Clean Water for Remote Locations
The patented Microbial Check Valve (MCV), created by UMPQUA Research Company, of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, releases iodine into the water, which then kills bacteria and viruses. The next step is to add a proprietary resin called Iodosorb that functions as an iodine scrubber.
Transcript
00:00:02 all around the world people recognize water as a precious natural resource NASA is no exception to live and work in space NASA's astronauts need water and having enough clean water is a real problem but for more than 30 years the agency has been partnering with a small company in Oregon called Umpqua research company to solve the problem that's our Forte here we're Water Systems not
00:00:32 necessarily just the purification but the destruction of contaminants one of um's core Technologies is a unique iodinated resin system working with researchers at Johnson Space Center The Firm developed a microbial check valve or MCV that uses the iodinated resin for the space shuttle the water is manufactured on the shuttle and it is very pure at the time
00:00:56 but it has a capability of being contaminated through the distribution system the MCV flowthrough cartridge prevents contamination of the Ultra Pure Water on board the shuttle since the Inception of the program the MCV has been on every single shuttle mission umca also integrated its special resin into the bacterial filter cartridges on the extra vehicular Mobility unit
00:01:20 backpacks worn by astronauts during space walks the cartridges prevent any back contamination of the shuttle's drinking water when the backpacks are being filled on board there are a lot of passageways that could become fouled with microbial growth they wanted to make sure that wouldn't happen they fill all the backpacks through one of these devices and we fill all those devices
00:01:43 and do preliminary testing here and they're shipped to the cape while working with Johnson Umpqua also created unique water processing Hardware using a multi filtration technology also known as unied The Firm is integrating the technology into the water recovery system being built by Hamilton sunstrand for the International Space Station 5 lb of our system will
00:02:07 produce 100 lb of recycled water and so it's a pretty significant savings umwa has also partnered with NASA through its small business Innovation research or sbir program under an sbir contract with Johnson The Firm developed a regenerable bioside delivery unit or regenerable MCV testing on the unit showed that the MC V could be used to disinfect a variety of water streams on the space station that
00:02:35 led to the development of MCV products now Baseline for the station through an sbir award from Marshall space flight center The Firm developed a catalytic system capable of destroying a variety of contaminants found in water the technology was further matured with funding from the Calgon carbon Corporation who used it to treat groundwater problems today it's not just
00:02:59 NASA using Umpqua water purification Technologies the MCV is now being used here on Earth water security Corporation has acquired the rights to commercialize the MCV technology in non- Aerospace applications they're now building water purification systems with the technology and installing them in third world countries all around the globe and how
00:03:22 does Jerry Columbo feel about that I've spent the last 30 some years watching disasters happen around the world and the need for an effective convenient way to disinfect water I guess about time is about the best way I can describe it