Most people in the Kajjansi/Kampala area treat their water by boiling because water delivered by National Water is widely considered unsafe for human consumption. Boiling is effective, but energy-intensive, resulting in high costs for households and poor indoor air quality and increased carbon emissions. 

Long-time EMI volunteer and Civil Engineer, Paul Berg, developed a household-scale ultraviolet water purification system and asked the EMI R&D team to conduct field trials of this device in Kajjansi. Local civil engineering graduates conducted the survey and presented training on operation of the device, bacterial testing to confirm device functionality, and effective community engagement. R&D also engaged in significant troubleshooting of the device’s functionality. The end result was useful feedback from users in the community, providing information to engage in a second iteration of Water Box product design.