Page 104 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

Visualization of public water points in East Africa that have been shared by mWater users from across
the globe. Users can map and monitor water points and other critical infrastructure using the free
mobile app and data portal.
Image credit: mWater

equipment such as incubators. The resulting Microbial is unrealistic. Technologies bound for the defined
Water Analysis Kit (MWAK)—part of the environmental real estate of the space station aim for portability,
monitoring Crew Health Care System Environmental affordability and effectiveness, and must also work
Health System (CHeCS EHS) suite onboard the space well in remote or low-resource regions of the world.
station—sparked Feighery’s imagination, thus providing The mWater test supplies cost users only $10 per kit.
the basis for the mWater testing of E. coli in 100-milliliter Combining his aerospace experience and philanthropic
(3.38-ounce) water samples.
passions, Feighery worked with co-founder and wife
One key innovation that came from NASA was Annie Feighery on what became mWater. The app
proving that these types of tests will work at near- was developed following the 2011 Water Hackthons
ambient temperatures. Various studies have shown (https://open.nasa.gov/blog/waterhackathon/),
that any temperature around 25°C (77°F) will produce and improved through field testing sponsored by U.N.
a result, whereas traditional laboratory procedures Habitat. The app helps to simplify the recording of
call for incubation at 37°C (98.6°F). This is crucial for water quality results, the mapping of water sources,
developing countries because incubators are expensive and the identification of safe water nearby. What began
and require reliable electricity, and they can easily break as a simple app for monitoring water quality data
down. Since many of the countries that suffer from poor has grown into a full-featured mobile collection and
access to safe water are tropical, the tests can easily visualization platform for almost any kind of data.
be done at room temperature, by anyone, most any The tests and app were both designed with ease of
time of the year. use in mind. The user tests the water, allows the test
While volunteering with Engineers Without Borders in to incubate at ambient temperatures, photographs
El Salvador, Feighery discovered that hefting testing the results to count the bacteria and finally uploads
materials or expensive equipment to test water sources the findings to the global water database.

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