Formaldehyde testing in poor communities can be limited by the capital costs of laboratory grade instruments. Not having access to these instruments could result in the water supply not being tested, which can lead to health issues.The development of a rapid, field deployable measurement system would have wide application in these situations. Herein is described the development of a colorimetric reaction with phloroglucinol with a portable visible spectrometer-based method for formaldehyde detection. This method using a Vernier SpectroVis Plus provides an alternative to those who cannot afford the time or money to rely on laboratory-based instrumentation.