Tag Archives: drinking water

A Discovery Converting Fog into Water Means Rural Areas Can Easily Access Their Own Clean Drinking Water

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We have come across so much fog and mist in our lives but have you ever thought of reversing the method of evaporation and using all these abundant water particles for potable use? In a groundbreaking achievement, researchers at ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz have unlocked a transformative way to address water scarcity and pollution. By harnessing the power of fog, they have developed a cutting-edge technology that converts fog into clean, drinkable water while simultaneously purifying it from pollutants. This innovation not only offers a sustainable solution to water shortages but also contributes to environmental preservation.

Team: ETH Zurich, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

Researhers: Ritwick Ghosh, Adrien Baut, Giorgio Belleri, Michael Kappl, Hans-Jürgen Butt, and Thomas M. Schutzius

The core of this revolutionary technology lies in a closely meshed lattice of metal wire, ingeniously coated with a specialized mixture of polymers and titanium dioxide. This unique combination serves a dual purpose: efficiently capturing water droplets from fog and rapidly channeling them into a collection container before the wind can scatter them. Meanwhile, titanium dioxide plays a pivotal role in a chemical process that breaks down organic pollutants found in the droplets, resulting in a purer water source.

The process starts with the closely woven mesh attracting and retaining water droplets, a feat accomplished by the polymers. This clever design minimizes the risk of droplets being blown away by the wind, ensuring maximum water capture efficiency. Simultaneously, titanium dioxide initiates a chemical reaction that disintegrates the molecules of various organic pollutants present in the water droplets. This dual mechanism leads to the production of clean, drinkable water that’s safe for human consumption.

A remarkable aspect of this innovation is its sustainability quotient. The materials employed and the technology’s reliance on solar panels for power consumption contribute to its eco-friendly nature. Harnessing the power of the sun, a mere thirty minutes of sunlight can recharge the titanium dioxide, granting an additional twenty-four hours of purification through photocatalytic memory. This efficient utilization of resources potentially translates into minimal maintenance and energy requirements. The collaborative efforts of researchers have yielded astonishing results. Rigorous testing in both laboratory and small-scale pilot plant settings in Zurich has demonstrated the system’s capabilities. Notably, the nets were able to harvest eight percent of the water content from fog and eliminate a staggering ninety-four percent of harmful compounds that could render the water undrinkable or unsuitable for various applications. This included the efficient breakdown of fine diesel droplets and the elimination of the hormonally active agent bisphenol A.

The technology’s potential extends beyond fog conversion. In industrial cooling towers, where steam typically dissipates into the atmosphere, this innovation can be employed to recover and purify water before its release. This opens possibilities for more responsible water management in industries.

The breakthrough potential of this fog-to-water technology is not confined to laboratories. With its capability to function efficiently in fog-prone regions such as Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Morocco, and Oman, the innovation promises to bring clean, drinkable water to areas plagued by water scarcity. It stands as a beacon of hope for a sustainable future where access to clean water is a reality for all.

The collaborative efforts of ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research have led to a groundbreaking innovation that transforms polluted fog into a valuable resource—clean, drinkable water. This technology holds immense promise in addressing water scarcity challenges while championing environmental responsibility. With its remarkable ability to harness fog and purify water, it ushers in a future where access to clean water is within reach, safeguarding the health and well-being of communities worldwide.

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This Electricity-Free Water Filter Stacks Up Traditional Clay Filter With Modern Technologies

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In a world where access to clean drinking water is an essential necessity, Mexican company Ecofiltro has emerged as a beacon of innovation and sustainability. Dedicated to providing affordable and effective water filtration solutions for households across the country, Ecofiltro has introduced a remarkable product that merges age-old tradition with cutting-edge technology. The Ecofiltro Ecological Stackable Water Filter, a conical wonder that filters water through the force of gravity, is not just a filtration device; it’s a testament to the power of nature-inspired design and ingenuity.

