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The Water Canary is a fast, inexpensive device that tests drinking water for contaminants. It is the size of a deck of cards, needs minimal maintenance and requires little to no training for operation.

Over three millon people die every year from drinking contaminated water. These deaths occur in areas prone to seasonal flooding and areas without stable sanitation infrastructure, but they also occur when disasters put water supplies at risk. The Water Canary can identify contaminated water before people fall sick, outputting a simple green light/red light response.

Each device performs a thousand tests on a single battery, and - with an optional communications module - can upload exact location and raw test data to a central server creating a real-time map to identify contamination sources and predict future outbreaks.

Water Canary's basic hand-held version is currently undergoing testing to ensure compliance with WHO water testing standards. Once testing is complete, a more ruggedized, field-ready version will be finalized for production. Along side the basic hand-held unit will be the communications-enabled model that will serve the needs of humanitarian organizations, and governments seeking real-time water quality data that will enable both preparation and response to water related emergencies.