BIOQUA

AI-Assisted Water Quality Monitoring System

Project by: Agreda, G.M., Joven, C.L., Mendez, A.V., Tangao, W., Zamora, G.D. | 2026

What is BIOQUA?

BIOQUA is an automated water quality monitoring system that detects bacteria in water samples using Arduino sensors, automated Gram staining, digital microscopy, and AI image classification. It outputs a water quality risk level (Low / Moderate / High) on an LCD display.

Shopping List (Shopee Philippines)

Recommended stores: Circuitrocks, Makerlab Electronics, e-Gizmo

1. Arduino Mega 2560 (clone)

PHP 350 - 550

Needed for many I/O pins (sensors + valves + pump + LCD)

Search: shopee.ph — arduino mega 2560

2. pH Sensor Module (PH-4502C)

PHP 150 - 450

Get the kit with BNC electrode probe. Also buy pH calibration buffer powder (4.01, 6.86, 9.18)

Search: shopee.ph — pH sensor PH-4502C

3. TDS / Electrical Conductivity Sensor

PHP 120 - 350

"Analog TDS Sensor Water Conductivity" or "TDS meter V1.0 module"

Search: shopee.ph — TDS sensor

4. Solenoid Valves (x5)

PHP 400 - 1,250

5 normally-closed 12V plastic valves — one each for Crystal Violet, Iodine, Decolorizer, Safranin, DI Water

Search: shopee.ph — 12V solenoid valve

5. Peristaltic Pump (12V micro)

PHP 350 - 800

"Micro peristaltic pump DC 12V 3x5mm" — 0.5-2 mL/min flow rate

Search: shopee.ph — peristaltic pump

6. USB Digital Microscope

PHP 350 - 3,500

At least 2MP, adjustable LED ring, and stand. Tip: cheap "1000x" USB microscopes realistically do ~200-400x. Pair with school microscope + USB eyepiece camera for best results.

Search: shopee.ph — digital microscope | eyepiece camera

7. LCD Display (20x4 I2C)

PHP 150 - 280

Shows pH, EC, bacteria type, and risk level simultaneously

Search: shopee.ph — LCD 20x4 I2C

8. 4-Channel Relay Modules (x2)

PHP 160 - 320

Controls 5 solenoid valves + 1 pump + spare channels

Search: shopee.ph — relay module

9. Silicone Tubing (food-grade, 3x5mm)

PHP 75 - 300

Get 5-10 meters

Search: shopee.ph — silicone tubing

10. Breadboard + Jumper Wires

PHP 90 - 220

Also get male-to-female and female-to-female dupont wires

Search: shopee.ph — breadboard kit

11. 12V 5A Power Supply

PHP 200 - 400

Need 5A to power Mega + 5 solenoid valves + pump simultaneously

Search: shopee.ph — 12V power supply

12. Gram Stain Kit

PHP 250 - 600

Contains: Crystal Violet, Iodine, Decolorizer, Safranin

Search: shopee.ph — gram stain kit

13. Microscope Slides + Coverslips

PHP 230 - 550

72 slides + 100 coverslips

Search: shopee.ph — slides + coverslips

14. ESP32-CAM (optional)

PHP 180 - 400

For wireless camera — streams images via WiFi to laptop

Search: shopee.ph — ESP32-CAM

15. Pre-Filter + Fittings

PHP 100 - 300

Inline sediment filter + barb connectors

Search: shopee.ph — inline filter

16. Miscellaneous

Flyback diodes (1N4007) — PHP 20-50
Project enclosure / acrylic box — PHP 100-300
Double-sided tape (3M VHB) — PHP 50-150
Nitrile gloves — PHP 100-200
Immersion oil — PHP 100-200
Wire connectors / terminals — PHP 50-100

Budget Summary

TierEstimate (PHP)
LowPHP 3,305
Mid-range (recommended)PHP 6,290
HighPHP 10,650

Optional enhancement (ESP32 Bluetooth companion): add PHP 150-300

Order Priority

Order first (longest shipping):
  1. Arduino Mega 2560
  2. USB microscope or eyepiece camera
  3. Gram stain kit
Order second:
  1. pH sensor + TDS sensor
  2. Solenoid valves (x5) + relay modules (x2)
  3. Peristaltic pump + silicone tubing
  4. LCD display + breadboard + wires
Buy locally (hardware store):
  1. Glass slides + coverslips
  2. Double-sided tape, gloves, epoxy
  3. 12V power supply

Build Phases (8 weeks)

1
Week 1-2: Sensor Manifold
Wire pH and EC sensors to Arduino, display readings on LCD
2
Week 2-3: Flow Cell
Build glass slide staining chamber with tubing connections
3
Week 3-4: Valve Control
Automate Gram stain sequence with solenoid valves + pump
4
Week 4-5: Microscope
Set up USB camera with OpenCV for image capture
5
Week 5-7: AI Processing
Train model with Google Teachable Machine, classify bacteria
6
Week 7-8: Integration
Combine sensors + AI into risk level (Low/Moderate/High)

Software (All Free)

No subscriptions, no API keys, everything runs offline on any laptop:

All code, Arduino sketches, learning modules, and documentation:

github.com/G33M0D/bioqua

Clone: git clone https://github.com/G33M0D/bioqua.git

Safety Rules

Good luck, Team BIOQUA!