Elizabeth Royte‘s new book is called Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It. I haven’t read it yet, but I gather that it ably summarizes the growing economic and environmental backlash against bottled water.
So maybe the world is ready for the Xziex Atmospheric Water Generator, a tiny machine that makes “fresh clean water from thin air” and encourages people to “say goodbye to bottled water.”
This is certainly an interesting idea, but — aside from the fact that “Xziex” is impossible to pronounce and that its website’s language sounds like a late-night infomercial script — I wonder if it will flourish because:
1. It doesn’t fulfill one of the main conveniences of bottled water, which is portability.
2. If you are dissatisfied enough with your tap water to drink bottled water, will you really be willing to drink water from the air that may be similarly polluted?
On the other hand, in parts of the world where clean water of any kind is in great need, I can imagine that such a machine would be an absolute godsend.
I would love to hear more from readers who know the science, politics, and economics of water.
and 
. You can also watch it on 
This is basically just a dehumidifier with filters
the Xziex machine is only sold through an MLM. If it’s such a revolutionary idea and a great product, they would offer direct sales to the public.
By the way, the link you provided is to the website of one of the MLM sales people. I hope you don’t know the guy personally, that would be a conflict of interest.
A machine was featured on The Colbert Report a few months ago that could change any liquid into clean water.
If there is a device that can change rainwater, milk or urine into something drinkable, I might be more willing to invest there.
But I’m not sure how keen I am on drinking my old pee.
I’ve heard it proposed that cities should deliver two types of water – a basic water (for laundry, bathing, watering the garden) and a purified water (for drinking, cooking, etc). Charging a higher price for purified water makes it possible for municipalities to offer a quality of water similar to bottled water.
Regarding the bottled themselves, I am all for a tax, perhaps assessed to manufacturers at the time of their tax returns, on packaging. It could be analyzed for each product on a surface-ratio of packaging to volume of usable product. Especially with consumer goods (think a razor, a camera memory card, etc) the mass of the packaging is often several times the mass of the item.
I think I have one of these. I call it a “Dehumidifier” though, and as a water generation method it’s certainly energy-inefficient, given that a well dug in my area supplies a hundred gallons a minute for about the same energy expenditure.
To Anna (#5): The massive fixed costs of establishing a second water infrastructure to deliver two different kinds of water would make implementing such a system highly unlikely. If you were in a country where no infrastructure currently exists, the marginal cost of laying two sets of pipes instead of one would be reasonable.
The politics of bottled water stems from the false comparison that bottled water is an alternative to municipal water. In reality, bottled water is a healthy alternative to carbonated soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, etc.
The environmental concern for the petroleum used in plastic bottles and to transport them, though accurate, is more aptly aimed at these other drinks who distribute many more units comprised of much more material.
I have no idea what the “Xziex” does even after going to their site … but I have heard of the Watercone (http://www.watercone.com/). It’s basically a plastic cone that you place over water; it heats up inside, condensation clings to it, and when it collects enough, you empty it.
The Watercone markets itself as a “desalinator” since you can suspend it above ocean water and get drinkable water out of it (basically, it’s distilled water). It could bring potable water to places like Saudi Arabia, where desalination (either chemical or electrical) is an expensive process.
No, I don’t work with or for the Watercone folks, I just like devices that are simple, elegant and useful.