FAQ
Short answers on how Beach Pulse works
For anyone responsible for bathing water quality, whether at a municipal beach or a private bathing site.
What does Beach Pulse do?
We continuously estimate the occurrence of E. coli in bathing water and deliver decision support through a website, analytics, email alerts and an API. You get information between scheduled laboratory samples. We are also working on estimating intestinal enterococci.
Do you replace laboratory samples?
No. Laboratory sample analysis is accurate and still needed. Beach Pulse makes sampling targeted: you take laboratory samples when the data indicates verification is needed, not only when the calendar says so.
Do you estimate bacterial levels, or measure them directly?
We estimate occurrence. The result is decision support between laboratory samples, not an accredited laboratory analysis.
What range do you estimate?
For E. coli the target range is about 10-2,000 CFU/100 ml, the span relevant to bathing water management. Estimation of intestinal enterococci is in development.
How is the estimate produced?
Calibrated water measurements are combined with environmental and weather data in a proprietary Beach Pulse algorithm. The result is an estimated level, not a laboratory analysis.
Is the technology only tested in a laboratory?
No. It has been deployed and validated in live bathing waters under real operating conditions.
Who is the service for?
Primarily people responsible for bathing water quality at bathing sites in Europe, from environmental managers and officers responsible for one or more beaches to anyone with a private sauna lake or shoreline bathing site. If you research or develop new technology in the field, you are welcome to contact us about collaboration.
How are insights delivered?
As ongoing decision support: a website with an overview panel and detailed data, analytics including email alerts, and API-delivered values that can be used as needed.
How do we get started?
Contact us and tell us which bathing site or sites you want to measure. We will walk through what a deployment can look like.