Meet the Lume

Continuous Water Quality Monitoring

Public health and pollution-response decisions depend on timely, spatially resolved information. Traditional culture-based sampling typically delivers results 24–48 hours after collection and is often too sparse to capture short-lived or localized contamination events. As a result, many contamination pulses remain undetected.

The Lume's primary configuration measures tryptophan-like fluorescence (TLF) to estimate microbial contamination risk in near real time. The same platform also supports chlorophyll-a (Cl-A) for algae monitoring and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) for tracking dissolved organics and nutrient loading. Each sensor operates autonomously and transmits data via cellular or satellite networks to a secure cloud platform.

One platform, three measurement modes — thousands of in-situ estimates for the cost of a single grab sample.

Protecting the water people drink, from source to tap

Culture-based testing reports results a day or two after the sample is taken — and is far too sparse to catch a short-lived intrusion before it reaches consumers. Lume runs continuously on wells, intakes, and chlorinated distribution systems, screening source water and confirming that treatment and disinfection are holding between lab tests.

Performance is proven at the low end: Lume classified at the ≥10 CFU/100 mL drinking-water threshold with 85% balanced accuracy against 216 paired Compartment Bag Test observations in Rwanda and Kenya.

Where Lume works: Community wells & piped systems · Source protection · Filtration & disinfection verification · Reservoir & intake monitoring · Distribution-system screening

Same-day answers for beaches, rivers, and lakes

Beach testing typically reports E. coli 18–24 hours after the sample — after swimmers have already been in the water. Lume measures contamination risk continuously, supporting same-day advisories and public-facing dashboards that keep communities informed, while arrays localize sources across a reach.

On the Seine in Paris, three Lume sensors classified the recreational threshold with 94% balanced accuracy on held-out data. Lume is deployed today with cities, utilities, and watershed groups.

Where Lume works: Beaches & swim areas · Rivers, parks & marinas · Same-day swim advisories · Public dashboards & alerts · Source tracking across reaches

Monitoring the water that grows our food

Contaminated produce keeps making people sick, and the industry cannot tell whether its interventions work. Lume monitors the two points where water touches the crop — pre-harvest irrigation sources and post-harvest process water — giving growers, processors, and the brands behind them an auditable, continuous record instead of a handful of grab samples.

Because Lume performs at drinking-water concentrations, chlorinated process water is well within range: the intake can be measured before and after dosing, not just at the source.

Where Lume works: Pre-harvest irrigation source water · Post-harvest process & wash water · Reading across disinfection · Produce food-safety verification · Supplier-water assurance for brands