Introduction: DIY: Water Purifier

Although there are many problems, many equally as great as water, in fact, we chose to focus on this as it is within our power. We realized that contaminated water is an urgent problem, and as scientists, we are curious about solving it. For anybody interested in combating third world problems here's a quick fact: 1 in every 7, or 884 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water. This is three times the population of the United states. Often, water is not even accessible, and the water that is, is contaminated with bacteria and viruses. Yearly, approximately four million people die from water related diseases which translates into a child dying of a water-related disease every 20 seconds. This comes as no surprise when bacteria such as Salmonella, E. Coli, Hepatitis B, among others are present in many bodies of water. Bodies of water from which families retrieve their only drinking water. Our group decided that our focus should be improving a water purifying device as a potential solution to combat unsanitary water worldwide. The water purifier will consist of two containers: one for the dirty water and another for the processed water. The can will be made of metal, with a transparent covering and a black exterior in order to allow and hasten the boiling process that the naturally abundant sunlight (amplified by the solar panel) will make possible.

Step 1: What You'll Need

Materials:
-Two containers
-Transparent covering
-Black spray paint
-Cotton
-One plastic Tube
-Dirty water
-A large splatter screen

Tools
-A pair of safety goggles
-A drill
-A saw
-Duct tape

Step 2: Choosing the Container

For our project, we realized that there is no universal container and that the size, material, and consequently resistance varies. Based on our research, however, we concluded that 5 gallon plastic containers were pretty ubiquitous and chose to use two of them. Jerry cans as well as other containers would work as well. 

Step 3: Cutting the The Containers

Step 1: Mark where you would like your container to have the tube placed to go into the next tube. Depending on the height of the tubes you want to connect you should determine where to cut the top off of your tube. Once you have decided how much of the top you'd like to cut off, mark it.

Step 2: Now that you've marked your jars, use a drill to make a hole where the saw will begin to cut. This part is tricky because you'll most likely be using circular pipes and it's rather difficult to make accurate circles. But don't be dismayed. Simply mark the whole a little smaller than the pipe. Then use the saw to cut the edges of the circle. This way, when you are assembling the water purifier, you will push the pipe in it will be locked in place.

Step 4: Painting the Jar

Step : Now that you have cut the jars, go ahead and proceed to spray painting the jug you wish the water to boil in. In order to spray paint it you should place it upside down on either carton, or as we chose to do, on a stick where it is far away from anything you do not want to have painted.

We chose to spray paint it black because it would absorb the sun's rays much better this way. I would deter from painting the other jug black as it is meant to keep the water cool and ready to drink and painting it black because it would evaporate.

Step:  Let it dry. The amount of time will vary depending on the brand of spray paint that you are using.

Step 5: Attaching the Strainer

Step  1: Take your strainer and use your straight pipe to mark a circle around the pipe on the strainer so that you know where to cut if you are going to glue it. Otherwise, cut a square piece off the strainer twice the size of the pipe opening.

Step 2: Wrap the strainer piece around the pipe opening and secure it in place with a rubberband. 

Step 6: Attaching the Straight Pipe

Step 1: In order to have the water rise up through the cotten as we desire it to, we have to attach a pipe through which people will pour the dirty water in. We chose a 18 inch pipe. It was large enough for a desirable amount of water to pour through without taking too much space. We chose to attach the pipe by taping it onto the jug.

Step 7: Adding the Cotton

Step 1: Take approximately 600-1000 cotten balls of cotton and place them on top of the strainer/splatter screen and around the pipe.

Step 8: Attaching the Pipe

Step 1: Take your small plastic wall tube and insert it between the two holes that you created in your water jugs. 

Step 9: Covering It

Step 1: Using Saran wrap, cut a piece of about 28 inches to wrap on top of the jar.