Birmingham University is developing a test which will assess water quality to determine if drinking supplies are safe to consume in disaster areas.
A team of scientists are creating the device, which will detect harmful chemicals and bacteria in water by measuring its fluorescence levels, the Engineer reported.
They told the news source that the system could one day be used in developing countries or places hit by natural disasters to learn whether water is safe to drink within seconds.
Dr John Bridgeman, project leader of the study, said: "Normal tests for whether you've got microbial activity in the water or not can take three to five days."
He added that the device will quickly identify the fluorescence of water, with a high level indicating that there are pollutants in the liquid.
This comes after Northern Ireland Water announced last month that it is planning to invest £577 million in order to improve its drinking water quality to meet EU guidelines, the Belfast Telegraph reports.
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