When it comes to getting clean, purified water, we’re a lot better equipped for the task in our 21st century kitchen than when we’re 21 miles into the backwoods. After all, you can’t exactly carry around that bulky water filter, nor can you pick up your whole sink and take it with you wherever you go. But here to provide a more elegant solution is LaVie, a new Kickstarter project that promises to provide unlimited, pure mineral water with nothing more than a small wooden box. Meant for folks in developing countries to have easy access to clean drinking water, the LaVie leverages UV-A light treatment to ensure that the water that comes out of the box is cleaner than the water that went into it.
With no filter to speak of and no complex gadgets or gizmos to install, the LaVie may just be the simplest appliance in your home. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective than the rest of your smart home. To use the purifying bamboo box, users need only to place a bottle filled with normal tap water into the device, which is outfitted with a special LED light. The purifying process is said to start automatically, and within 15 minutes, the LaVie will alert you that your water is ready to be drunk.
The secret is the LaVie’s patented UV-A light technology that purports to break down chlorine, “releasing powerful free radicals that will destroy bacteria and viruses, pesticides and traces of drugs, tastes, and odors,” as per the team’s Kickstarter page. What’s unclear is how well the LaVie works with truly non-potable water — while it’s one thing to be able to purify the water that comes out of most American home taps, it’s entirely different to address the water needs of the developing countries LaVie is said to benefit.
That said, if you’re looking for a cost effective and environmentally friendly way to purify your drinking water, LaVie may be able to do the trick. After all, you no longer have to buy bottle after bottle of mineral water — just fill up LaVie’s included glass bottle with the water you already have on hand and let the UV-A light go to work.
Of course, you should always exercise caution when it comes to backing crowdfunding campaigns. However, if you are interested in showing your support for LaVie, the team is offering early bird pricing of $180 for the full system, which includes the LaVie bamboo box (with the UV-A LED light), a 220V power supply, and a tempered-glass bottle.