partners include small businesses, industries, universities, and research institutes. The project is funded by the EU’s Framework Programme 7.
Prof Hunter said: “Although most European countries are fortunate to have some of the safest drinking water in the world, outbreaks of disease do still occur each year. With current technologies, it can take two or more days to identify infectious risks in drinking water and by then the affected water is likely to have been consumed.
“This project will develop more rapid methods so that problems can be identified earlier. It will prevent people becoming sick by stopping them drinking contaminated water.”
Teagasc will lead a work package as part of this project that focuses on utilising the technologies developed as part of the Aquavalens project to test the safety of water used in irrigation supplies for ready-to-eat produce, in food processing, and in the bottled water industry.
Teagasc will work with Irish-based SME City Analysts, as well as partners across Europe. Kaye Burgess, of the Teagasc Food Research Centre in Ashtown, will lead the work package on behalf of Teagasc along with her colleague Karl Richards, Teagasc, Johnstown Castle.
Around 330,000 cases of water-related disease such as E.coli and the norovirus are reported every year in Europe, according to WHO stats. From 2000 to 2007, there were 354 outbreaks of waterborne diseases across 14 countries.
The five-year Aquavalens project will develop and apply more rapid methods of detecting viruses, bacteria, and parasites in water. Scientists, engineers, policymakers, and public health practitioners from 39 organisations in 13 countries will come together to launch the project in Sestri Levante, Italy.
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