LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville organization's water filtration invention is drawing respect and approval from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The company says that, when disaster hits, its invention can save lives in many ways.
In recent years, places such as Haiti, Honduras and Puerto Rico have all been struck by tragedy. When that happens, Louisville-based WaterStep responds with technology that is sometimes as small as a suitcase. But good things come in small packages, because that technology can provide big benefits to the tune of up to 10,000 gallons of clean water a day.
After years of development, WaterStep has packed its technology onto one cart, called the "Water on Wheels Disaster Response System." Curtis Daniels, a spokesman for Waterstep, says the system can provide anything from simple to exotic water filtration.
"We can actually filter diesel fuel and different things out of water," he said.
The system can even neutralize anthrax, which caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the EPA. Both organizations are now working with WaterStep.
At the scene of a disaster, the system can immediately start pumping out clean water; there is no need to wait for plastic water bottles to arrive, Daniels said. The system is also equipped with a chlorine generator, which can produce five gallons of industrial strength bleach at a time for hospitals and food services. For areas like the Bahamas, which were just hit by Hurricane Dorian, that's an important advantage.
"We can pump the water into a trailer that is able to give people showers," Daniels said. "Everything can be done right from the unit."
Despite the international applications, it wasn't the disasters in Puerto Rico or Haiti that led to this invention. It was trouble at Louisville Metro Corrections, where a water pipe break almost forced all of the inmates to be moved a few years ago. Now, the city owns a WaterStep system that could handle the jail's needs just in case.
The Louisville Water Company gave this creation a thumbs-up after it filtered and pumped water from the bottom, middle and top of the Ohio River. Daniels said officials told him the water the system was providing was safe to drink in an emergency.
"And that's what they were looking for," he said.
WaterStep will likely be taking a few of the all-in-one units to the Bahamas. When people start moving back home after seeking shelter in Nassau, many more months of cleanup will remain.
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