A low cost, reusable, sustainable, batch water purification system

There is a well-known water crisis throughout the world. This crisis has serious health implications and is especially severe in developing countries. Even though water is available in many locations, it is often polluted by microorganisms. We describe a system that is made of copper screen or foil in a closed container, either polyethylene or glass bottles that are used for killing microorganisms in batches of water of volume approximately 800 ml. In this system, a volume of microbe contaminated water is exposed to the metal in a container with a head space of air so that a water–air–metal interface is visible. The bottle is capped and agitated, usually by shaking, for 20–30 minutes. Other means of agitation also worked, such as walking with the container as if it were a canteen. By this process a sufficient number of microbes are eradicated and the water is made potable. A particulate filter made of cloth on top of a small gage screen or the like is used to remove large particulates; however, the system works well in its absence.