SCC-IRG Track 1: Community Based Approach to Address Contaminants in Drinking Water using Smart Cloud-Connected Electrochemical Sensors

National Science Foundation Award Number: 2230180

Clean and safe water is a basic necessity for a community to survive and thrive. However, millions of people are exposed to unsafe levels of drinking water contaminants such as lead, arsenic, copper, and ubiquitous “forever chemicals” such as per– and polyfluroalkyl substances (PFAS). Despite strict regulations, and well-established laboratory methods for detecting these widespread and persistent contaminants, these pollutants sometimes go undetected because of infrequent sampling and testing.

In this Smart and Connected Communities transdisciplinary project, engineers, computer scientists, and social scientists from the University of Massachusetts Lowell will work closely with community stakeholders (residents, neighborhood groups, nonprofits, drinking water utilities, regulatory agencies, and elected leaders) to pilot a smart Internet of Things (IoT) enabled water-quality monitoring and alert system in several socio-economically diverse communities of Massachusetts. 

Principal Investigator: Pradeep Kurup (Civil & Environmental Engineering)​

Co-Principal Investigators: Mohammad Alam (Computer Science), Benyuan Liu (Computer Science), Teresa Gonzales (Sociology), Ramaswamy Nagarajan (Plastics Engineering)

Senior Personnel: Robin Toof (Community Research & Engagement), Xiaoqi Zhang (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Yu Cao (Computer Science), Jill Lohmeier (Education)

Margaret Martonosi's Speaks at the NSF SCC-IRG Kick-off Meeting

  • Margaret Martonosi explains what this project is about and how important it is.