Water
These cheap paper water filters remove lead, arsenic, and bacteria
On a visit to Bangladesh in 2011–where an estimated 20 million people are exposed to arsenic in local drinking water–scientist Liangjie Dong worked with a team to teach residents how to use a filtration system he designed that could make the water safe. The technology worked, but it wasn’t Read More...
A simple carbon-based filter can turn filthy saltwater into drinking water
Researchers in Australia have created a new type of water filter that can purify and desalinate water in a single step. Using a material made from a thin layer of pure carbon, the researchers were able to create a filter that only allows pure water molecules to pass through while rejecting all the Read More...
Researchers discover efficient way to filter salt and metal ions from water
With two billion people worldwide lacking access to clean and safe drinking water, joint research by Monash University, CSIRO and the University of Texas at Austin published in Sciences Advances may offer a breakthrough new Read More...
These $4,500 solar panels want you to never buy drinking water again
Zero Mass Water intends to provide drinkable water using only sunlight and air. But does it taste good? See these solar panels get put to the test in this Read More...
California says Nestle lacks permits to extract millions of gallons of water
California regulators say Nestle may have to stop collecting a large portion of the water it bottles from the San Bernardino National Forest, because it lacks the legal permits for millions of gallons of Read More...
These social entrepreneurs are using solar power to battle the global water crisis
Social entrepreneurs have come up with a way to scale a solar solution that brings clean water to areas with little to no access to clean water. The solution is a solar-powered water plant that uses reverse osmosis and ultraviolet filtration technologies to convert dirty water into clean drinkable Read More...
This company is using solar panels to harvest water directly from the air
A company has figured out how to harvest drinking water out of thin air, using a combination of materials science, solar power, and predictive data. If you’re not following how that it’s possible, don’t worry; you’d likely have to be an expert in materials science and fluid dynamics to Read More...
This device will detect the dangerous chemicals in your tap water
Do you know what’s in your tap water? Hopefully, just some fluoride, but there’s a chance for much worse: lead, arsenic, or mercury. But soon, thanks to the Toronto-based startup Serene Sensors, you’ll be able to see exactly what’s in your next Read More...
This device tracks your water use and tells you how to lower it
An entrepreneur has created a device that tracks your water use and makes recommendations on how to lower it. The device uses machine-learning algorithms to identify whether the water is going to a shower or a sprinkler, and alerts you via an app if there’s a leak. If the system identifies that a Read More...
Can singing in the shower fight climate change? One major city thinks so
According to the city of Cape Town, two minutes can make the difference between a viable city and a future straight out of the Mad Max movies, where armed soldiers dole out daily water rations from municipal water Read More...