LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- It may look like an air mattress you might see lying around next to a swimming pool but in reality its function could n't be less trivial . The Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin could play a major role in saving lives in the developing world . The Solar Water Disinfecting Tarpaulin ( SWDT ) -- a new portable water purifier -- could be a major step forward in the fight against disease and mortality in the Third World . Eric Olsen , a San Francisco-based architect and the inventor of the SWDT believes the product could help eradicate the scourge of polluted water which the World Health Organization ( WHO ) estimate claims over 1.5 million lives every year . Not only does it purify water -- up to 20 liters -- it makes it more portable in large quantities -- a vital dual role in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Central Asia where access to clean water is often scarce . `` There are lots of products that do one or the other , '' Olsen told CNN . `` There 's a really interesting product that 's been around for 10 or 12 years called the Hippo Water Roller -- a 20 gallon drum with a handle attached that allows people -- mostly women -- to transport a week 's worth of water back home '' . Olsen also points to another product developed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology ( Eawag ) that has successfully tackled water impurities . According to Eawag SODIS ( Solar Water Disinfection Process ) is already used by more than two million in over 30 countries . `` The idea of SWDT , '' he says , `` is to combine these two products and make them into something that can do both roles effectively '' . Made out of a top layer of recycled low-density polyethylene ( LDPE ) and a bottom layer of durable rubberized nylon , the SWDT is both flexible and robust . Its design was morphologically inspired by the saguaro cactus and is adaptable to a variety of situations -- as a wrap to carry or placed on the roof of a mud hut -- and is easy to store . The SWDT uses passive solar radiation -- a water sterilizing method approved by WHO -- which disrupts the reproduction of microorganisms . Heat and UVA radiation from the sun pass through the LDPE layer and into the water cavity and are reflected back by the bottom layer of nylon . On a sunny day purification takes five hours . Olsen admits that its performance is hampered by its low density -- scratches to the surface mean it does n't transmit the sun 's rays as effectively -- but he is confident that this can be overcome with more research . Production using a Radio Frequency Welding equipment may be relatively expensive but Olsen says that the raw materials are cheap and the labor is inexpensive . `` We are trying to imagine ways that this thing can be made and repaired by people where it is most needed , '' he said . `` We are working on a sheet welding process which is much lower tech , inexpensive and also capitalizes on the handcraft skills of local people '' . What started out as a solo effort a little over a year ago has gradually grown into a collaborative project . Olsen 's students at the California College of Arts , where he currently teaches -- he moves to a new post at Woodbury University this fall -- have lent their enthusiasm and experts from the bioscience and textile industries are increasingly coming on board . Olsen 's efforts have already been recognized . The SWDT won first prize in the 2008 Next Generation Design Competition run by Metropolis Magazine -- netting him $ 10,000 -- and he is waiting for conformation that the invention has been selected for Wired Magazine 's Next Fest show which takes place in Chicago later this year . So what next for Olsen and his invention ? The aim is to adapt the original design and turn it from a water carrying wrap into a fully fledged coat and he 's also looking at ways the material might be redrawn as a tent . He 's currently in the process of trying to qualify for non-profit status . And with the likes of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other institutions out there , he thinks the prospects for funding development and deployment look promising .
The Solar # ##proof Tarpaulin aims to reduces disease and pollution . The award - winning design by Chris Olsen is portable as well as a being a plant . Flexible and robust the design is morphologically inspired by the saguaro cactus .