I was thinking about this question I got from Make magazine. After googling, it's online too! Since we are water experts - I thought I'll share this with you guys.

The Scenario
It is easy to forget that access to potable water is considered a luxury for most of the world. You are reminded of this fact on a trip to a rural village in East Asia. You learn from the locals that their water supply has been contaminated--the cause of recent illnesses that sound a lot like cholera and dysentary. In addition to dirt, sewage, bacteria and parasites, you suspect other contaminants such as arsenic and benzene from industrial dumping many miles upriver. Ideally, nobody should drink this water--but the villagers are unwilling to relocate.

The Challenge
Create a makeshift solution to filter and purify the water. The solution should be permanent and able to provide drinkable water for 20 to 30 people. Tool and materials at your disposal include materials that can be reasonably extracted from the environment and items on the supply list. You have 48 hours.

Supply List
2 barrels
1 bicycle with flat tires
1 car battery
6 1-liter plastic bottles of water
Various lengths of bamboo tubes (1" to 3" diameter)
Variety of tools (saw, hammer, pliers, hand drill)
Steel wool
Endless supply of coconuts
$10 in mixed American coins
Send a detailed description of your MakeShift solution with sketches and/or photos to [email protected] by July 1. If duplicate solutions are submitted, the winner will be determined by the quality of the explanation and presentation. The most plausible and creative solutions will each win a MAKE T-shirt. Think positive and include your shirt size and contact information with your description. Good luck! For winners' names plus readers' solutions to previous MakeShift challenges, visit makezine.com/makeshift.