Cheers, Bill Gates. Who wouldn't want drinking water made from POO?

Market failure

Gates estimates the largest issue affecting the rollout of effective technological solutions to poor countries' issues is that those who understood the technology were too insulated from those problems.

"The people who understood the technology weren’t getting sick or dying from contaminated water, and they didn’t know anyone who was. Nor was it clear how they could make a profit by working on the problem. It was a classic market failure," wrote Gates.

Now we have a business plan, an impassioned team of engineers, great in-country partners, and a pilot project in motion. I think we have a real shot at solving the sanitation problem.

"This is a great example of what can happen when we get bright people focused on the world’s biggest problems," added Gates.

Not everybody has been salivating at the thought of drinking this expensive brew, however.

.@BillGates Swell. When you're done with that can you release an OS that isn't default-set to sell my kids SSNs to the telemarketers?

— Popehat (@Popehat) August 13, 2015

Perhaps a reappraisal of priorities is due. ®