Many people believe that you have to boil water to make it safe to drink. In fact, if you heat water to 65° C (149° F), all of the germs that can cause disease in humans are killed. It takes much more fuel to boil water than to heat it to 65° C. To learn more about this, see Water Pasteurization Frequently-Asked Questions.

Find out more information on this topic and add your own information in the Solar Cooking Archive Wiki.

Solar Cookers as Pasteurizers

• A Summary of Water Pasteurization Techniques (also in Italian)
• Recent Advances in Solar Water Pasteurization (also in Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish)
• Water safety clearly explained in an audio interview with Dr. Robert Metcalf (or read the transcript)
• Pasteurization of Naturally Contaminated Water with Solar Energy - Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Feb. 1984, p. 223-228
• New Water Pasteurization Technology Saves Lives in Developing Countries
• Enhancement of Solar Water Pasteurization with Reflectors
• A large collection of photos taken by Dr. Bob Metcalf on his many international projects where he teaches water quality and solar water pasteurization.
• Safe Water from Sunshine
• More information on this topic is available in the Solar Cooking Archive Wiki.

Other solar pasteurization devices

• AquaPak: A solar water pasteurizer now ready for world distribution
• Solar Kettle Thermos Flask now in commercial production
• The Solar Puddle Water Pasteurizer
• Flow-through pasteurization devices
• Soda Bottle Pasteurizer (also in French)
• The Watercone changes salt water or brackish water into potable water
• Sun and water: an overview of solar water treatment devices
• Solar water disinfection through plastic bottles
• Water Disinfection Using Solar Radiation
• Solar Disinfection Studies
• Solar Water Disinfection
• The Use of Ultraviolet Light to Disinfect Drinking Water in Developing Countries
• More information on this topic is available in the Solar Cooking Archive Wiki.

Pasteurization indicators (WAPIs)

• Solar Cookers International has created a reusable water pasteurization indicator called the WAPI
• The Possibility of Using Beeswax to Indicate Pasteurization Temperature
• More information on this topic is available in the Solar Cooking Archive Wiki.

 Other water treatment methods

• Moringa Seeds Used in Water Purification

Water testing and pathogens

• Dr. Bob Metcalf's 2006 Granada conference presentation on solar water pasteurization. Audio: 16k, 8k -- Presentation: PDF
• The Science of Safe Water
• More information on this topic is available in the Solar Cooking Archive Wiki.