THE COLLECTION
Stephan Augustin (German, born 1967)
Watercone water-collection device
- Manufacturer:
- Wisser Verpackungen GmbH
- Date:
- 1999
- Medium:
- Makrolon polycarbonate
- Dimensions:
- 11 3/4 x 31 1/2" (30 x 80 cm) diam.
- Credit Line:
- Gift of Augustin Produktentwicklung
- MoMA Number:
- 87.2006.a-b
SAFE: Design Takes On Risk
, October 16, 2005–January 2, 2006Curator, Paola Antonelli: In some parts of the world, fresh water can be a craving—a need that is not adequately fulfilled. You see here three representations of the extreme need for water. The Water Cone is a very simple polycarbonate plastic cone with a circular lip at its base that collects water that evaporates, and enables people to drink it. It's for places on earth where there's droughts or where water is very rare. By evaporation, water gets somewhat purified so it's very useful in areas of the world where the only water present is salted [...].
Born out of Necessity
March 2, 2012–January 28, 2013
When water is evaporated and condensed, chemicals, sand, and most harmful organisms are left behind, making the water safe to drink. A one-step distillation process, the Watercone is composed of a clear plastic cone and a black plastic pan. Salty or brackish water is poured into the pan; the black plastic absorbs the heat from the sun, evaporating the water, which condenses on the walls of the cone then drips into the lip at the base of the cone, where it is collected. When full, the cone can be turned upside down and the drinkable water funneled into containers. Based on evaporation levels tested in Casablanca, Morocco, each cone can produce up to about 1.5 liters (3 pints) of clean water a day.
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