Outdoors

QuenchSea offers desalination on-the-go

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The QuenchSea is presently on Indiegogo
QuenchSea
The QuenchSea is presently on Indiegogo
QuenchSea
The QuenchSea should retail for £55 ($69)
QuenchSea
The QuenchSea, set up and ready to go
QuenchSea
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Whether they're adventure travellers or people living in developing nations, many folks may find themselves near the ocean and in need of drinking water. That's where the QuenchSea is designed to come in, as it's a portable, relatively inexpensive desalination device.

Developed by British company Hydro Wind Energy, the QuenchSea can be carried in a backpack when not in use, tipping the scales at a claimed 700 grams (1.5 lb).

To operate the device, users start by sliding a foot pad out from its underside, pulling a telescoping lever out from its handle, attaching that lever to an integrated pump, and running out two attached silicone tubes – one of those tubes goes into the ocean, while the other leads to a bottle or other water-collection vessel.

From there, it's simply a matter of stepping on the foot pad to hold the device in place, and pulling the lever back and forth. Doing so draws water in from the sea, through the QuenchSea's triple filtration system, and out into the bottle.

The QuenchSea, set up and ready to go
QuenchSea

The filtration system is claimed to capture viruses, bacteria, microplastic particles and other contaminants, plus it utilizes a reverse osmosis membrane to remove up to 98 percent of the salt – one $10 membrane should be good for treating up to 18,000 liters (4,755 US gal) before needing to be replaced. Additionally, activated carbon is used to minimize off-putting tastes or odors.

According to its makers, the QuenchSea can desalinate over 2 liters (0.5 US gal) of water per hour on average, or up to 3 liters under ideal conditions. The resulting drinking water is said to meet World Health Organization standards.

Should you be interested, the device is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign. A pledge of £47 (about US$59) will get you one, when and if they reach production. The planned retail price is £55 ($69).

Sources: Indiegogo, QuenchSea

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8 comments
nick101
There should be one in every lifeboat.
candydale45
It'll quench ya! Nothing is quenchier! It's the quenchiest!

I really wonder if Nickelodeon has that slogan trademarked.
WB
Get this while it lasts. Any other sea water filtration system costs normally USD 1k... this is incredibly affordable if they can pull it off.
los_kiosk
Hold on - this article says it can desalinate 2 - 3 litres of water an hour. But if you were in a hot desert situated next to a salty lake (say, the Dead Sea in Israel). You would probably sweat out more than that, just pumping this device for a couple of hours !!
candydale45
One hour of pumping for just two liters of water? The amount of water forced though the filter must be absolutely minuscule. 2.000ml in 3.600 seconds - one thimbleful every two seconds or per stroke would be my estimate. Better than dying of thirst though, I'll give them that.
Aross
A solar or battery driven pump would make this a worthwhile product.
JEP43
Energy required to make a liter of potable water is hard to get around. Most membranes require 800-900 psi. Going solar (very big panel). Going Lithium based battery pack, expect to use 50 watts per hour. Current membranes are pricey and must stay wet. Still it could be a lifesaver. Let's see what happens.
Ronski
I don't think that your description isn't correct. The other tube is for the waste water. The brine output.
It looks like the fresh water is deposited to the round "lid" on the end of the device. It looks like it will give you a little bit of fresh water to sip.