Designer: NOS Design

 

At the core of Ecofiltro’s revolutionary water filtration technology lies a clever concoction of activated charcoal, clay, and colloidal silver. This unique blend forms the bedrock of a purification process that goes beyond mere water cleansing, tapping into the wisdom of ancient practices and scientific understanding. Clay pots were very commonly used in the Indian tradition to store water. Drinking water through a clay pot has been a very old Indian tradition. It has various natural cooling properties, It is alkaline in nature, helps boost metabolism, is gentle on the throat and it also helps retain PH levels in our body, keeping digestive problems, acidity, or gastric problems away and we feel more hydrated and fresh. Clay Bottles are environment friendly and it’s a great initiative to keep them in trend with the contemporary world. Here’s a closer look at the components that make this filtration marvel a reality:

Activated Charcoal:

The Ecological Stackable Water Filter employs activated charcoal’s potent adsorption process, which chemically binds impurities to its surface. This process distinguishes adsorption from absorption, resulting in the thorough removal of contaminants such as bacteria, chlorine, lead particles, and unpleasant odors.

Clay:

Harkening back to the age-old Indian tradition of using clay pots for drinking water, this filter pays homage to the manifold benefits of clay. The filtration process through clay imparts a natural cooling effect and alkaline properties that can aid metabolism, maintain optimal pH levels in the body, and keep digestive and gastric issues at bay. Moreover, water stored in clay containers often carries a distinct sweetness attributed to the minerals present in the material.

Colloidal Silver:

The addition of colloidal silver infuses the filter with antibacterial properties, preventing the growth of bacteria and algae within the filtration system. This ensures that the filtered water remains safe and free from potential contaminants.

Ecofiltro seamlessly blends the richness of cultural heritage with contemporary aesthetics through the design of the Ecological Stackable Water Filter. The culmination of meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful engineering results in a product that embodies both form and function:

The filter’s conical shape is expertly molded from natural materials, bypassing the need for chemicals or electricity. The filter is offered in three elegant finishes—Light Amber, Pure White, and Vibrant Blue—that cater to diverse preferences while seamlessly integrating into modern kitchens.

Ecofiltro’s design philosophy is evident in the filter’s transparent construction, which showcases the mesmerizing filtration process. A textured surface creates captivating light patterns, guiding the water’s journey from a circular inlet at the top to an elliptical base that optimizes countertop space.

Practicality is paramount, and Ecofiltro has carefully considered stackability, ease of cleaning, and manufacturability in its design. The inclusion of a steel key for dispensing water further enhances user convenience, making the filter a seamless and effortless addition to daily life.

Ecofiltro’s commitment to sustainability and accessibility underscores the core philosophy of the Ecological Stackable Water Filter. With a focus on ecological responsibility, minimal electricity dependence, and stackable design, the company demonstrates its dedication to minimizing environmental impact while making clean water accessible to a wider spectrum of individuals.

The Ecological Stackable Water Filter from Ecofiltro represents a harmonious convergence of time-honored traditions and modern ingenuity. Through the symbiotic blend of activated charcoal, clay, and colloidal silver, this innovative filtration solution not only purifies water but also encapsulates the essence of ancient practices that prioritize health and well-being. With its captivating design, steadfast commitment to sustainability, and affordability, Ecofiltro has achieved the remarkable feat of turning a functional necessity into a symbol of innovation, care, and optimism for a more sustainable future.

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Inflatable concrete water tank can help communities get clean water

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If you live in a place where clean water is pretty much accessible, it’s probably something that you often take for granted. During times of crisis, it’s also one of the most overlooked needs but is pretty life-saving and life-changing. There are organizations that specifically help bring access to clean water to the families that have been displaced and affected by natural disasters and other calamities. The recent massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria has affected the lives of millions of people and we’re also seeing different technology and innovation that have come out to bring help to the countries and communities.

Designer: Deploy

A Turkish company is helping those whose access to clean water are still disrupted because of the earthquake. They have sent this unique thing called inflatable concrete tanks that are able to hold 3,698 gallons of clean water. They are made up of a patented material called “concrete canvas” that can be flat-packed for transport and then inflated when it reaches its destination. We rarely see the words inflatable and concrete used together so this is a unique kind of material that will be really useful for times when you need to store clean water for a long time.

