Rapid Adaptive Needs Assessment (RANA) water quality kit

Natural disasters often damage water infrastructure and inhibit access to clean water in affected areas. Military organizations, including the United States Army, are frequently among the first respondents in the humanitarian aid effort. The U.S. Army currently operates a project that aims to purify local water sources to restore water and sanitation in affected areas. This Capstone project developed a prototype of a Rapid Adaptive Needs Assessment (RANA) kit to better measure water quality during the first 72 hours after a natural disaster. The data from the RANA kits will help the Army to better identify the quality of water sources to determine which sources are optimal for purification. This paper outlines the design process of the RANA kit and the recommendations for continued development and implementation of the kit.