Given that approximately one sixth of the world’s population lacks access to safe drinking water, it would obviously be a very good idea to create something that allows those people to easily and cheaply filter their local tainted water. That was the thinking behind the LifeStraw.

Developed by European disease control firm Vestergaard Frandsen, the simple device allows individual users to drink directly out of unclean water bodies, without ingesting pathogens or other pollutants. Now, the larger-scale LifeStraw Family is being introduced in Kenya, where it could potentially save millions of lives, reduce air pollution, and pay for itself in the process. Read more

A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign is raising money for a new type of watersport. The Aqua Elliptica works like a cross trainer that is used on water. Users pump away on the footplates to turn a propeller and move the machine forward.

The Aqua Elliptica slots into the stand-up paddleboarding category of watersports. It’s made up of a number of parts that can be put together in different ways, to provide a variety of uses. The primary construction is a catamaran arrangement with two feet supporting a platform on the surface of the water. Read more

Bottled water might seem like a very innocuous, ecologically-friendly beverage, but it does have its dark side – it has been estimated that 1.5 million barrels of oil are used annually for the production of one-use water bottles. About 38 million of those get tossed out each year.

True, many of them go to recycling facilities, but those facilities aren’t exactly carbon footprint-free themselves. Then of course, there’s also the whole matter of wondering if you’re a sucker for paying to drink what is likely just filtered tap water. That’s where the bobble water bottle comes in. You just fill it from the faucet, and it filters the water as you drink. Read more

Vapur has added a helpful feature to its line of soft, collapsible “Anti Bottles.” Not one to get too fancy with names, Vapur calls it the MicroFilter and sells it in a package with its 1-L Eclipse Anti-Bottle. The system provides a light, convenient way of purifying, carrying and drinking water in the wild.

With the MicroFilter, Vapur builds upon its strongest attribute: portability. Its Anti-Bottles are versatile for transport thanks to their soft, collapsible build. When empty, they can compact down and stow easily. When full, they still offer more pliability than other bottle options for stuffing into tight spaces. Read more

For most of us, access to clean water is just a turn of the tap away, but in many developing countries women and children are often tasked with fetching water and carrying it considerable distances in containers – often on their heads. Aside from the strain this places on the neck and back, these containers can be discarded jerry cans and buckets that originally carried fuel, oils, pesticides, paints and other chemicals that you wouldn’t want mixed with your drinking water. The WaterWear is a collapsible backpack designed to overcome these problems.

The WaterWear pack allows those in developing countries to more easily transport water.

The result of a partnership between Greif, a manufacturer of industrial packaging products, and Impact Economics, the WaterWear pack holds up to 20 liters (5.3 US gal) of water. While this is much less than the 75.7 liter (20 gal) capacity Hipporoller, the collapsible backpack form factor makes the WaterWear pack easier to store and transport over uneven terrain.

Constructed from lightweight and durable industrial grade woven polypropylene, it features adjustable straps, a base that allows it to stand on its own while being filled, and a roll top that makes it easy to remove the liner for cleaning. There is also a protected spout on the rear of the pack to keep the water clean for drinking and hand washing. Read more