After months of applications, evaluations, and expert review, ClimateHaven’s Water Innovation Hub is proud to announce Nucleic Sensing Systems (NS2) as the winner of our inaugural Innovation Challenge. Selected from a global pool of breakthrough technologies, NS2 stood out for its transformative approach to real-time, in-situ biological monitoring which is an area where water utilities urgently need new tools to protect public health, anticipate threats, and operate more efficiently.
NS2’s Biosensor is an autonomous, continuous-flow genetic detection system capable of delivering verified PCR results directly from the field. Unlike traditional water quality testing, which often relies on periodic grab samples and lab analysis, NS2’s device processes raw water without concentration or purification, uses stable, non-refrigerated reagents, and simultaneously detects multiple species or pathogens. It is effectively a genetic smoke alarm, ruggedized for deployment at the source and connected through the cloud for real-time data access and alerts.
This pilot, developed in partnership with the Regional Water Authority, will test NS2’s capability across several critical dimensions: continuous autonomous operation, eDNA detection of priority organisms, integration with existing utility data systems, and real-time alerting that can inform operational decisions. By placing the Tracker directly into active water infrastructure, the pilot aims to demonstrate how continuous biological monitoring can shift utilities from reactive responses to proactive surveillance–catching problems early, streamlining treatment, and reducing both risk and cost.
The implications extend far beyond a single pilot. Across the United States, utilities face escalating biological threats, including harmful algal blooms (HABs), pathogenic incursions, and ecological shifts fueled by climate change and nutrient loading. HABs alone impose substantial national costs each year–from increased treatment expenses and reservoir shutdowns to public health responses and lost recreational revenue. For individual utilities, a single seasonal bloom can result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional treatment costs, emergency monitoring, and system adjustments. Early detection is often the difference between maintaining normal operations and scrambling to contain a crisis.
“We were extremely impressed by the array of innovative solutions that came through the Challenge,” said Victor Benni P.E., Director of Engineering at RWA. “Each finalist demonstrated strong potential to tackle pressing water sector challenges, and we’re excited to work with NS2 to pilot their continuous, real-time water quality detection technology right here in Connecticut.”
That enthusiasm underscores a broader shift taking place across the industry. As water systems grow more dynamic and environmental pressures intensify, utilities need continuous visibility into what is happening in their source waters–not days later, but in the moment. NS2’s technology meets that need directly, providing geospatial and temporal insight that can inform management decisions faster and more accurately than traditional methods.
We look forward to supporting their work as the pilot launches and as the Water Innovation Hub continues to foster solutions that make our water systems safer, smarter, and more resilient.
Stay tuned for updates as the NS2 pilot gets underway.
