Solaqua cleans contaminated water with Sun's rays by Naveen

Student Designer: Mr Jason Lam, University of New South Wales.

The 2009 finalists for the “Australian Design Awards - James Dyson Award” have been announced. While the winner will be announced at the Australian International Design Awards Presentation Night on Friday 29 May 2009, all the entries in the list are unique in a way or the other. Among the entries is the Solaqua, a water disinfection unit intended to be used in rural sub-Saharan Africa. The device makes use of ultra-violet and infrared rays from the sun to get rid of the pathogens within contaminated water. Raw water is first passed through a sari cloth filter, so that the efficiency of solar water disinfection can be enhanced. A five tap funnel fills five specially designed bottles to get ten liters of water. The transparent bottle surface allows maximum exposure to UV rays when laid down on the ground. The black, back surface of the bottle absorbs heat and the reflective inner surface reflects UV rays inside the water.

Solaqua tries to emphasize on the importance of water with its vibrant colors. It comes with a double sided handle for easy transportation. Solaqua aims to promote a sustainable technique of getting clean water.


Australian design award