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Press Release: New method offers rapid monitoring of contamination in drinking water

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12th October 2021: Scientists have developed a reliable new method to monitor the risk of contamination in drinking water which gives immediate results, enabling global communities to respond rapidly and help reduce their exposure to waterborne diseases.

Drinking water contaminated with human and animal faeces is consumed by at least two billion people worldwide. This pollution is responsible for outbreaks of waterborne diseases that remain common, even in high-income countries.

For decades, standard approaches to test water supplies have used bacteriological indicators of faecal contamination, most commonly thermotolerant coliform bacteria known as TTCs. Analysis of these indicators requires use of sterile equipment and culturing techniques, which practically limit the frequency of water sampling so that contamination events can be missed. Time lags of 1 or 2 days before results are returned mean that people can already have been exposed to the faecal contamination.

A new study, published this week in Water Research by a collaborative team from Makerere University, the British Geological Survey, and University College London, shows how a technique exploiting the fluorescent properties of microbiological materials in water provides an easy-to-use method to test for faecal contamination.

Co-author Jacintha Nayebare, PhD student at Makerere University said, “In-situ fluorescence spectroscopy provides an instantaneous assessment of faecal contamination allowing rapid feedback to consumers that could reduce exposure of consumers to faecally contaminated drinking water.”

The team examined changes in water quality over a 14-month period from 40 sources supplied by groundwater in Lukaya Town of south-central Uganda. The results show not only that in-situ fluorescence provides an instantaneous measure of faecal contamination but also that it is a more reliable measure of the risk of faecal contamination than TTCs.

Co-author, Dr. Robinah Kulabako from Makerere University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering said, “this rapid, robust method of monitoring the risk posed by faecal contamination has enormous implications in Uganda not only for untreated water sources such as wells and springs thereby, enabling communities to respond rapidly to contamination events but also for low-cost, continuous monitoring of piped water supplies.”  

This research builds upon field studies conducted by the team in a network of urban observatories in Senegal, Kenya and Uganda under the AfriWatSan project, supported by The Royal Society and DFID, as well as research in the UK, India, and Zambia funded by Natural Environment Research Council.

Lead-author, James Sorensen from the BGS and UCL said: “the ability to test in-situ fluorescence as an indicator of faecal contamination risk in a wide range of environments and conditions has greatly improved both the evidence base for this method of water quality monitoring and our understanding of what fluorescence observed in water means.”

Use of inline fluorimeter to test the quality of a municipal piped water supply from a Chalk aquifer in southern England.
Use of inline fluorimeter to test the quality of a municipal piped water supply from a Chalk aquifer in southern England.

Mark Wamai

Engineering, Art & Tech

Uganda Engineering Sector Takes Bold Steps toward Reform and Collaboration

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Makerere University’s School of Engineering is leading a transformative initiative to reshape Uganda’s engineering landscape through legislative engagement, academic collaboration, and industry integration.

The School, headed by Prof. Dorothy Okello, at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), recently presented a comprehensive memorandum to Parliament on the proposed Engineering Professionals Bill 2024. The document, developed through extensive consultations with academia and industry, reflects the collective voice of Uganda’s engineering stakeholders.

Following the submission, a high-level meeting was convened on Thursday, July 3rd, 2025 at Makerere University’s CEDAT Boardroom. The gathering brought together officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport, university deans, and representatives from the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) to address key recommendations and matters arising from the parliamentary presentation. The Deans of Various Engineering Schools that were at the meeting included the Universities of Gulu, Muni, Busitema, Kyambogo, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda Christian University, together with the host, Makerere.

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Alex Isemaghendera

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Engineering, Art & Tech

CEDAT and KOICA Partner to Advance E-Learning at Makerere University

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A selection of the newly installed micro studio equipment on display during the official handover ceremony held at CEDAT on Wednesday, 25th June 2025.

The College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) at Makerere University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Project Management Committee of the “Enhancing the Distance Education Environment at Makerere University” initiative. This agreement formalizes the operational and managerial framework for the newly installed micro studio at CEDAT, aimed at strengthening the university’s digital learning infrastructure.

Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule, Deputy Principal of CEDAT, signed on behalf of the college, while Dr. Shon JinGon, Project Manager at the Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS), represented the implementing partner during an event held on Wednesday, 25th June 2025.

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Alex Isemaghendera

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Engineering, Art & Tech

Uganda Urged to Strengthen OSHE Enforcement Amid Rising Workplace Injuries

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Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu (R) Head of the Department of Computer and Electronics Engineering at Makerere University, emphasized the importance of the training in promoting workplace safety.

In response to Uganda’s growing workplace safety concerns, staff at the College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) participated in an Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) training session aimed at increasing awareness and improving adherence to safety standards in professional and academic environments.

The workshop, organized by the School of Engineering, was part of a larger effort led by the OSHE Centers of Excellence, an initiative launched at Makerere, Kyambogo, and Busitema Universities on May 4, 2023. This program seeks to enhance workplace safety education, with a focus on hazard prevention, PPE usage, risk mitigation, and integrating OSHE principles into engineering curricula and industrial practices.

Speaking at the training, Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu, Head of the Department of Computer and Electronics Engineering at Makerere University, emphasized the importance of the training which was aimed at creating awareness about the need for the College, the university and the industry to proactively plan for safety at the place of work. It was indicated that Uganda was faced by alarming workplace injury rates, with over 25,000 workers suffering from job-related injuries annually, yet fatality statistics remain largely unreported.

Dr. Matovu highlighted the urgent need for OSHE integration in higher education, pointing out that 99% of engineering and science graduates enter the workforce without formal safety training. This lack of preparedness has led industries to withdraw internship placements, fearing liability if trainees suffer injuries or fatalities while on the job, he noted.

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Alex Isemaghendera

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