Concrete canvas is a layer of cement that is put in between fabric and a PVC liner. It is flattened and can be transported through air to its eventual destination. There is a concrete base slab that will hold the structure and you need to use an air-pump to inflate it. There is also a hydrating process that will cause it to harden and it will take around 24 hours to make it solid enough to hold water. Upon inflation and hardening, it will turn into an eight-foot water tank that is also fireproof and waterproof.

The tank is meant to be low-maintenance, easy to clean, and self-repairing. You don’t need to spend a lot of manhours and other materials when installing it and maintaining it for however long it is needed. It can be a good tool to have for communities that may need to have storage for clean water and it actually has a lifespan of 20 years so hopefully, it will not take that long to get clean water back to the place.

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Solar-powered Water Purifier is a completely sustainable way to get clean water

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While the world is three-fourths covered with water, not all of it is drinkable. Those who live in cities and even in some rural areas have the luxury of access to purified water, but a lot of people could be miles away from the nearest natural well. Humans need water to survive, however, and people in remote parts of the world are forced to drink unclean, bacteria-laden water just to live, only to get sick from the same. Deploying water purifiers to these locations might sound like the simplest solution, but most of these require electricity which is also difficult to come by, even with solar generators. This concept, however, harnesses the power of the sun in a different way and offers a solution that is sustainable through and through.

Designer: Hans Ramzan

Conventional water purifiers, at least the small ones at homes, clean water by making it pass through different kinds of filters. Some simply require water to go through them using pressure that comes from faucets, while others use electricity to power motors and other electronics. Neither of these methods is feasible in remote areas that don’t even have access to electricity, let alone clean water from natural wells. While you can indeed hook up such a purifier to a solar generator, the use of batteries and electronics still limit the purifier’s sustainability.

Stil, in contrast, uses solar energy, not to power electronics but to clean the water almost directly. It uses the age-old method of heating up water to boiling point and then collecting the condensation as clean, distilled water. Since there is no electricity or electronics involved, this kind of purifier can be positioned and used anywhere, with access to sunlight being the only hard requirement to get Stil to work.

As simple as the process might sound, the design of this environment-friendly water purifier isn’t exactly trivial. The Fresnel lens that collects sunlight, for example, is dome-shaped so that sunlight can hit it from all angles. The metal core is a thick rod that, when heated, causes the water to boil evenly. There is a covered overflow hole that prevents the dirty water from mixing with the clean water. And the parts are made so that they’re easy to take apart for cleaning.

The exterior of the container itself is made from an opaque bamboo composite, making it eco-friendly from start to finish. The level indicator for dirty water is just a strip, but the container for clean water is clear and completely transparent, creating a visual effect that emphasizes the contrast between dirty and clean water. It can be put up on any flat surface or propped up on snap-on metal legs in the middle of an open space for maximum effect. Without cords or heavy motors, Stil can focus completely on just purifying the water, providing up to 12L of clean water that can save thousands of lives.

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U1 is a compact water filtration system that requires no installation to use

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Air quality inside our houses has become a big point of concern in the past two years, but that’s not the only thing we need to be watchful of. Clean drinking water has, in fact, always been something that homeowners worry about, no matter what part of the world they’re living in, and there are already countless products that try to address that need. Water purifiers and filtering systems come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of complexity, but almost all of them have one common trait. They have to be installed or at least directly attached to the tap, making it difficult to set up and maintain over time. The U1, in contrast, is something you can put anywhere in your home, and this five-stage water filtration system not only gives quality potable water, it can even give you hot or cold water when you need it.

Designer: RKIN

Click Here to Buy Now: $459 $699 ($240 off). Hurry, less than 72 hours left!

Everyone knows we all need water to live. However, we also need clean water to lead healthy lives. The latter is getting harder to come by, thanks to how we’re poisoning and contaminating everything, and the chemicals that deliver clean water to our houses also make it dangerous to drink directly. Home water filters exist to be that last line of defense against harmful microorganisms and chemicals, but most of them are inconvenient to install and maintain. We have plenty of home appliances these days that brew us coffee, make us homemade sodas, and more, so why can’t we have something that gives us clean drinking water, too?

