Systems that recycle 'greywater' from sinks, showers, and laundry aren't new, but since it's difficult to fully purify used water, it often ends up just being used to water plants in the backyard. This shower is different: the same water can be used for washing up to 50 times in a row.
Developed in France and Bahrain, the shower is different in another major way, too—it's mobile, and made for use outside, rather than in a bathroom. The full system, including LED lighting, is powered by solar panels. The system uses a main water container that holds around 50 liters of water. As someone showers, the water drains into a second container, where it's filtered and purified, and sent back for reuse.
How could this technology be adapted for use inside a grid-connected home, or made inexpensive enough for families living in poverty off the grid? The shower is currently priced at a staggering €10,000, or about $13,270, versus the average cost of an in-home shower installation in the United States of around $2,000-$3,000.
Despite the pricetag, and the fact that it's probably impractical for most people in its current form, it's an interesting design. Water use is already a huge issue for people living in drought-prone areas, and will become more of an issue because of climate change. In some places, using water actually helps cause climate change—in California, pumping water adds up to 22 percent of all the electricity used in the state, and much of that power still comes from fossil fuels.
More information at Geopure (in French).
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