This $749 device turns seawater into drinking water
If your city’s water supply gets shut off in a disaster, extra bottled water in your cupboard won’t last long. A startup founded by former SpaceX engineers proposes a different option today: a portable desalination device that can quickly purify almost any natural source of water nearby, including seawater. The $749 apparatus, called Access , is roughly the size of a large toolbox and is aimed at…
A newly developed portable desalination device named Access offers a solution to the issue of limited water supply during disasters or in areas with unreliable access to clean drinking water. This $749 device, created by former SpaceX engineers and founded by Vital Lyfe, is about the size of a large toolbox and can purify seawater or any natural source of water nearby.
Traditional desalination usually requires large infrastructure, which has made it inaccessible for developing nations. The Access device employs reverse osmosis, a common method that filters out salt and impurities using pressure. The startup has streamlined the system, reducing costs and making maintenance easier by eliminating unnecessary components and designing it for mass production.
The device can produce up to 6 gallons of fresh water per hour or 12 gallons per hour, with filters that can be replaced in under 30 seconds. Initially targeting recreational customers and preppers, the company is also collaborating with nonprofits to help areas lacking clean water. As production scales up, the cost is expected to decrease, making this technology more accessible globally.
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