About Us
Pure Hydration was formed in 2008, but our origins and early development of innovative solutions for safe drinking water delivery stretch back to 1994, when founder Jon Grant recognised the need to reduce the environmental impact of disposable plastic water bottles in the workplace.
Having created a successful commercial solution to this issue in the shape of the ThirstPoint POU delivery system that would directly purify mains supplied water, Jon then expanded the scope of his product development to address an urgent military requirement. In 1995 he designed and supplied the ‘Survivor 1′ Survival Straw for insertion in the UK RAF aircrew combat survival waistcoat. Deployed with pilots during operations in the Balkans that year, this product was in service 10 years before other manufacturers introduced straw-type filters which were often then claimed to be the first such products available.
While some companies have stuck with this now dated concept to the present day, Pure Hydration has continued to move forward in the development of more advanced Individual Water Purification (IWP) devices. As an engineer with a flair for developing combined mechanical and chemical solutions, Jon was next inspired to invent the original aquapure traveller™ (APT) bottle in 1996 for circumstances where you can’t trust the water coming out of a tap, or because there is no clean piped drinking water available in the first place.
It was originally envisaged that the APT would primarily meet the needs of outdoor activities enthusiasts in remote locations, and, as it was quickly taken on board by increasing numbers of international expedition teams and environmentally aware overseas travellers, it was soon realised that its value extended to providing the assurance of safe drinking water across the breadth of the business and leisure travel health sector.
A second version of Pure Hydration’s core purification technology was launched in 2001 which used a combination of carbon and iodine resin to enable the removal of viruses from contaminated water, a competence which still defeats many filter technologies today. After producing impressive performance test results at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the aquapure traveller™ was endorsed by the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, in 2001, and by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in 2008.
With this broad spectrum microbiological contaminant removal capability established, the specialist requirements of humanitarian emergency assistance and military users subsequently led to dedicated product range extensions, but whether intended to provide for the safety of private travellers, the victims of natural and man-made catastrophes or to ensure the maintenance of critical operational capability for armed forces, our ethos of creating solutions that are genuinely fit for purpose has remained a core guiding principal.
A further step forward was taken in 2011 with the launch of Pure Hydration’s 3rd generation purification technology, Mechanically Advanced Disinfection, or M.A.D.®. The fusion of this class leading purification technology with practical ease of use and outstanding durability remains a hallmark of the current aquapure traveller™ and related M.A.D.® systems.
In 2017 Pure Hydration renewed its focus on the waste created by single use plastic drinking water bottles. After research into the growing alternative use and supply of stainless steel vacuum bottles, testing identified that many of the conventional products on offer suffered from the same inherent design flaws, low quality materials and finish, and avoidable low standards of manufacturing.
In 2018 the ICE° Bottle was launched to address these issues with a re-engineered design from the base up, innovative fabrication techniques using premium grade materials, and state of the art printing technology for durable high definition graphics.
The ICE° Bottle was initially taken on board by WWF UK and the RSPB, with a bespoke range of original designs by artist Elizabeth Grant that has since been extended to meet continuing demand. With significant new partnerships in development, and release of such as the complementary ICE° Cap filter scheduled for 2020, Pure Hydration now offers its widest ever range of responsible solutions for individuals and organisations seeking to respond to the global threats of waterborne contaminants and single use plastic pollution.