Now, with more than 50,000 tablet sales in more than 40 countries, MadiDrop+ has reached almost 250,000 people. With a recent grant of $254,000 from the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Technology Transfer program, and aided in part by UVA’s 3 Cavaliers Program, Silivhere Technologies is ready to dive into a third generation of research and development. In partnership with UVA’s Chemical and Environmental Engineering programs, the next generation of tablets aim to release a combination of silver, copper and chlorine, simultaneously disinfecting water and combatting viral and protozoan pathogens such as V. cholera, Shigella, rotavirus, and E. coli.
With the 2023 launch goal on the horizon, and with hopes of selling hundreds of thousands of MadiDrops per year, UVA Today checked in with Smith via email to learn more about the next phase of MadiDrop+.
Q. What do MadiDrop+ tablets do, and how do they work?
A. The MadiDrop+ is a water purification technology designed primarily for low-resource settings. It is a point-of-use (e.g. household) water treatment technology. It is a porous ceramic tablet that is embedded with microscopic “patches” of metallic silver.
To use the MadiDrop+, the user places it in a 10- to 20-liter water storage container, fills the container with water before they go to bed, and the next morning, the water will be safe to drink. The MadiDrop+ releases trace amounts of ionic silver, which is a highly effective disinfectant for a broad spectrum of waterborne pathogens, including V. cholera, shigella and E. coli. The MadiDrop+ is designed to release enough silver to effectively disinfect the water, but while still being below the U.S. and World Health Organization drinking water standard.
Perhaps most importantly, one MadiDrop+ works the same way for 365 days, treating more than 7,000 liters of water. The cost per liter of water treated is less than 0.2 cents, making it more than seven times cheaper than Aquatabs, a leading competitor. Because the trace amount of silver released from the MadiDrop+ does not affect the taste of the water, it is more socially acceptable than competitor chlorine-based technologies on the market. The MadiDrop+ also has a perpetual shelf life, is durable and is easy to transport around the world.