An App with a Ripple Effect for World Water Day

Apr 1, 2013 11:35 AM ET

Prove Your Purpose

World Water Day caused a ripple effect last week with multiple campaigns drawing attention to global water issues. One campaign that caught our eye combined on-the-ground action with digital follow-through to address important water issues in South Africa.

Last Friday, IBM launched Water Watchers, an Android app and portal created in partnership with the South African city of Tshwane. The program makes it possible for town residents to take part in reporting water issues throughout the area. Water Watchers allows citizens to photograph and report infrastructure issues such as leaks, faulty pipes and conditions of water canals in real time. This information is then synthesized and sent to local municipalities, allowing regions to “visualize and prioritize improvements to city water infrastructure.”

To read more on Cone's Prove Your Purpose blog, please click here.