FLINT, MI -- Two Kettering University students may have a short-term solution to help residents during Flint's water crisis.
Kyle Mikols and Ryan Webster created The Trunk, a 3D printed device that adapts to any faucet and allows people to use any type of NSF standard filter for the faucet.
The students, both mechanical engineering majors, created The Trunk for their Rapid Prototyping class and submitted their invention to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers IAM3D Challenge.
Webster said in a Kettering University article that the "competition brought a unique experience for them to take hold of."
"They are currently having issues fitting filters to faucets here in Flint," he said in the article. "We thought we would come up with a foolproof filter, something anybody could use."
In September 2015 it was discovered the children in Flint had elevated blood lead levels after the city switched from Detroit to using the Flint River as their water source. The elevated lead levels and a Legionnaires' disease outbreak that could potentially be linked to the river called for national media attention making the city a catalyst for lead efforts throughout the nation.
City residents are now warned to not drink water without the use of a water filter - a situation that initially faced issues as some free filters did not properly fit certain faucets. The Trunk would solve that problem.
"If there was a disaster our plan was that any corporation or the government could contract with anybody who has a 3D printer to print them off for the general public," said Mikols. "We are currently trying to address the Flint water crisis situation, trying to work with everybody to help create a solution for the people that had the outdated equipment."
The prototype took about 16 hours to make to make. The students are wrapping up details on the device and plan to meet the April 15 submission deadline for the challenge.
To read more or find related stories visit Kettering University's website here.
