PortAqua: a low-cost, compact water quality meter for science communication.

Water quality monitoring allows communities to achieve sustainable management of water resources, which is crucial for life-supporting processes. Water quality is determined by measuring chemical, physical, and biological parameters, requiring sophisticated meters and trained specialists to perform the measurement. However, in low-income communities, water quality is determined by using human senses-smell, color, and taste-since meter acquisition is limited by costs and most people do not know how to monitor water quality.