PA Pure – Electrolytic Water Purifier

The PA Pure by Potable Aqua is an Easy to use water purification system ideal for large group and long trips. It’s easy to use, requires no pumping or expensive replacement parts and little to no maintenance. Using the same advanced electrolysis process found in city water purification it needs only salt and water to kill viruses, bacteria, Giardia and Cryptosporidium – those nasties that can make you seriously ill on the trail.

Let’s look at the features and then talk about how it performed in this summer’s testing.

 

Product Features and Components

• PA Pure Electrolysis device
  • Weight – 7 oz with all accessories
  • Purifies up to 20 liters of water at a time
  • Kills bacteria, viruses, Giardia and Cryptosporidium
  • Purifies 150 Liters per charge
  • USB and Solar Charging
  • Built in Flashlight
• USB Cable and Adapter
• Brine Bottle
• Test Strips
• Lanyard
• Travel Bag
• MSRP: $119.99 ($115 on Amazon)

Testing

This device was our go to water purification device this summer. We tested it on day trips to weekend back country backpacking trips to a 4-day wilderness canoe trip.

Performance

First off, I should say that I’m an ambassador for Potable Aqua. The reason I accepted the ambassadorship was because I believe in the technology behind the PA Pure… and I was looking for the ideal group backpacking solution for our troop of Jr. Adventures (a.k.a. our four kids). Let’s get to the straight, honest goods.

Water Purification: The PA Pure gets full marks for effectiveness. Like we said earlier, this is the same process used to purify your drinking water for your tap. It’s proven, reliable and efficient.

Ease of Use: The actual process of purifying water is simple.  See the video above to see it in action. It’s straight forward and if you’re not sure if it worked you can use the testing strips to double check.

Device: The device is durable and easy to use. The included solar panel for field charging is a fantastic addition, helping to ensure you can always have clean water. The device is intuitive and take very little time to learn how to use it effectively and efficiently. The only challenge we found was seeing the LEDs in full sunlight, but shading the device with our hand was an easy solution.

What do we think?

What are the key features that we like most about this device?

• It kills all the bacteria, viruses and protozoa you’re likely to encounter on your trip
• It uses proven water purification technology used around the world to purify our drinking water
• It is ideal for groups (up to 20 liters at a time)
• It doesn’t require maintenance (like back flushing)
• It doesn’t require expensive replacement parts (like $50 replacement filters)
• It has a built in solar charger for potentially unlimited use on your trip
• It’s fast and easy to prepare your water
• Water can be easily tested to ensure it is pure

What are areas of improvement?

• The LEDs are hard to see when filtering in daylight
• Chemical purification requires more time to purify (30 minutes for most water, 4 hours for Cryptosporidium)

We always stay ahead of the game by purifying new water before we need it. By drinking our clean water at the water source and then purifying new water then and there the 30 minutes of hiking, playing or fishing flies by.

Overall we found this system to be an easy-to-use, lightweight, reliable and efficient way to purify water. It is fantastic for groups or families where more water is needed.

For $120 the PA Pure is hard to beat as a reliable way to purify water for individuals and especially groups. It is now our go-to water purification method for all group or family trips.

Disclaimer: We received the PA Pure free of charge. All reviews and opinions are our own and what we recommend to family and friends.