An Ipswich, England, businessman has created a bottle that makes even the filthiest water drinkable in a matter of seconds.
Michael Pritchard, who unveiled his invention Thursday at the DESI defense show in London, said he hopes the $380 bottle can be used to help refugees in areas where clean drinking water is difficult to come by, The Telegraph reported Friday.
Pritchard said he sold his entire 1,000-item stock of the "Life Saver" bottles after only four hours at the show.
"I am bowled over," he said.
The bottles are attractive items to military commanders because they can distill a great amount of water before the filter needs changing and they can benefit soldiers who have long been forced to drink water treated with iodine.
Pritchard said he was inspired to create the item after watching footage of the 2004 tsunami in southeast Asia and of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
"Something had to be done. It took me a little while and some very frustrating prototypes but eventually I did it," he said.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
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