Patent ID: 7361904

Claim:
A point of use water purifier to supply germicidally treated water for use in rural areas having in combination: a) a first container having a supply reservoir chamber for receiving and holding a supply of water to be treated; b) a second container having a treatment reservoir chamber underlying the first container and in fluid flow communication with the supply reservoir chamber; c) a flow control valve connected to the supply reservoir chamber in the first container effective on demand to selectively control the flow of water to be treated from the supply reservoir chamber to the treatment reservoir chamber, the water in the treatment reservoir chamber presenting a planar exposed horizontal surface; d) a UV radiation source mounted horizontally in the second container and being substantially parallel to the planar exposed surface of the water in the treatment reservoir chamber effective to selectively expose the water to UV radiation for desired finite periods of time and thereby germicidally treat the water; e) a starter switch connected to an electrical power source effective to selectively provide energy to the UV radiation source to initially heat the radiation source and then to provide an operating voltage to provide UV radiation that is directed onto the exposed planar horizontal surface of water; f) a current control device connected to the starter switch and the UV radiation source effective to supply current to the UV radiation source at a proper level; and g) a dispenser connected to the treatment reservoir chamber in the second container effective to selectively dispense treated water.