Bottle uses UV light to sterilize unsafe drinking water

New from California-based CamelBak the All Clear water bottle uses a built-in UV light to eliminate impurities and make water safe for drinking.

Disinfecting water of questionable purity is a challenge we’ve seen tackled numerous ways over the years, but recently we came across one we hadn’t seen before. New from California-based CamelBak, the All Clear water bottle uses a built-in UV light to eliminate impurities and make water safe for drinking. Ultraviolet light has been used as a germicidal disinfection agent in water treatment facilities for decades, but CamelBak’s new All Clear bottle aims to make it available to travelers, campers and others on the go. Users of the device begin by filling it with water from any tap, stream or spigot and then securing the UV cap. They then hold down the power button for two seconds and rotate the bottle back and forth, allowing the ultraviolet light to destroy and neutralize waterborne viruses and bacteria. A full 99.9999 percent of bacteria, 99.99 percent of viruses and 99.9 percent of protozoa are sterilized by the device, CamelBak says, and a built-in LCD screen shows when the purification cycle is complete. The video below explains the premise in more detail. Priced at USD 99, the All Clear bottle can sterilize 0.75 liters of water in 60 seconds, and its bulb lasts more than 10,000 cycles, the company says, or enough to purify three liters per day for nearly seven years. Two rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries built into the cap deliver 80 or more cycles per full charge. Currently, however, the device is available only in the United States. Retailers around the globe: time to get involved?