DIY Solar Water Collector

Building a solar still purifies water for drinking.

Solar stills purify water through evaporation. When assembled correctly, the sun vaporizes water out of one container, leaving contaminants such as dirt and salt behind. The water rises and condenses against the top of the container and runs down a sloped surface into a clean water container. You can experiment with using these stills on rain and saltwater at home, or practice using them before camping for emergency preparedness.

Things You'll Need

• Large, round, shallow plastic container
• Small plastic bowl
• Dirty water
• Large, clear plastic bowl

Instructions

1. Place a large, round, shallow plastic container in the sun. Containers for veggie trays and round layer cakes work well.

2. Fill a small plastic bowl with dirty water. Collect some from a muddy river or make your own by stirring salt and soil into tap water. Place the bowl in the center of the round plastic container.

3. Turn a large, clear plastic bowl upside-down over the container of dirty water. Make sure the center of the bottom of the bowl is directly over the dirty water.

4. Allow the still to sit in the sun for one or two hours. The water should evaporate and condense against the underside of the large bowl before running down the sides and into the large, shallow, plastic container.

References

• Survival Topics: How to Make a Solar Water Survival Still
• Mother Earth News: Water Wiser Solar Stills