Explorer App Manual 

Introduction

mWater Explorer is a free app created for the mWater platform as an investment in data aid by Water.org and the Millennium Water Alliance. It is designed to be the simplest, best monitoring and evaluation tool for SDG 6, the global Sustainable Development Goal for water, sanitation and hygiene. 

Map water & sanitation

Explorer has a plug-and-play interface that makes it ready to monitor from the moment of download. No design or deploy set-up is needed.

A global standard

Explorer surveys meet international standards for monitoring water points and sanitation facilities. The data is compatible with many water quality tests, with the WPDX registry, and with the sub-targets for SDG 6. 

Built for collaboration 

Explorer's standardized monitoring allows for comparable data collection between anyone who monitors or views data. This design enables collaboration in local site management between organizations and local or national governments. 

Getting started 

1. Download the app, make an account, and begin monitoring
2. Contact mWater for custom organization and sub-group deployments 

Begin with Tasks

The Tasks button is located front and center at the bottom of the app's home page. This is your primary action using the app. Users have several tasks to choose from: 
  • Create a new, mapped water point or sanitation facility as a site
  • Update a water point's status. This form includes water quality and functional standard observations
  • Update a sanitation facility's condition with a sanitary inspection
  • Draft tasks are forms that were left before submitting. They are listed in Incomplete Tasks. 

Slideshow of tips: 

Settings

From the Settings tab, users can: 
  • View most recent sync time
  • Check for updates
  • Report a problem
  • Change the interface language
  • Logout of the app. 

Slideshow of tips: 

Maps

The Map button opens the page that displays the geographic location of sites. The Map is divided between the visual map and the list of sites ordered by nearness to you, the user. In cases of very low or no service, the map is not functional unless the maps were requested offline in advance (top gear button). In that case, use the search box and list to find existing sites.  

Slideshow of tips: 

Troubleshooting problems

  • The app has frozen: Exit the app and go to the home screen. Open the app list and force close the app. Try to open the app again. If it opens go to the settings tab in the app (not the phone settings) and click check for updates button. Wait for the updates progress bar to fill completely and that the app shows as synchronized at the top of the settings page.
  • The GPS shows low accuracy: The app continuously tries at better GPS accuracy as a site is being mapped. Low GPS should become better over a few seconds or minutes. Check to be sure you are not around high trees or inside a building that is disrupting the GPS. Sway the phone around a bit. If the GPS is still low accuracy, go to the Android home screen and open Settings. Click the Location icon. Check that the GPS is set to High Accuracy mode. 
  • Note: You do not need to calibrate the GPS or use an external app to record GPS coordinates in mWater. 
  • Extra tips for improving GPS on mobile devices: Go to the Google Play Store in the mobile or tablet and update Google Maps. Go to your device's settings screen and check that GPS is set to high accuracy. Note that this setting often defaults to low accuracy when devices have low battery. 
  • The app is not showing as synchronized: Check that you are connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data. Open settings and click the Check for Updates button. Wait for the progress bar to be completely filled. If this does not work, force close the app and start it again.
  • I have included the wrong image in an image question and I want to remove it: Click on the image you have added in the question. This will open a full-screen version of the image. In the top right hand corner click the delete image button and confirm that you want to delete the image. Return to the question and take a new photo for the image question.
  • Which devices work best for mobile data collection with mWater? Visit the mWater Preferred Devices document to check for the most up-to-date knowledge on different devices. In general, Android phones need to run version 4.3 or newer. 
  • Important note for Android Lollipop (5.0) users: You must go to the Play Store and update an app called Android System Webview (it will already be installed on your device). There was a serious bug in the initial 5.0 release that affected many apps, including mWater. Performing a system update to the Android software does not update this problem.