A British company plans to launch an app with data on water quality
Molendotech, a British company founded at the University of Plymouth, plans to launch an app providing water quality data in the United Kingdom and the United States in October. The service will collect results from daily tests for E. coli and other bacteria, as well as take into account rainwater runoff and tides to create predictive models using artificial intelligence, according to The Guardian.
Molendotech manufactures the Bactiquick portable test, which detects Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli, Pseudomonas, Legionella, and Salmonella. The device analyzes endotoxin—a molecule released when bacteria break down—and delivers a result in less than 15 minutes. According to Molendotech’s Chief Scientific Officer, Simon Jackson, a standard laboratory test typically takes 24 to 48 hours.
The test works with a smartphone app that uses a traffic-light system to indicate the risk level. A green signal indicates a low risk of using the water, while yellow and red warn of bacterial levels exceeding water quality thresholds in the UK and the EU.
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According to Jackson, the device allows for repeated tests within a single day and provides results in real time. He noted that Bactiquick’s results sometimes differed from official beach assessments, as standard tests can be conducted at most once a week. Specifically, in July 2025, the device rated the water at Saltden Beach in Sussex as high-risk, while the Environmental Protection Agency gave the beach an “excellent” rating.
Molendotech was founded in 2018. The company collaborates with British water companies, local authorities, and councils that test its equipment. It has also raised 860,000 pounds from investors to expand into North America, New Zealand, and Australia; the total amount of investment raised has reached 2.4 million pounds.
