Low-cost, networked device tests drinking water for safety

The Water Canary is a device that radically reduces the amount of time, cost and skill required to test untreated or inadequately treated water.

Water-borne illnesses kill more than three million people each year, mostly for lack of a quick, easy and inexpensive way to test water purity. Enter the Water Canary, a device that radically reduces the amount of time, cost and skill required to test untreated or inadequately treated water. New York-based Water Canary uses patented spectral technology to dramatically reduce the time and money it takes to test water for disease-causing pathogens. Offering a cost per test that’s a fraction of those associated with current solutions, its maker says, the Water Canary also requires minimal training and almost no education or even literacy on the part of its operator. Those using the device need only press a button to learn whether their water is safe to drink. Not only that, but because the device is capable of transmitting its GPS-tagged data across any available wired or wireless network in multiple formats, the Water Canary can also provide a geographically relevant and actionable visual analysis for use by others. Water Canary is actively seeking collaborators and investors to contribute to its efforts. One to partner with or otherwise get involved in? Spotted by: Murtaza Patel