DIY Solar-Powered Water Purifier for Seawater

Salt and minerals give seawater its briny taste. It is unpleasant to taste but can also kill you if you drink too much of it. Your body tries to maintain a specific salt content, and when you drink heavily salinated water, your body actually releases fluid into your intestines to dilute it. A solar still is an effective seawater purifier. It uses the power of the sun to evaporate pure water from the seawater, then deposits it in a reservoir for drinking.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic ice cream tub
  • Sand
  • Cup or jar
  • Plastic wrap
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill the bottom of the ice cream tub with an inch of sand.

    • 2

      Place a wide-mouth cup or jar in the center of the ice cream tub. The jar or cup must be shorter than the tub.

    • 3

      Put seawater in the tub. The water line should come up to the top of the sand, but keep it low enough that it does not float the cup or jar. The sand is just there to keep the cup above the water.

    • 4

      Cover the top of the tub with plastic wrap. You want to get a good seal so the water does not escape when it evaporates. Use a rubber band to secure the plastic wrap if it does not stay put.

    • 5

      Place a pebble or coin in the center of the plastic wrap that covers the tub. It should sit directly above the opening of the cup or jar.

    • 6

      Place the contraption in the sun. The sun evaporates the water, which condenses against the plastic wrap, runs down to the slight dip created by the coin or pebble, and drops in the cup or jar.