Hello,

I am an engineering student currently working on a design project involving water purification. The end product is intended to provide a source of fresh drinking water for victims of natural disasters when electric and water service is unavailable. If our design is good enough, it could actually be produced and made available in the future.

The idea is to have a unit that could purify flood, rain, ocean or lake water to be completely safe to drink. In the process, odor and bad taste could be greatly reduced or eliminated. To be practical for disaster relief, it will require no electricity or batteries, instead relying on human-power. This could be a foot pump or crank, for example.

If you would be willing to answer a few questions about how you think our product should work, it will greatly help my team make good design decisions!

1. Size
Would it be better to have a a very small "personal use" unit? Something larger but suitable for a family? Or a very large unit that could handle the needs of a large number of people, but would be sized (and priced) such that perhaps only government agencies would have them?

2. Cost
How much would you be willing to spend? Consider your preference for size, as a personal unit will almost certainly be less expensive than a family sized unit. If you think a "utility-sized" unit is appropriate, then this expense would not be a personal investment, but could effect taxes, etc.

3. Lifespan
Would you prefer a smaller, less expensive unit that may have a limited number of uses, or a more robust unit that could "last a lifetime"?

4. Effort
Would you be willing to devote a larger amount of time and effort using a device that purified more water faster? Or does a unit that works slowly, but allows you to continue with other activities make more sense? How much work is too much?

5. Production
How much water do you expect from such a unit each day? Just enough to drink? Would you use it for cooking needs, too? Are there other things that you need pure water for that my group may not have considered?

Feel free to share any other thoughts you have! Thank you in advance for your time.