That’s exactly what the U1 delivers in a more compact box that you can carry and position anywhere in your home or kitchen. It looks almost like a large, boxy coffee maker, but one that dispenses water instead. Yes, you do have to fill a water tank every time it gets empty, but that work is a very small price to pay for what you’re getting in return.

Advanced Filtration System – With five stages, it removes up to 99% of all contaminants, including Fluoride, Chlorine, heavy metals like lead, and more.

Despite its size, the U1 actually makes water go through a five-stage filtration system. Like most water filters, it starts with a sediment filter for larger particles and then passes the water on to an active carbon filter and a reverse osmosis membrane filter to remove almost all kinds of contaminants. An alkaline post-filter adds back minerals, calcium, and magnesium, and an optional hydrogen infusion stage creates antioxidant water. As a bonus, there’s a UV light filter that keeps the water fresh long after the filtration process is over.

The display will also show the Hydrogen content and water quality readings, so you’ll always know your system is working properly.

The U1 might already be impressive because of its compact size and advanced filtration system, but it becomes even more incredible thanks to its special features. At the top of that list is the ability to control the temperature of the water you get, giving you cold drinking water when you want it or hot water when you need it. The intelligent touch control panel also has buttons for dispensing hot water with a temperature that’s perfect for coffee, tea, or baby’s milk.

With the way it looks and works, you could almost say that the RKIN U1 is the coffee machine for drinking water, and it’s priced like an advanced coffee machine, too. For a discounted price of $479, or $459 if you’re fast enough, the U1 promises to give you and your family clean drinking water at the temperature you like. And when it comes time to pack up and move, you don’t have to worry about drinking water in the new house either, because the U1 will move with you.

Click Here to Buy Now: $459 $699 ($240 off). Hurry, only 17/115 left! Raised over $150,000.

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Converting humidity into drinking water is perfect for a machine that looks like a WALL-E robot

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The Disney animated film WALL-E is basically a love story between two robots, but the larger theme that serves as the backdrop of this family-friendly movie actually has ecological undertones. In a satirical way, it exposes the sorry state of our planet when it comes to waste, but it also offers a glimpse of hope with the message that we can do better if we get off our seats and on our feet. It is perfectly fitting, then, that a machine that looks like it is part of that cast would offer hope of a different kind. Rather than recycling plastics or reducing waste, the stationary Kumulus-1 can produce up to 30 liters of potable water on a daily basis, all taken from the humidity in the air that many of us would rather not have.

Designer: Kumulus Water

Not all places have high levels of humidity, but those that do sometimes have it in excess. Water vapor is as natural as water itself, and it might be underutilized in areas that might have too much of them. Coincidentally, those are the same areas that don’t have access to clean drinking water, so it’s probably high time that someone put two and two together to come up with a sustainable solution.

Kumulus Water CEO Iheb Triki got the idea after noticing the dew that formed on his tent in the Tunisian desert. He then realized the potential of turning this natural occurrence into something that could change lives for the better, at least when multiplied a thousandfold. And so he founded a company that developed this robot-like machine named Kumulus-1, with the mission of providing water in a way that won’t disrupt the rest of the ecosystem.

Like many genius inventions, the way that Kumulus-1 works involve science and technology that we already use every day. Humidity is gathered through openings at the “head” of the machine and is filtered before it’s cooled down. This creates condensation that transforms humid air into water dew, and this dew is once again filtered and mineralized before it is stored in a tank. Depending on the amount of humidity in the air, Kumulus-1 can generate anywhere between 20 to 30 liters of drinking water per day.

Kumulus isn’t the first, nor is it the only company using the same formula to turn air into water. It might, however, be the first to promise that much water in 24 hours. Of course, that still depends on the environment where the machine operates. One of the company’s current deployments is at a school in Tunisia, where humidity is high, and potable water is scarce. It’s the perfect place for a machine whose shiny white exterior will surely attract the attention and imagination of children there, perhaps even inspiring them to become inventors themselves.

