Purifying Water Using Passive Solar Water Distillation

By Claire Anderson
Published on August 1, 2002
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Pure drinking water can be produced with energy from the sun, in a process known as passive solar water distillation.
Pure drinking water can be produced with energy from the sun, in a process known as passive solar water distillation.
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With the sun's energy,this simple single-basin, passive-solar distiller can produce up to 4 gallons of purified water per day.
With the sun's energy,this simple single-basin, passive-solar distiller can produce up to 4 gallons of purified water per day.
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A multibasin, passive solar water distiller may produce more water during the day than a single-basin distiller.
A multibasin, passive solar water distiller may produce more water during the day than a single-basin distiller.
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Countertop electric distillers produce only 1 to 2 gallons of water a day.
Countertop electric distillers produce only 1 to 2 gallons of water a day.
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For homesteaders who live in cloudy climates, stove-top distillers are an alternative to passive solar water distillers.
For homesteaders who live in cloudy climates, stove-top distillers are an alternative to passive solar water distillers.
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Floor distiller models can provide up to 9 gallons of water.
Floor distiller models can provide up to 9 gallons of water.

Learn how to use passive solar water distillation to purify your drinking water.

Americans worried about the purity of their well or tap water often end up spending a small fortune on bottled water just to be safe. But bottles aren’t the only solution. For those who want to produce their own pure drinking water, passive-solar distillation is an inexpensive, low-tech option.

Passive Solar Water Distillation Solutions

Distilling and reverse-osmosis filtering are the two best methods for purifying water. Both approaches remove more contaminants than activated carbon filters do. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says only reverse-osmosis systems and distillers may be called water “purifiers.” All other systems are water “treatment” devices, in spite of the performance claims many manufacturers make. But reverse-osmosis filtration wastes water: For every gallon of purified drinking water produced, the process consumes 2 to 4 gallons of water. In contrast, solar distillation wastes no water and is powered by the sun. instead of removing specific contaminants, as filtration systems are designed to do, solar distillation purifies water by removing only one thing: water.

Distillation takes advantage of the principle that chemicals vaporize at different temperatures. Most potential chemical contaminants in drinking water have vaporization points higher than water. When untreated water is heated in a solar distiller, pure water vaporizes first, leaving contaminants behind.

A simple solar distiller removes salts, heavy metals and bacteria, as well as arsenic and many other contaminants. According to a paper by Horace McCracken, a leader in solar distiller design, laboratory tests show distillers can remove trichloroethylene (a dry-cleaning chemical) and nitrates. Both are common pollutants and suspected carcinogens. A simple solar distiller paired with a carbon finish filter which removes any residual chlorine byproducts, will give you the cleanest drinking water for the least expense.

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