University of Illinois scientists are developing a way for households to monitor the quality of their drinking water as part of a $5 million National Science Foundation-funded project led by Washington University in St. Louis.

The researchers are designing technology that will test tap water for contaminants collected from point-of-use water filters — such as faucet-mounted or pitcher filters.

The University of Illinois team, which includes Prairie Research Institute and Grainger College of Engineering researchers, was awarded more than $800,000 for the second phase of the project. In total, this collaborative work will develop a coordinated testing and support program for users, as well as a startup or nonprofit to provide these services nationwide.

The new service, called Trusted Tap, particularly aims to support utilities that are dealing with service lines that still contain lead and residents who rely on private wells.

First and foremost, researchers are creating the technology that will make the innovative service possible.

The research team is developing methods to analyze spent water filters to identify contaminants that were trapped on the filters during the filter’s lifespan. Contaminants that will be evaluated include lead, copper, manganese, hexavalent chromium, arsenic, microorganisms, pesticides, and per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, also called PFAS or forever chemicals. All of these are linked to adverse health outcomes and can be found in the environment naturally or due to human activity.  

Steven Wilson, a groundwater hydrologist and principal scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey, is working with a public health team at WashU to create educational materials about Trusted Tap to inform people about the service and empower them to protect their health. Households using Trusted Tap will learn about their drinking water quality and receive recommendations on how to address any issues.

“This approach enhances public health protection by combining treatment with time-averaged monitoring, which helps homeowners better understand their water quality,” Wilson said.

Working with Wilson from Illinois are John Scott, a senior analytical chemist at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, and Helen Nguyen, the Ivan Racheff Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.

What makes the project unique, Nguyen said, is its goal to launch a startup or nonprofit organization that will bring the technology into general use and make Trusted Tap widely available.

“This project is not like any other research project,” she said. “We are being trained to bring our product to market. We get to learn from business coaches and are introduced to business sources that we usually are not familiar with.” 

Nguyen praised the collaborative effort and the close partnership between Illinois and WashU researchers. In addition to the Washington University researchers, the project also includes several external partners, including the Midwest Assistance Program and RCAP Solutions, who are both regional members of the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP); Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma; and the City of Chicago Water Department.

The Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides scientific expertise and transformative research to the people of Illinois and beyond. PRI is home to the five state scientific surveys: the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.