Water everywhere; now, drops to drink

When natural disasters strike, basics like potable water always become scarce.

To help solve that problem, former Microsoft engineer Paul Marcuzzo has designed a portable device that can purify four gallons of water a minute using solar power and ultra-violet light. Two units are now on their way to Haiti.

Marcuzzo owns and manages a company called Fourwinds Enterprises in Punta Gorda that specializes in designing alternative-power devices that can work in remote locations. For example, he's created wind and solar-powered generators to power remote cameras for ports to track cargo vessels.

An investor helped Marcuzzo with $100,000 to design the water-purification system that weighs 92 pounds and can purify 1,000 gallons of water on a single charge. Smaller “grab-n-go” versions of the purifier weigh less, one as little as nine pounds.

Naturally, charity relief organizations are likely buyers, though Marcuzzo is working with a distributor who has connections with emergency agencies in the U.S. “We're getting a lot of interest,” Marcuzzo says.