Developing the innovation
Jomo's idea was to develop a simple kit to test any source of water for drinkability, and a filter kit which could filter enough water to supply a family for a day. The test kit would identify the type of filter or additives needed to purify or treat the water; these would need to be easily obtainable and would form part of the filter kit. In this way, potentially drink¬able water could be tested and treated at family or village level. The test and filter kits would be robust, only requiring a battery for the test, and using gravity for the filtration process. The technology had to be easy to use, requiring only demonstration training, low in cost and reliable. People would have to want to use the system, and not reject it as unsuitable. If these conditions could be met, the market for it would be enormous.
Jomo realised he could not develop the system alone, and needed expert assistance. Through his professional institute, he made contact with a university department with expertise in digitising information on water quality and chemical composition. They researched the problem over a period, experimented with various ideas and technologies, and found a way of giving a simple digital readout of water quality on a small hand-held device. This also identified the filtration or treatment required and indicated unsafe water which could not be treated. The professor suggested this was a technological break¬through which could be patented, and he and Jomo worked with the university technol¬ogy transfer office and a patent attorney to file a patent application in their joint names.
The testing technology was only part of the solution, however, and a filter and treatment system needed to be developed to accompany it. Jomo designed a process where water was pumped or poured into an upper tank, and then passed through a filter