Of course, Kumulus Water wants to commercialize this technology and already has a large number of pre-orders. Even if humidity is free and abundant, there will be costs involved in the purchase and maintenance of these machines. But when the financial and environmental costs of buying drinkable water in plastic bottles are considerably higher, devices like the Kumulus-1 can still save more money and, more importantly, save more lives in the long run.

 

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This sustainable floating pod converts seawater into drinking water through a natural desalination process!

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WaterPod is a sustainable floating pod that turns seawater into drinking water through a natural desalination process.

97% of the earth’s water is found in its oceans, yet in its primary state, ocean water is unsuitable for human needs like drinking and cleaning. Since sustainable designs that rely on alternative energy production have been on the rise in response to environmental concerns, we’re closer than ever to scaling down macro desalination plants for individual use. One team of designers was recently recognized by The James Dyson Award for their desalination pod concept called WaterPod that turns seawater into drinkable water through an array of sustainable features.

WaterPod operates as a self-cleaning solar desalination system that absorbs seawater via underwater wicks, inspired by mangrove trees, which then passes through a condensation and evaporation process to remove the salt particles from the seawater. Just like mangrove trees, WaterPod’s underwater wicks fill the pod with seawater until its water levels reach the pod’s black fabric dome. Inside the dome, seawater undergoes evaporation as water vapors gradually flow from the transparent covering and collect in WaterPod’s storage compartment. Then, users can pump drinking water from the storage compartment’s recess. While the desalination process takes place, the WaterPod remains floating atop the water in a similar fashion to a conventional buoy. WaterPod’s top lid is filled with expanded polyurethane foam for thermal insulation and flotation enhancement while a cement base offers buoyancy stability.

The team of designers behind WaterPod developed the concept in response to a lack of clean, drinking water in Sandakan, Malaysia. Noticing the seafaring community’s reliance on the sea, the team of designers wanted to develop a means for individuals to have access to clean drinking water, no matter the amount of plastic pollution in the ocean. WaterPod is a modern solution that takes cues from the surrounding environment to bring drinking water to those who depend on it most.

Designers: Bennie Beh Hue May, Yap Chun Yoon, & Loo Xin Yang

This leaf-shaped bottle cap condenses and collects atmospheric moisture, turning it into drinking water

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Designed to magically ‘turn air into water’, the Limbe is a new sort of dehumidifier that works without electricity, giving its user access to drinking water throughout the day. Its unique leaf-inspired design harks back to how water droplets condense on the surface of leaves, while its 3D printed intricate PET structure helps guide those water droplets down the ‘veins of the leaf’ into Limbe’s central axis which collects the water in your regular plastic drinking bottle.

Fabien envisioned the Limbe as an easy way to allow people with no access to running water, to easily capture atmospheric water vapor for drinking purposes. While the Limbe works best in high-humidity areas, it can work wonders in deserts and drought-struck regions too, gathering condensed fog in the early hours of dawn, filling up a single bottle. Plus, its ability to be printed or even molded at a relatively low cost means anyone can dehumidify air into drinking water… without electricity!

Designer: Fabien Roy

Janicki OmniProcessor Turns Sewage into Drinking Water: Poop2H2O

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NASA and Bear Grylls have proven that it’s possible to drink pee. If Janicki Industries has its way, someday we’ll be drinking water from poop and other waste materials too. Its OmniProcessor impressed no less than Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, who even drank some of the poop-sourced water.

janicki_omniprocessor_1zoom in

According to Gates, sewage treatment facilities usually burn or bury waste. But Janicki’s OmniProcessor can turn sewer sludge into clean drinking water. Not only that, it uses the same sludge to power a generator, creating electricity to run itself with excess kilowatts to spare. It also converts some of the sewage into ash that can be sold as fertilizer.

Gates said the next version of the OmniProcessor “will handle waste from 100,000 people, producing up to 86,000 liters of potable water a day and a net 250 kw of electricity.” Check out his blog for more on this miracle machine.

[via Reddit]