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Can a $50 water filter keep appalachian families out of the bathroom?

NCT ID NCT07818902

Prevention Sponsor: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Many homes in rural Central Appalachia rely on private wells and springs rather than treated utility water. Researchers are testing whether giving households a multi-stage point-of-use water filter reduces acute gastrointestinal illness and waterborne infections. The trial enrolls about 1,584 people in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee who live in lower-income households without utility water. Participants use the filters at home while researchers track reported diarrhea, fever, cramps, and vomiting, and analyze saliva and stool samples for bacteria, protozoa, and viruses.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
A point-of-use water filter with a membrane microfilter and a combined activated carbon and ion exchange filter
What this could lead to
If it works, this could show that simple household water filters protect people in rural areas who rely on private wells and springs from gut infections and diarrhea.
What could go wrong
Filters only help if people use them consistently and replace parts on schedule. The trial measures reported illness and lab-detected pathogens, so results may reflect behavior as much as the device itself.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 1,584 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

May 2030

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

6 months and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Home is located in a study county in southwest Virginia or northeast Tennessee * There is at least one adult (aged 18 or older) who regularly (\>6 months per year) resides in the household * Household does not have utility-supplied water (and \<33% of household members regularly drink bottled water) * Reported household income is \<80% of the county median income (based on US Department of Housing and Urban Development thresholds by household population) Exclusion Criteria: * None (no exclusion criterion based on gender, race, ethnicity, language, or literacy)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

diarrheal disease digestive system disorder Waterborne Diseases

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Diarrhea Enteric pathogens Gastrointestinal disease Waterborne diseases

How to take part

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  1. The official record

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  2. A doctor treating you

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