New Product Used To Fight Post-Hurricane Cholera Outbreak In Haiti

WaterStep's Portable Bleach Maker is a Game Changer for Medical Missions

Louisville-based non-profit WaterStep has been working to provide safe water and health education to communities in Haiti since 2007. And for the past 2 years, WaterStep has worked to develop a new product - a portable bleach maker that can generate powerful disinfectant on demand. That's why when the impoverished nation took a direct hit from the category 4 hurricane last week, WaterStep was ready to act. Six of WaterStep's recently developed portable bleach makers have been shipped to their in-country Haitian partners to be used in hospitals and medical clinics treating displaced refugees in the area of Jeremie. More bleach makers will be sent later this month.

The widespread flooding caused by the storm has triggered a massive cholera outbreak in Haiti, and the ability to contain the disease, and to properly and quickly treat those affected, can mean the difference between life or death. That's where the bleach maker comes in. Using water, salt, and a 12 volt car battery, the bleach maker uses a process called electrolysis to create sodium hypochlorite, more commonly known as chlorine bleach. Bleach is used to sanitize hospitals and medical clinics and to disinfect cooking areas, cooking equipment, and clothing. The device has already been field-tested in countries around the world including Kenya, Nigeria, Costa Rica, Uganda, and in Ecuador following the devastating earthquake last April.

"We all know safe water and health go hand in hand," says Mark Hogg, Founder and CEO of WaterStep. "Our experienced and creative design team listened to these needs from the field to create an inexpensive device that makes effective disinfectant on demand - something that will empower health clinics, schools, orphanages and private homes so they can fight dangerous germs and disease. After years in the making and many months of testing, we're ready to share and celebrate this impactful product."

The critical need for a simple and portable bleach maker became increasingly apparent when WaterStep received a request from organization Project Hope during the Ebola outbreak in 2014. The concept was further developed at Hack2o 2014, a hack-a-thon hosted by WaterStep and FirstBuild to create solutions to the world water crisis. WaterStep volunteers Frank Diebold, David Mekus and Dr. Joe Jacobi led a group of others from UofL, Louisville Water Company and General Electric's First Build Innovation Center who worked together to develop a very powerful disinfectant tool.

When disasters like this strike, often the relief efforts are focused on sending bottled water and bottled bleach to the affected communities. But WaterStep's portable water chlorinator and portable bleach maker provide a more sustainable, long-term source of safe water and sanitization at a fraction of the cost to ship pre-packaged materials.

Since 2007, nearly 100 of WaterStep's M-100 water chlorinators have already been installed in Haiti. The M-100, which was developed by WaterStep with the help of volunteer engineers from General Electric (GE) and the Louisville Water Company, is a water chlorinator small enough to fit in a backpack, yet powerful enough to provide safe water for thousands of people each day. WaterStep's M-100 is currently deployed in more than 30 countries around the world.

About WaterStep
WaterStep, headquartered in Louisville, KY, is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization that believes everyone should have access to safe water and that no one should suffer from waterborne illnesses. WaterStep implements water projects and equips people with tools and training in water purification, disaster relief, health education, and well repair. Since its founding in 1995, WaterStep has brought safe water to people in over 30 countries. For more information, visit waterstep.org.