The logic of solar stills is simple. Water heated turns into vapour. Vapour condenses on the underside of any cover containing it, the condensed droplets give in to gravity and fall from the lowest point. These how-to videos explains how solar stills work, but it can be done with any kind of containers with a large one that can be covered containing the dirty water, and a smaller one inside to collect clean water.
This will be better done with large tubs for enough water for drinking.
This simple knowledge can be used to create solar stills from buckets of dirty water covered with a plastic sheet placed in direct sunlight. In the middle of the bucket, stand a jug. On the middle of the plastic sheet on top, put a stone or other weight, so that it sags in the middle. Water evaporates from the heat of the sun and condenses on the underside of the plastic sheet. Droplets condensed on the plastic sheet, flow down the slope toward the middle of the bucket and fall into the jug. The water in the jug is clean, drinking water.
In the absense of the sun for solar stills, a large pot can be put on the stove, with an inverted lid and a smaller pot inside. A solar still can even be made over a hole in the ground containing dirty water.This is an example with a pit in the ground covered by a large tarpaulin sheet – you can see that the water is really wet mud more than water – still creates clean water:
For using water in large quantities, it is not required to distill it. For such purposes, the sediment and large impurities in the water may be settled rapidly using alum or adding powdered, dried drumstick seeds.
This information should be made into a Public Service message and broadcast on TV to help the drought victims who are forced to drink unhygienic water.
