Original story

SatWeb 26.7.2015

Watersaver bodysuit uses electrolytes and chemicals to purify sweat & urine for drinking water

(Grenoble, France)

Watersaver suits are becoming an increasingly common sight in Southern Europe and the Middle East, and they are by no means just a tool for adventurers who like to get off the beaten track. Initially the Watersaver was an extremely expensive item, and the market was limited to a handful of extreme trekkers and adventurers - of the increasingly rare “non-virtual” variety. Since then, we have seen the introduction of a new version that also offers the properties of a sophisticated heat exchange and control suit - the Enbody 6. At the same time the cost of the Watersaver outfit has fallen to about one-tenth of 2010 prices. Use of the suits is steadily increasing, especially in sub-tropical and tropical areas. Many of these regions suffer from acute shortages of water, and water is expensive. The heat extraction component of the suit keeps the wearer feeling comfortable, and also provides a useful source of onboard energy.

Today’s Watersaver suits are a far cry from the clumsy overalls of a few years ago, offering a sheath-like garment not much thicker than silk, and extremely comfortable to wear under all conditions. It collects both urine and perspiration through the skin. The fluid is circulated in microducts stitched into the outfit and a treatment unit turns the urine and sweat into perfectly potable water in a two-stage process, both electrically and chemically. The heat control unit automatically maintains the wearer’s skin temperature at an optimal level and generates the energy necessary to power the suit.

Users, especially people working in hot and humid conditions, have been very satisfied with the product, but complain that the distilled drinking water produced is quite tasteless and somewhat artificial. Watersaver S.A. are currently working on a plug-in device that will add to the water the normal minerals needed by the body, and improve the taste. The company even has plans for optional single-cup waterboilers to enable wearers to make tea or coffee.

Even under extreme desert conditions, a Watersaver user requires not much more than a decilitre of additional fluid intake each day. This breakthrough, coupled with the heat-regulating abilities of the suit, means that it is now possible for people to work or travel in remote and hostile climates where previously large quantities of water would have to be carried along. UNESCO has also seen the potential benefits and is distributing suits to children in areas where there is a shortage of water or where infected water supplies cause high infant mortality.

Already in the Mediterranean countries and the Middle East, where water prices have spiralled, as many as 1 person in 50 can be found wearing Watersaver suits, particularly after the manufacturers met the dress demands of religious groups in the region. Watersaver S.A. believe that with continuous product development the water-recovery outfits will in time almost completely replace everyday garments outside of the temperate zones. In an interesting recent development, it has been rumoured that a large unnamed multinational consortium has approached Watersaver to install a unit that will allow the purified water to be mixed with cola- or juice concentrates and carbon dioxide to provide a walking supply of carbonated soft drinks.

Toteuma-arvio 2026

Toteuma lyhyesti

  • Ilmiön toteuma: 2/5
  • Toteuma viiden vuoden tarkkuudella: ei; arviointi-ikkuna on 2010–2020
  • Toteuma väljemmällä aikahorisontilla: vain osajärjestelminä
  • Ilmiön ydin: puettava suljetun kierron järjestelmä puhdistaa hien ja virtsan takaisin juomavedeksi kuumissa ja kuivissa oloissa.

Avaruusasemilla virtsaa kierrätetään vedeksi ja vaatteisiin on kehitetty hien keräystä, jäähdytystä ja kehon tilan mittausta. Yhdessä tavallisessa puettavassa asussa toimivaa henkilökohtaista vedenkiertoa ei kuitenkaan ole.

Johtopäätös: ennuste tavoitti suljetun vesikierron tarpeen, mutta varsinainen puettava ilmiö ei toteutunut.