TEDGlobal: Technology to crowd-source clean water

A device that crowd-sources water quality could help prevent the spread of diseases such as cholera. The Water Canary checks supplies in real-time, alerting users to possible infections. It is also able to upload the data, allowing scientists to monitor the location and movement of outbreaks.

"Currently water testing is too slow and too expensive. We only test water in hindsight," he [co-founder and TED fellow Sonaar Luthra] told the BBC. "When cholera hit Haiti there was no way of knowing how fast it would spread," he added. The device will be able to test for both micro-biological and chemical contaminations using spectral technology. It will provide instant information on whether the water is drinkable via a red or green light on the device.

"Ideally we will give it away because it will be the data that is really valuable," he said. The device will be capable of wirelessly sending GPS-tagged data from any available network. "We will be collecting data off thousands of devices from which many conclusions will be drawn. This is all about information and empowering people with real-time water information," he said. Such information could prove invaluable for governments around the world keen to contain disease and environmental disasters...