A water testing startup company started by Queen’s researchers in the wake of the Walkerton tragedy has received $2.5 million from the provincial government to expand its Kingston-based product development.

What is now known as ENDETEC, based on fibre optic sensor technology developed by chemist Stephen Brown and a team of Queen’s and industry researchers, received the funds through the Ministry of Research and Innovation’s Innovation Demonstration fund.

Dr. Brown and his team developed a faster and more effective way to monitor municipal water systems. The technology was protected and licensed by the university’s tech transfer office, PARTEQ Innovations, which also helped launch the company, which was originally called Pathogen Detection Systems Inc.

ENDETEC is also planning to grow its research partnership with Queen’s over the next few years.