Glad to hear that your mending and welcome back to the asylum.

As for your noble goal of solving potable global water problems, there cannot be one single answer for all conditions. If there be one answer then it would already be implemented. The idea that comes to my mind is the generic idea of a dew catcher. There are so many different ways that one can make a dew catcher that I choose to provide the Google link. Several enterprising companies sell fully engineered systems you might consider. These systems work very well in moderate to high humidity climates.

In very dry climates, one common technique is the use of cisterns and drainage systems to capture and prevent the rare rain from simply leaching into the ground.

Hi Agua-doc,

Glad to hear you are recovering, and still inspired by this important goal.

There have been some interesting articles posted here about new approaches to various water problems in the last while, which you may or not have missed. I was interested in a story about a new pump system for agricultural purposes and followed up with some searches. What impressed me at the time is the great number of organizations focused on water issues, with diverse strategies and focus areas.

To answer your first question, I would read up on some or all of these many sites and organizations, authenticate and identify those who have similar goals and strategies to your own, and network with the like-minded folks and their connections for the launch of your website.

Second question, check out all the sites, and then decide how your contribution will be different and fit into the big picture and diverse efforts towards the same goal.

Third question, I think you are wrong to suspect that NGO's with specific projects would dislike your plan to make a site informing people about accessible technologies for water. The project of bringing clean water to the third world is enormous - no one can do it all or alone. A site that provides as many as possible designs, technologies, plans, accessible to the user is a great idea. Dovetailing with other efforts is the key to make an effective contribution, they are all working with the same goal in mind. Good luck!

At the beginning there were a lot of water. Man started polluting it with debris,oil,waste etc as well as by burying/dumping even poisonous or nuclear waste,pesticides,chemicals etc in land,sea and waterways. Man created acid rain too. Ultimately there is little good water in the world for drinking,without treatment. Men and even plants,animals,birds etc will fall sick by consuming contaminated water or eating food prepared using dirty water. It is worse than energy crisis. Another problem is wasting water. Look at Israel how the economically use their water resources. We should reduce,reuse,recycle water. Nothing can survive without water.

Solutions to global water problem:

* Don't lose water to sea. Ensure effective retention of rain water on land-

By flood / rain run off water diversion & above land storage by walled structures around ponds / lakes, so that we can improve the capacity, as well avoid over flow drain to sea.

*Harvest rain water[ free of cost distillation] above sea and pass to remote land end users.

*Provision of treated, disinfected clean water by treatment plants.

* Waste water [ Sewage & trade wastes ] collection, treatment & reuse preferably to forestry & agriculture.

*Water conservation, water replacement approaches.

*Effective fresh water & water water conduction & transport systems.

I recommend including some information on Berkley water filters in your information. I don't understand why these are not in widespread use in remote villages. One system small enough to be carried by a child can supply safe drinking water for 325 people a day indefinitely, and costs less than $500.00 USD.

I don't hump products normally, but I have one of these in my emergency kit, and have used it with pond water. I can speak for this technology.

Aqua doc: I am very glad to hear you are recovering from your stroke. Keep working at it and things will gradually get better. Your ideas as are well founded and certainly important issues to many not as fortunate as ourselves. I am a retired (health issues) older guy but know very little about internet or even social networks. However, I do have a lot of experience in the water industry with locating, designing wells, pumping, and treatment. I have specific knowledge and interest in geochemistry and ground water microbiology. If you are looking for technical advice on any of these aspects, I feel I could contribute. There are a host of very good organizations that would be interested in connecting with someone willing to spread the word about safe water. The National Ground Water Association, American Water Works Ass, World Health Organization , and a plethora of safe water for the world organizations. It always is wise to get references and information if you are to partner with an NGO.

Stay on the mend, take your meds, and enjoy life. We are on the right side of the grass.

Water ecology aggregator sites are a dime a dozen. Pick the best one and work with them. Don't let ego get in the way of the goal...

They say a world-war might breakout for water due to the spectator-mindedness of the UN . For instance when Sudan completes the dam across Nile Egypt won't get sufficient water. South indian state of Tamilnadu is deprived of water from 3 adjoining states by building dams across rivers delivering water to that state. In Srilanka,the northern district,where there are no rivers and closer to river Mahaveli's discharge point into the sea do not get water from river Mahaveli but north-western district which is very far away gets. Water is used as a weapon of genocide depriving certain communities in different parts of the world.It may be the case in many countries. But river Meekong flowing from China,Vietnam,Laos,Cambodia to Thailand has been managed properly by declaring that nobody should build dam across the river but only across its tributories.

there are already charitable organizations trying to tackle this problem and have done alot of good work in africa by drilling wells, but they lack funding.

raising money might be the best solution.

Instead of spending money on armed forces,weapons,racism etc it is worth spending on water purification/filtering/harvesting etc.We need a meaningful UN to control member states.

agreed.

a g.a from me

I read your post this morning as I was checking my e-mail. Almost at the same time, I read of a new kind of water treatment at http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/food-and-drink/features/whisky-waste-offers-water-of-life-1-2515029. I too had a major stroke and then bust a leg! Good luck (you can find me at www.hartwell.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk)

Spent barley husks may be already contaminated. I can imagine it working something akin to activated carbon but as multi-pollutant filtering material I will remain a skeptic. I think whiskey is loaded with disinfection capacity called alcohol. So I will stick to the odd glass of scotch. Wasn't weak beer at one time the beverage everyone drank including kids? In medieval times week beer (because of alcohol content) was very common for all and safer than water. The discovery of coffee using boiled water is called the beginning off the age of enlightenment because the intellects of that era finally sobered up. Hope the Scots are on to something despite my skepticism.

How about just living where there is water?

Comes down to attitude, good governance and planning. Folk pretty much reap what they sow and get the governments they deserve..

Any externally implemented "solutions" are doomed to failure. No ownership, no value.

Israelis and Arabs survive although they have less water due to "wealth" and "self-government". If Colonial rulers give unworkable political system where one community rules another disaster is unavoidable while UN is "watching".

Then change your political system!

Something about the blood of patriots comes to mind here.

Britishers have mentioned in the constitution that "it could be changed only by 2/3rd of the legislator's vote" while affected community is only 1/6th of the population. They are busy in supporting USA/NATO to kill innocent people worldwide.

So if 2/3 of the legislators vote to amend the constitution, then the % required for future amendments could be made lower?

I would not think that 5/6 of the population would object to the 1/6 getting sufficient water, so long as that would not entail them going without.

I have never known anyone to live where there is no water.

Most of the great ancient civilisations, sprang on the banks of great rivers.

Exactly.

Water and transport. It's all about location.

If you live in an environment where water is scarce don't populate it beyond its capacity.

If you live where water is abundant then don't cr4p in it or if you have to then make sure you have the wherewithal to decr4p it.

If you are "forced" to relocate due to resource corruption then leave those corrupting behaviours behind.

There's a reason why the lands of milk and honey are, why they are, the way they are and it has nothing to do with backward "traditions".

Best I shaddup for now.

i think we're reffering to third world counties where people don't even understand about contaminated water as in involves water born diseases

Sounds like a self correcting situation then.

I don't know. But if you put your last paragraph first perhaps some of the people on this site might read your question and try to answer it, instead of trying to tell you something you are not asking.

I guess these days there is no way around step 1 for getting the word out there: Set up a Facebook site for the project, then let us all know

Canadian Reverse Osmosis Company

Manufacturers and distributors of R.O. systems.

What is social media all about and what is it good for?

These guys would love to chat with you about steam engines.