Electroanalytical sensing for water networks

Drinking water pipes are getting a new kind of sensor that can sit inside them for months and detect contamination without being pulled out for maintenance. Most water quality monitoring today relies on taking samples to a lab or using sensors that drift out of calibration and need frequent replacement. This project tackles that gap by developing electrochemical sensors that stay stable in drinking water for long periods. The researchers are redesigning the sensor’s shape—its geometry—and the way it is conditioned before use, so it keeps giving accurate readings without human intervention. If this works, water companies could embed these sensors directly into distribution networks and get continuous, real-time data on water chemistry. That would allow them to spot problems—like a lead pipe leaching metal or a treatment failure—far earlier than current spot-checking allows. The technology targets the hidden infrastructure that delivers tap water to millions of homes, making it more resilient without requiring expensive new equipment. The project is applied engineering, not fundamental science. Its success depends on solving practical problems of sensor drift and fouling in real pipe conditions, not on discovering new chemical principles.