Can solar water-treatment really help in the fight against water shortages?

In the face of increasing global population, rising industrialization and the inescapablereality of climate change, the demand for access to clean, safe water has neverbeen greater. Solar wastewater remediation technologies and solar water-treatmenthave the potential to contribute significantly towards affordable and sustainablesolutions to this seemingly intractable problem. They do this by using solar energyto treat water from sources that previously would have been considered unsuitablefor further use. In this article we reveal the basic principles surrounding the designand application of solar remediation reactors for urban wastewater treatment andreuse and then show how even simpler technologies are being used in low-incomecommunities to provide affordable and safe potable water.