Communications of the ACM
Google-Funded Flint Water App Helps Residents Find Lead Risk, Resources
A new mobile app and website developed by researchers at the University of Michigan can help residents of Flint, MI, better manage their ongoing water crisis.
Credit: Evan Dougherty
Computer science researchers at the University of Michigan (UM) have released a mobile application and website built for Flint, MI, to help the community manage its ongoing water crisis.
Mywater-Flint, funded by a $150,000 grant from Google, enables residents to access a citywide map of where lead has been found in drinking water and where work is currently being done to repair the water main infrastructure.
The app also determines the likelihood the water in a home is contaminated with lead and provides step-by-step instructions for water testing.
The researchers say only a third of the city's residents have had their water tested. Although all Flint homes have some level of risk, the app can predict which ones are more likely to be contaminated based on factors such as the property's age, location, value, and size.
"Our website and app makes it much easier for a resident to view the water test results for their home, business, church, etc.," says lead developer Miyako Jones. "Hopefully, it will inspire those who haven't tested their home to do so."
The UM team also has created additional resources for city officials, including a website that shows how many water tests have been sent to different testing centers.
From University of Michigan News
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