Patent ID: 8822175

Claim:
A continuous water monitoring system for detecting contaminants in a water supply comprising: a) a feed line for delivering a sample of water from a water system or a natural water supply to a test chamber; b) a test chamber; c) a bioreagent fermenter in fluid communication with said test chamber for delivering a light emitting bioreagent sample, grown in said fermenter, to said test chamber; d) a light detection means for measuring light emitted from said bioreagent sample, comprising: at least one light detector upstream of said test chamber; at least one other light detector downstream of said bioreagent fermenter and said test chamber; and optionally at least one third light detector connected through a fluid communication means downstream of said second light detector; and e) a waste line for removing said sample and said bioreagent sample from said test chamber; wherein said light detection means measures the light emitting properties of the delivered bioreagent sample before and after contact with said water sample, and further wherein a change in said light emitting properties after contact with said water sample indicates that the water sample has been contaminated.