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Water-purifying cup makes drinkable water from creeks and streams
- analog31 3y agoIs this better than my Steri Pen UV sterilizer? Not that I've used it, since I've never had a water emergency.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- JohnFen 3y agoThat's a really interesting effect, but as a product, I don't see how it's superior to modern small form-factor filters from Sawyer, Katadyn, etc. Those don't require electricity, are as good at ridding the water of microorganisms, and also filter out many harmful non-biological contaminants.
- zwieback 3y agorequire replaceable filters, though. I could see that as a tradeoff.
- JohnFen 3y agoTrue, but those filters last a very long time. The Sawyer Squeeze (what I use) produces ~1000 gallons of filtered water before needing replacement[1]. I assume others using the same technology perform similarly. It also filters the water much more quickly. As fast as you can drink it. [1] Assuming you properly maintain it by backflushing every so often, which is quick and easy, but still necessary.
- bryceacc 3y agowarranty is actually lifetime: https://www.sawyer.com/lifetime-warranty https://www.sawyer.com/lifetime-warranty i think you would need more than the syringe and arm power backflush to really restore a good flow over years, but hey it's only 30 bucks and mine has been working for 4 years
- JohnFen 3y agoTrue, and they also claim that the filter is good for at least 100,000 gallons. That may be correct and I'm just doing something wrong, but my experience with it is more in line with what most reviewers claim: about 1,000 gallons before I can no longer restore reasonable flow. As you say, they're inexpensive, so I don't sweat this too much.
- boh 3y agoI don't think it's a product so much as a proof of concept. The use of electricity will definitely not make this a must-have for backpackers, but maybe the technology can be leveraged for larger scale filtration systems (or just the one you use in your house).
- chaostheory 3y agoI can see this as a product given the trend of failing infrastructure. Right now, we’re only seeing things like poorly maintained roads & bridges, and failing power grids depending on your area. I predict that water purification issues will go beyond the rust belt if it hasn’t emerged already.
- borkt 3y agomost issues with failing water infrastructure involve non-biological contaminants like lead.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- j0e1 3y ago> the device was able to remove 99.997% of E. coli bacteria from 2- to 3-ounce samples taken from Waller Creek in Austin in approximately 20 minutes, with the capacity to do more. Though necessary, is that the only metric needed to label water potable?
- mwcremer 3y agoIn CA, giardia is a big concern.
- 1letterunixname 3y agoThere's generally nowhere on Earth where it's safe to drink from moving freshwater because of a lack of evidence (testing) and probable contamination upstream from wildlife. If you were dying of thirst, then sure, take a chance on C. parvum, V. cholerae, and G. duodenalis with glamping toys.
- mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y agoNot at all. For instance, in the forests around where I live, there's very high lead levels in certain brooks and ground water reservoirs because of an old shooting range out there where no one ever bothered to clean up the slugs left behind.
- giantg2 3y agoWhere is this?
- markdown 3y ago99.997% of doctors agree that it's the .03% that get you.
- esafak 3y agoWhat benefits does this offer over a Brita/ZeroWater filter?
- cldellow 3y agoBrita/ZeroWater filters make potable water cleaner such that it tastes better. This filter makes non-potable water cleaner such that it won't kill you/make you seriously ill.
- duskwuff 3y ago> This filter makes non-potable water cleaner such that it won't kill you/make you seriously ill. I'd hesitate to even say that much; there are a lot of dangerous contaminants (like organic toxins or heavy metals) which this filter won't touch.
- BlackLotus89 3y agoZeroWater hover filters bacteria, virus and even heavy metals so I would guess that it's better than this solution. Although you have to change the filters regulary
- cldellow 3y agoWhere do you get that from? According to https://zerowater.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions https://zerowater.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions, > Does the ZeroWater® 5-stage filter reduce bacteria? > The current system is meant to be used with municipally treated, potable water as the current filter will not remove microbiological contaminants. > Does the ZeroWater® 5-stage filter reduce cryptosporidium? > At this point ZeroWater® 5-stage filters have not been tested for the removal of cryptosporidium(microbiological cysts). Both ZeroWater and Brita are explicit that their filters are meant to be used with water that the government has already deemed safe to drink.
- BlackLotus89 3y ago
- inportb 3y agoAs a result of using this device, you'd drink only the microbes that are not attracted to your electrode?
- mcswell 3y agoLike viruses
- 1letterunixname 3y agoSorry, this is press release journalism lacking in a fully-developed, practical application. In this case, it's still pre-alpha and unable to assure removal of enough viruses, bacteria, protists, and fungi to result in potable water. In the category, LifeStraw and such are worthless apart from absolutely clear water. They don't have the pressure delta or surface area to do much. One hit of brackish water and you're tossing filters because they become completely clogged. If you want clean water, perhaps ~13 stages with large filters before reverse osmosis via electric pump.
- sonofaplum 3y agowell, this is literally a press release/announcement from the university, not a work of journalism, so relax.
- ChrisMarshallNY 3y agoIt’s been a looong time, but I [barely] remember camping in the 1970s, and having water filters that we used on creek water. These were replaceable units that fit into a sort of bicycle pump kind of thing.
- esafak 3y agoLike this? https://www.msrgear.com/water-treatment/filters-and-purifiers https://www.msrgear.com/water-treatment/filters-and-purifier...
- ChrisMarshallNY 3y agoSimilar. Not exactly the same, but it has been, like, over forty years.
- bleepblop 3y agoI'll stick to boiling water and purification tabs thanks. If I'm feeling like I haven't done a good job, I guess I can run it through your filter.
- mcswell 3y agoDid you read the article? It talks about the drawbacks to those.
- silisili 3y agoNot really directly. You can buy old school, bootleg alcohol looking distiller systems for not much money. All it needs is a heat source, whether from a car battery or a small fire.
- JohnFen 3y agoBoiling water remains the most effective way of clearing the water of microorganisms (better than any filter), but does nothing for nonbiological contaminants. Ideally, you do both. Personally, I'm comfortable with just the filter. In hundreds of trips into the wilderness, the only time I've suffered from contaminated water (giardia -- don't recommend) was when I accidentally drank some unfiltered water. Fortunately, I didn't develop any symptoms until I was back from the trip.
- SEJeff 3y agoI have always kept a pair of Sawyer Mini SP128 water filters in my first aid and travel kits. We were able to use them when we went to South America to filter out stuff in the water that could have made us sick. They’ve been proven to be more effective than the life straw portable water filters. They’re about $20-30 on Amazon.
- Detrytus 3y agoI thought water from creeks and streams was drinkable anyway, without any filtering. Purification is supposed to be required only for still water, like a lake or pond.