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[[Image:Tinkisso tem with bottles.png |thumb|200px|[https://www.antenna.ch/en/water-hygiene/guinea/ Tinkisso-Antenna] employees in Guinea holding Maxi-WATA<sup>™</sup> devices.]]
The WATA<sup>™</sup> device makes use of the simple process of electrolysis (electrochlorination) to produce sodium hypochlorite at a concentration of 6 5 grams per liter using only salt and water as inputs. As the active chlorine has a strong oxidizing power, it effectively inactivates the vast majority of disease-causing bacteria and viruses.
Chlorine began to be widely used as a disinfectant in the early 1900’s. It revolutionized drinking water treatment and dramatically reduced the incidence of waterborne diseases. In many countries, including the United States, chlorine remains the most widely used chemical for water disinfection.
====The WATA Range of Devices====
[[ImageFile:WATA Range of WATA devices.pngjpg|thumb|200px200x200px| [https://www.antenna.ch/en/activities/water-hygiene/range-wata/ The range of WATA<sup>™</sup> devices]and reagents]]The device comes in five four models for different scales of chlorine production: Mini-WATA<sup>™</sup> (0.5L of solution), WATA-Standard<sup>™</sup> (2L of solution), WATA-Plus<sup>™</sup> (15L of solution), Midi-WATA<sup>™</sup> (30L of solution) and Maxi-WATA<sup>™</sup> (60L of solution). The Mini-WATA®, the WATA-Standard<sup>™</sup> and the WATA-Plus<sup>™</sup> are all capable of running off of a solar energy source allowing them to be deployed in regions that lack stable access to electricity. The devices take between 2.5 & 4.5 hours to convert the brine solution to active chlorine solution. Once the process is finished, one litre of that solution is good for disinfecting 43,000 300 litres of water.
=====Operation=====
The device should only be used by adults. The user guide should be carefully read before use. The chlorination however should be supervised by a qualified person.
The only input needed for the production of sodium hypochlorite at 6 5 grams per liter is salt water at a concentration of 25 grams per liter. To arrive at this concentration, first prepare a brine and then mix 1 unit of brine for 3 units of clear water for the required amount of salt water. The amount of salt water needed for production varies by device.
To prepare the brine, a (non-metallic) container is filled with clear water. A large amount of salt is added (about 400g per liter of water) and the mixture is shaken for half an hour till as much salt as possible is dissolved. To make sure the solution is saturated, there should be some salt remaining at the bottom of the container. If no excess salt is visible, more is added till the solution is saturated. It can be stored for up to six months and can then be mixed with fresh water for production. The water used to prepare the brine solution also needs to be clear as high turbidity levels will interfere with the electrolysis process.
Once the salt solution is ready, the WATA<sup>™</sup> device should be totally immersed in the solution. Connect the WATA<sup>™</sup> device to the power supply and turn on the machine. The amount of time it takes to The power supply of the WATA<sup>™</sup> device (of 110V or 220V) is plugged in. The device works on 12 V direct current. It can be plugged directly into a car battery, car battery charger or solar panel. A grid or diesel generator delivering alternating current can also be used with the provided transformer.
Active chlorine is very sensitive to light and degrades relatively quickly if not stabilized for long term storage. The stabilization process involves raising the pH of the chlorine solution and will allow it to be stored up to 6 months. However, it requires proper laboratory equipment and should It can be done by someone trained to work in a laboratory settingachieved with the WataStab reagent kit. If not stabilizing the solution should be used with 24 hours if disinfecting drinking water. It can be stored for longer if destined for cleaning purposes, although the concentration will deteriorate over time and it should be measured before use to ensure an adequate level of disinfection.
====Use for Water Disinfection====
