Water Water Everywhere

I have a minor obsession with innovation in water purification.  I think that all the problems we’re currently having with the rising price of oil is a scary precursor to a future where water is the natural resource rocketing in price, as demand outstrips demand. 

Already water supply is a huge issue in developing nations.  1 billion people worldwide (a sixth of us) have no access to clean water.  There simply isn’t enough to go round.  And this isn’t just drinking water - the biggest demand for H20 comes from farming, which uses huge amounts for commercial irrigation.  We need water to eat, not just to drink.  As the population grows, our demand for produce will grow, more water will be used, eventually this is going to be a problem - and that’s before you throw climate change into the mix.

So I’ve been keeping an eye on any products that might combat water purification or supply problems.

You may have seen Red Button Design on the last series of Dragon’s Den.  Their ROSS (reverse osmosis sanitation system) is a very cool invention.  A water tank on wheels, where the motion of pulling it along forces a membrane through the liquid filtering it as you walk.   This means that people can use their closest water supply whether it has been sanitised or not, and can carry large amounts back to their villages to use as clean drinking water. 

Lifestraw is a device with similar aims.  It’s a large straw where you’re sucking water through a number of filters, so that dirty water supplies are potable by the time they reach your mouth.  So cool.  As well as humanitarian uses, Lifestraws are available from a lot of camping shops for use by outdoorsy types.  Go to Scotland - drink from rivers.

Slingshot is an insanely clever sounding device from the inventor of the Segway.  It runs on cowdung, generates electricity and desalinates water.  I don’t know how it works - but the above link takes you to a link from the excellent Geekologie blog.  Sounds to me like it could change the world.  But then again, no-one bought Segways and they sounded great on paper.

These guyswere on Dragon’s Den too with a machine that turns air into water - sounds cool - but they’re arseholes.  Shame.  Apparently these machines are energy hogs too.  However, American military researchers DARPA are funding more research into the water-from-air idea and coming up with really interesting devices.  Read more at Wired.

And finally a program for saving water that doesn’t rely on tech, but on brilliant marketing.  Visionary ad man David Droga and his agency Droga 5 were approached by Unicef to promote water aid programs.  They came up with the Tap Project.  New York restaurants began serving tap water (normally free of charge) in branded tap bottles and charging a dollar for it.  $1 is enough to provide one person with 40 days worth of clean water.  All proceeds went to water aid programs.  It has now rolled out across the States and raised millions for the cause.  I’m not an inventor or engineer, but I do work in media.  I only hope that one day I can come up with an idea as cool and important as this.

Thirsty for more?  I’ll keep the drops coming as I find them.