Where is Your Lifesaver?

According to the U.N. approximately 1.1 billion people are without safe drinking water. The number is shocking. How is that possible? I suddenly feel like a giant ass for taking that long shower this morning. In some sick twisted way, our problems become miniscule — we feel better to the extent of others misfortune.

Fortunately, there is a new revolutionary product that could make dirty water a thing of the past. Michael Pritchard, an Ipswich-based businessman invented a £190 bottle, appropriately named the ‘Lifesaver Bottle.’ In mere seconds, the bottle can purify the dirtiest of water using an advanced filter system. Even water littered with fecal matter doesn’t stand a chance. The military is having a field day with this product, considered the ”Best Technological Development,” at the Soldier Technology conference. The entire stock was bought by the military. When will this Lifesaver reach the people? From the article:

Michael Pritchard hopes that the bottle could be a life-saver for refugees in disaster regions where access to clean drinking water is vital. However, the military are already latching on to his idea. Four hours after Mr Pritchard launched his new “Life Saver” bottle at the DESI defence show in London yesterday, he sold out his entire 1,000 stock. “I am bowled over,” he said.

Military chiefs are excited because the bottles, which can distill either 4,000 litres or 6,000 litres without changing the filter, will have huge benefits for soldiers who hate drinking iodine-flavoured water. Mr Pritchard, who runs a water treatment business in Ipswich, was inspired after watching coverage of the tsunami in south-east Asia on Boxing Day 2004 and of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana the following year.

He was amazed to see refugees waiting for days to get any fresh water.

He said: “Something had to be done. It took me a little while and some very frustrating prototypes but eventually I did it.”