Our Research Low cost water testing and disinfection

In India, waterborne diseases affect approximately 38 million people every year and over 1.5 million children die due to waterborne diseases like diarrhea. Waterborne illnesses disproportionately affect people living below the poverty index and those who live in rural areas that don’t receive water and sanitation resources from the central Indian government. This project focuses the implementation of a solution in a specific district: West Singhbhum in the state of Jharkhand in eastern India. Despite being endowed with abundant natural resources, approximately 40% of the population of Jharkhand lives below the poverty line and away from water and sanitation services.

MIT researchers,  supported by a J-WAFS Grant for Water and Food Projects in India, are working with state agencies in West Singhbhum to design and pilot a water treatment solution for 20 government-run residential schools for girls where a total of 8,000 students live. The treatment systems will filter water, test for microbiological contamination, and communicate test results and alerts to local leaders. They will apply the simple, low-cost, and reliable E. coli test developed by project lead Susan Murcott of MIT’s D-Lab and supported by two J-WAFS Solutions grants, and will add novel UV-based water disinfection technology to create systems that supply clean water to each school building.  The UV-C disinfection technology uses short wave ultraviolet (UV) radiations of wavelength 100-300 nanometers (nm) that has a strong germicidal effect against bacteria and viruses. These organisms are inactivated once a sufficiently lethal dose of UV light has been absorbed, altering the molecular structure, preventing reproduction, and thus rendering the microorganisms harmless to humans. UV-C disinfection is affordable, accessible in resource-constrained areas, and low maintenance, which makes it desirable for places such as Jharkhand, India. Coupled with the ECC Vial technology, the UV-C device will provide a complete testing and disinfection solution for drinking water.  The team will collaborate with Aditya Ranjan, a state administrator in Jharkhand who has led water quality and healthcare education initiatives in the region, to officiate an on-the-ground pilot in 2021.

MIT researchers driving this project under the supervision of Susan Murcott are Ankita Singh and Deborah Go, both MBA and SM degree candidates in the Sloan School of Management and the Department of Mechanical Engineering.