The Virunga Mountains rise behind the shared offices of Move Up Global (MUG) and Ireme Education for Social Impact (IESI), forming a dramatic backdrop to a persistent public health challenge. In the surrounding communities, more than 40% of school-aged children report symptoms consistent with intestinal worms. In partnership with these organizations, Mighty Water is participating in an outcomes study led by Cora Cunningham, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, through a Harvard Rose Service Learning Fellowship. The research brings together household health surveys, family testimonials, and randomized testing of both source and filtered drinking water to better understand how water quality influences reported health improvements.

For several years, Mighty Water has relied on Aquagenxwater tests as a practical standard for field microbiological screening. Their value is rooted in accessibility. The tests are inexpensive, require no laboratory infrastructure, and can be administered by locally trained teams. This approach allows consistent community-level monitoring, reinforces hygiene education, and provides tangible verification that filtration programs are reducing contamination of drinking water at the point-of-use.

Field conditions present technical hurdles. In Gatovu, situated at approximately 2,070 meters (6,790’) above sea level, nighttime temperatures regularly fall below 16°C (60°F) and experience electrical outages. The Aquagenx CBT P/A protocol calls for a 24 to 48 hour incubation period within a stable temperature range of roughly 30 to 40°C (86° to 104°F), a requirement that can be difficult to maintain in remote environments.

To address this constraint, Mighty Water developed a low-cost portable incubation setup guided by four criteria: components available online, volume for 12 tests, simple assembly, consistent temperature control, and USB or power bank compatibility. After iterative testing, the team identified an off-the-shelf solution rather than fabricating custom hardware.

The resulting incubator consists of a YETI Daytrip 3L insulated soft cooler, a Besto USB 6×8-inch reptile heating pad, and a digital LCD thermometer. The heating element required a few layers of cardboard to prevent direct contact with the samples. This configuration has demonstrated stable temperature retention throughout the incubation cycle, even in off-grid conditions. During power outages, approximately 8 hours of heat is supplied with a 20,000mAh USB power bank.

Mighty Water incubator for Aquagenx CBT P/A water tests

Across hundreds of tests conducted in remote communities worldwide, the visual outcome is always rewarding and celebrated by our volunteers. Untreated source water frequently turns dark blue indicating the presence of E. coli while filtered samples remain clear. The contrast offers both immediate scientific feedback and a powerful educational moment for families and serves as evidence that practical, locally deployable tools can translate water quality data into meaningful health action.

If you or your organization tests this incubator set-up, please let us know so that we can learn from each other. Together we are mighty!