the process of water purification usually requires a tenuous amount of labour – pre-treatment screenings and chlorination, pH adjustments, and disinfection being a few of the formal approaches of achieving clean H2O. as this takes time and resources, dutch designer lukas jajer has developed a purification system that bypasses the un-natural methods of distilling water.

conceived as a series of bowls, his project 'puur zuiveren' demonstrates the liquid transition from 'turbid to clear'. using a mix of clay and fine sawdust heated in an oven at 850 degrees celsius, the material retains a porous characteristic, making it ideal for purifying liquids at a faster rate. by adding colloidal silver, remaining traces of bacteria are killed, extending the shelf life of the final product. with five different types of sawdust density used in each of the objects, water is able to seep through at variable speeds.
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/24771/natural-water-filtration-systems-puur-zuiveren-by-lukas-jager.html