HELSINKI — With the constant droughts in California and in many other parts of the world, long, hot baths are mostly a luxury. But with new technology, it might be possible to enjoy an unlimited amount of time in the shower, while still saving water.
A system called Showerloop recycles shower water and sends it on a continuous loop — allowing longer showers with less waste.
According to the Showerloop website, the system works by first collecting the used water and cleaning it through filtration. A screen removes hair and other objects, sand filters out particles, activated carbon removes smells and chemicals, and ultraviolet light kills bacteria.
With the water already hot to begin with, very little heat energy is needed to maintain its temperature as it loops around.
After the shower, the water can either go down the drain or be reused for other things like laundry or toilet-flushing.
The whole design is available open source, allowing other people to build their own and improve on the system. The developers aim to create a complete household water loop in the near future to create a substantial decrease in water consumption, without the need to sacrifice comfort.
