MAP MY WATER: WaterCAN launches new digital tool for water champions

Test your water, upload your results and help WaterCAN build a public online map of water quality

Image: WaterCAN

Today (Tuesday 14 February) WaterCAN an initiative of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) launches Map My Water, an online tool for mapping water quality.

Water champions, activists and citizen scientists can upload water test results to the map, creating a database of publicly accessible information on South African water quality.

We hope to encourage the development of a detailed map showing water quality across the country which can be used by anyone.

 

Why we built Map My Water

One of the key challenges in improving public oversight of South Africa’s water quality is the lack of accurate and meaningful information. This role is normally a function of the state, but has been neglected to the point that information about our water within river systems and reservoirs is not updated timeously or is inaccurate or missing.

Without quality and meaningful information, it is difficulty to hold those in authority to account over unsafe water. Access to reliable water quality information may also be hidden to prevent it from exposing the state’s failure to safeguard the nation’s water.

We want to empower the public to collect and share water data.

WaterCAN aims to encourage the relevant authorities to improve their management of South Africa’s water by enabling the responsible public collection and publication of accurate water quality information. Our Map My Water system enables citizens to drive the process rather than having to rely on the state to do this.

 

How does Map My Water work?

Individuals, communities or water forums can register on Map My Water and upload water testing data to be shared with the public.

The Map and the test results can be read by anyone.

Data from the Map can be compared with government data where this is available.

WaterCAN will develop, own, manage and maintain Map My Water but the creation of this map – through gathering data from across the country and uploading it to the map – will be driven by water activists, organisations, forums and water champions.

 

Test your water

WaterCAN is able to provide a limited number of test kits.

Contact WaterCAN on email to get a test kit on info@watercan.org.za

Watch a video on how to use these iLab test kits here.

 

Be a water champion and use our Map

WaterCAN’s Map My Water is a tool for water activists.

We hope you will join us to use it to:

• Build and strengthen a citizen science activist network;
• Train people to test water quality;
• Build a public database of accurate water quality information;
• Increase citizen voices, collaboration and participation in gathering information on water quality; and
• Drive water quality awareness campaigns.

 

More information

Find out more about Map My Water here.

A voicenote with comment by WaterCAN Manager Dr Ferrial Adam is here.

WaterCAN is an initiative of OUTA. Find out more here.