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Munich-based Stephan Augustin has combined simple design and basic science to create a cheap, easy to use means of securing potable water. The Watercone allows users to pour saline or brackish water into a shallow black basin which is then covered by short transparent polycarbonate cone. The color of the basin accelerates evaporation; the cone traps water vapor which then condenses and runs down to a trough circling the inside of the cone; a screwtop allows the water to be poured from the condensation cone to a bottle. Augustin’s device–durable, easy to use, and reliant on science understandable by most grade-schoolers–offers an ingenious way of providing clean drinking water. Each Watercone produces roughly 1-1.5 liters of water per diem, and Augustin argues that a relatively small number of cones could be used by clinics or emergency personnel to improve health in remote or threatened areas.
Although the plastic materials are durable (the invention’s usable life is roughly five years), Augustin recognizes that aging and accidents can limit the effectiveness of the “solar still.” He envisions either the whole form or individual pieces being reused, e.g., as a storage container or even roofing tile.
. Historian Shae Davidson's research interests include public policy and the relationship between culture and civil society. His publications range from articles on industrial history to absurdist poetry.
