...of industries that use water as solvent or part of a process. There are other smaller niche applications for water quality sensors, but for the most part the market has experienced slow growth, symptomatic of a highly regulated market. The most common water measurement parameters are flow, temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity and specific measurement for ionic species.

Significant reductions in cost, rather than increases in sensor speed, selectivity or sensitivity, generally translate into new business for sensor suppliers. However, new driving forces are converging that may change the nature of the demand for water quality sensing.

Mark Twain, one of the better strategic marketers, wryly observed in the 19th century that, "Whiskey was for drinking and water is for fighting over." The political squabbles over water are increasing in the Western United States, Skardon notes, and erupting in other, drought-prone locations as well.

Determining water rights, or the legal ownership of surface and ground fresh water, can involve wading through a tangled web of property rights, treaties and agreements. Exacerbating this vexing issue is the inability of both owners and users of water assets to accurately measure flows to and from ground water and surface water. This problem is most acute in the area of irrigation, the largest water consuming segment in the US. The inability to cost-effectively gather and leverage this information results in lost revenue, as customers are able to obtain water without paying for it, or use more than their allotment under treaty or other legal obligation.

Nationally, the most prominent driving force driving opportunities in water quality sensing are economic factors. Similar to the problem with aging highways, the vast majority of water pipes in the US are approaching end of life. US government organizations and other NGO's have estimated that an incremental $300 billion to $500 billion dollars will be needed over the next...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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ISSYS HELPS OPTIMIZE MICROFLUIDICS TECHNOLOGY., May 01, 2003

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