Most people’s main source for drinking and using water comes from a standard faucet. Some are shiny, some have a matte finish, some pull out with a wand, and some have streams as well as sprays. But for the most part, they’re simply faucets. All you have to do is turn it on and allow the water to run. It’s a high quality and convenient resource that often gets taken for granted.
However, a fun, new invention that I recently read about could change the way you perceive water by adding an optical sense to the way you already taste and feel it. Swirl is a water-conserving faucet that uses a group of powerful turbines that release many jets of water in a swirly stream of geometric patterns.
The concept was dreamt up by London-based designer and 2014 Concept Design Award winner Simin Qiu. Swirl was created from Qiu’s idea of the qualities of water and as a representation of nature and life in an effort to “give the real form back to water.”
What I like most besides the aesthetically pleasing appearance is its environmental benefits. The spiral formation helps reduce water consumption by 15%. For those of us concerned with the environment and conservation, this feature is an added benefit to the beauty.
Speed and temperature are two other benefits of Swirl. Water is released from the turbines 0.4 times faster than a standard faucet. With one touch of a button, the water is released in a gentle fashion. The temperature of the water is set in advance. Both features add to Swirl’s convenience and energy saving qualities.
So where can you purchase Swirl? The answer is… you can’t. It’s currently in the prototype stage of development, however the concept has a lot of potential.
Pushing the scope of new technology, especially in the water industry, benefits everyone. It is evident that Swirl possesses value and opportunity and also contributes to new innovation and advances. Tap water is a part of our daily lives. It’s only right that we do everything we can to keep improving it, and it doesn’t hurt that it can look pretty when it comes out.