WAPI
Water Pasteurization Indicator
To order a WAPI Kit or get more information please contact us below
How to make a WAPI
Why WAPI
The reusable WAPI (Water Pasteurization Indicator) is a simple, low cost device containing a special soy wax that helps users determine when water has reached pasteurization temperatures. The wax melts at the same temperature as the water is pasteurized.
Disease-causing organisms in water and milk are killed by exposure to heat in a process know as pasteurization. Boiling is often recommended to achieve pasteurization. However, contaminated water and milk can be pasteurized at temperatures well below boiling, saving time and fuel.
Water heated to 149 degrees F (65 degrees C) for a short period of time is free from microbes, including E Coli, Rotaviruses, Giardia and Hepatitis A virus. At 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) milk and foods are pasteurized.
The WAPI can be used successfully over most fuel sources including wood, charcoal and gas. It also works especially well in conjunction with the solar cooker. With good sun, simple solar cookers can pasteurize water for a family at a rate of about one liter of water per hour.
The WAPI, a reusable Water Pasteurization Indicator is a simple, low cost device that can be used to determine when water has reached pasteurization temperatures.
The Importance of Pasteurization
Water related diseases are responsible for 80% of all illnesses and deaths in the developing world. An estimated 1.5 billion cases of diarrhea occur each year, resulting in the death of nearly 2 million children. Worldwide, about 1.3 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, including nearly half of the population of sub-Sahara Africa.
Producing WAPIs and distributing them to families living in areas of the world where clean water is unavailable positively impacts world health.