Build a single-basin style solar water distiller yourself to purify water without electricity or water pressure. Beware using potentially poisonous materials in your solar still--even 100% silicone is toxic unless it is food-grade. This book covers how stills work, the easy, better, and best solar stills, commercial stills, kits and plans that are available, and how to build your own cheap and easy for simple water purification using just the sun's energy. TABLE OF CONTENTS (chapters, page numbers): INTRODUCTION 2 SOLAR DISTILLER BASICS 5 What is a Solar Distiller/Still? How Does it Work? Solar Distiller Plans Where do I Place it? Finding Solar South HOW SOLAR STILLS WORK 15 How Good is the Water? Storing Distilled Water Beware of Bottled Water The Superior Solar Still WHERE STILLS ARE USED 24 EPSEA Solar Still Projects Colonias and Developing Nations IS CITY WATER SAFE? 37 SOLAR WATER DISINFECTION 43 Solar Ovens for Solar Water Pasteurization MATERIALS & TIPS 51 Materials Materials to Avoid Mistakes People Make THE CHEAP SOLAR STILL 58 Emergency Solar Still Condensation Trap Solar Still THE BETTER SOLAR STILL 63 The Multi-Level/Troughed Still The Wicking Still THE BEST SOLAR STILL 68 Single Basin Still Important Rules for Making a Still COMMERCIAL STILLS 80 Multi-Trough or Array Style Stills Single Basin Passive Solar Stills Hybrid Family or Industrial-Sized Solar Distillers Hill Kemp Solar Still Interview Notes BEYOND DISTILLATION 100 Fog Collection Geographical Considerations for Fog Collectors Mimicking Nature for Fog Collectors and Distillers Dew Collection ABOUT SOLAR WATER DISTILLER CONSTRUCTION PLANS 109 PROBLEMS IN TEXAS COLONIAS 112 Sharon Buydens first served on the Board of Directors as Secretary and newsletter editor for the El Paso Solar Energy Association (www.espea.org) starting in 1989 (under her previous name). After learning about passive solar home design, and teaching workshops, attending events, promoting solar on Earth Day committees, she designed and built a passive solar straw bale house in Nebraska. Upon returning to El Paso in 1999 she became EPSEA's Project Manager for three bi-national and EPA grants to install solar water distillers in border colonias; she was first female EPSEA President in 2001. Today Sharon writes books and teaches others about the many practical aspects of solar energy.