Safe drinking water is essential to good health yet it is something that everyone in well developed countries such as the UK takes for granted. Perhaps this is because conventional methods of water quality testing have relied on sophisticated laboratories and highly trained technicians to carry out this extensive work.

Not only are these methods expensive and time consuming, they are also unavailable in developing countries who can't afford to have this testing done. This raises many problems because without adequate water testing people may be drinking contaminated water containing viruses and bacteria which can lead to fatal diseases.

New technology has meant that portable water test kits are now freely available meaning that the quality of water can be tested quicker, cheaper and much easier. Water testing can now be conducted in a variety of ways from low cost water test kits which are ideal for emergency situations where you need a rapid response, to more advanced, fixed site laboratories that have the support of the latest analytical instruments.

The benefits of this new innovation in water testing are endless. Not only is it a low cost way of getting a quick response, but the portable water test kits are fully portable and self - contained which means that there is no need for mains power or water. Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of this advancement in technology is the fact that portable water test kits which produce rapid results means that water problems can be remedied more quickly. Not only does this benefit the health of thousands of people, it can also help to save the lives of those who may have come into contact with infected water.

Other advantages of portable water test kits are that more frequent testing is now possible, high levels of training are not required for using the kits and water test kits can test for specific applications such as Arsenic Testing.

One of the greatest advantages of portable kits is that they allow people in isolated communities to perform tests whereas as before this would not be possible as they do not have the facilities for lab - based testing. As a result of this new testing, communities have become more aware of the causes of contamination and more hygienic water - handling practices have been promoted.

With so many advantages of using water test kits it seems like old - fashioned lab based testing is a thing of the past. With constant research and development going into these kits it looks like their popularity is set to increase even further over the next couple years.