In the Gaza region, decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflict have resulted in a severe drinking water shortage, as some 90 percent of the water supply is unfit for human consumption. One local man has created a solar-powered desalination device that turns undrinkable water into healthy, fresh H2O. Fayez al-Hindi’s homemade distillation setup could help save Gaza, as residents are at risk for running out of water in a matter of months, according to some news reports.

 

“Sunshine is readily available in our country,” the inventor says of his homemade desalination tank. In an attempt to address the water shortage with a sustainable solution, al-Hindi built a simple distillation tank that separates clean water from pollutants and salt. The inventor’s system produces about 2.6 gallons of water daily, which is just enough for his family’s basic drinking and cooking needs.

 

Of course, many were concerned about how safe al-Hindi’s distilled water could be, so the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility tested the water and found that his process is working. Lab technician Mohamed Abu Shamaleh called the results “fascinating” and applauded al-Hindi for finding a way to take an old water treatment method and make it new by using solar power. Now, al-Hindi is working to help other local residents build their own distillation systems, so that more people can have easy access to safe drinking water. It will be years or perhaps decades before the region’s infrastructure is repaired, so homemade water purification systems like this one may become essential to survival for thousands of people in Gaza. (inhabitat)