Edinburgh Napier University

  This session will review and discuss the increase role of automated rapid and molecular methods for pathogen detection in drinking water and attempt to reach a consensus on the future role of such methods for routine use. The session will start with a summary of the recent key developments in the field with special reference to those developments that have come out of the five-year multi-partner AQUAVALENS project. The presentations will focus on the development and application of multi-pathogen platforms. We will then present a series of short scenarios around areas where the technological platforms could be used to protect public health. These scenarios will cover both large and small water systems. Each scenario will lead to a structured discussion and debate around the value that different approaches may or may not be able to deliver. This debate will be captured and summarized in a policy document and submitted for publication as an opinion piece.