Contact: Tryg Lundquist
805-756-7275
Cal Poly to Publicly Unveil Post-Disaster Drinking Water Solution at National Event
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly faculty member Tryg Lundquist and his students will publicly unveil their patented invention – the Polytech Waterbag – at the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) March Madness for the Mind showcase.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 27 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.
The Polytech Waterbag is a 10-liter plastic bladder equipped with carrying straps and an integrated filter with a dispensing port. It uses Procter & Gamble’s PUR chemical treatment packets remove particles and pathogens from untreated water. It stands out from other methods, because it can treat murky floodwater in one container, transforming it to water that meets the World Health Organization's emergency standards.
The waterbag has a wide mouth that allows easy filling from shallow streams, as well as baffles to enhance mixing. It is more compact than standard five-gallon water jugs that are typically shipped to disaster areas and can treat enough water to supply water to a family of four for up to 10 days.
Working with Lindquist, Tricia Compas dedicated more than 2,000 hours to developing the waterbag as her civil and environmental engineering thesis project in 2008. In October, 2008, Compas was awarded a $14,500 grant by the Clinton Global Initiative and the Wal-Mart Foundation for the project.
The NCIIA event provides attendees an opportunity to unveil inventions to the public – many for the first time. More than 15 teams will display their state-of-the-art innovations during the exhibition.
For more information about the Polytech Waterbag, contact Tryg Lundquist at 805-756-7275
For more information about he NCIIA March Madness for the Mind showcase, visit http://www.nciia.org. For details on the grant awarded to Compas, visit http://www.calpolynews.calpoly.edu/news_releases/2008/November/Grant.html.
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