— November 9th, 2026

According to a 2025 report from the WHO and UNICEF, approximately an entire quarter of the world’s population currently lacks consistent access to safely managed drinking water. The report also states that many people without safely managed drinking water had access to basic drinking water services. Thomas Vikström developed WaterLens as a tool intended to help users assess certain water quality indicators.

WaterLens is a compact device designed to give communities an affordable ability to monitor their local water sources. It is not a substitute for comprehensive laboratory testing and should not be used by itself to determine whether water is safe to drink. The device is designed to provide supplemental information when laboratory testing is not readily available. Its creator also designed it to be constructed and operated without advanced technical skills.

A WaterLens device can be assembled using off-the-shelf components that connect without soldering.…