Invention could be used by army and aid agencies
- Military technology goes on show in London

James Randerson, science correspondent

The Guardian, Wednesday March 12 2008

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/mar/12/sciencenews.military 
This article appeared in the Guardian on Wednesday March 12 2008 on p16 of the UK news section. It was last updated at 00:05 on March 12 2008.
The water in Michael Pritchard's fishtank came straight from his garden pond and it showed. The greenish gunk looked and smelled like it ought not to go anywhere near a human digestive system. "It's got fish poo and everything in there," said Pritchard. But after pumping it through his lightweight, handheld device it came out crystal clear and he even persuaded some onlookers to taste it.

The Lifesaver bottle was one of several inventions at a show of military technology hosted by the National Army Museum in Chelsea, central London, yesterday. Many, such as Pritchard's invention and a newly developed acoustic cat's eye, should have numerous civilian applications as well.

"The main reason I invented [the Lifesaver bottle] was for the aid market, the disaster market," he said. Once a hurricane or earthquake hits, one of the most pressing logistical needs is to provide clean drinking water to the victims.

"The old thinking has been we ship them water, particularly in the first days and weeks. Well that's very expensive and a logistical nightmare, but it has been the only way we've been able to do it," he said. A transport plane can typically hold enough bottled water for 800 people for a month. The same plane can carry 125,000 Lifesaver bottles. At one bottle per family, that's enough to keep half a million people in drinking water for 16 months.