Pilot of sensor technology supports H2NOW's mission of bringing real-time water quality data to the public — and marks a key step toward more efficient detection of E. coli to protect public health
Chicago, IL, and Boulder, CO — April 29, 2025 – Current, Chicago's nonprofit water innovation hub, announces a partnership with Virridy to deploy Virridy's Lume sensor in Current's H2NOW open-water testbed in the Calumet River for the 2025 season.
The deployment is the first pilot of the Lume sensor in an urban river system, a key step toward commercialization of a lower-cost, more efficient solution for detection of E. coli than existing technologies, which will benefit public health.
Virridy's Lume sensor is a compact, autonomous, internet-connected sensor that estimates E. coli levels using tryptophan-like fluorescence and machine learning. Lume's advantages include continuous monitoring, no need for frequent calibration or cleaning, and quantitative results.
Now entering its fifth season, H2NOW pioneered public-facing, real-time water quality monitoring in the Chicago and Calumet Rivers. Current also anchors Great Lakes ReNEW, which in January 2024 was awarded up to $160 million over 10 years from the U.S. National Science Foundation.
"Core to Current's mission are partnerships like H2NOW x Virridy," said Dr. Melissa Pierce, Technical Program Director of Current. "These enable us to accelerate water innovation and bring to market promising technologies for cleaner, safer waterways and water systems."
"We're thrilled to pilot Lume in the Calumet River," said Evan Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Virridy. "Knowing whether you're drinking or swimming in clean water is key to public health, and with Current's H2NOW team, we'll be able to apply our technical know-how to the real-world environment to bring Lume one step closer to commercialization."
About Virridy
Virridy's mission is to improve the management of environmental resources. Virridy develops and deploys technologies to manage water, energy and agricultural resources in remote, off-grid environments.
About Current
Current is an independent nonprofit water innovation hub, founded in Chicago in 2016. Their mission is to grow an inclusive Blue Economy, accelerate innovation and solve pressing water challenges. Learn more.