How could people use evaporation and condensation to clean drinking water?

Answer 1

Heat water and allow steam to collect on an inclined surface. As it cools the condensation will form droplets and roll to the lowest edge where it can be collected as clean water. Debris, dirty particles are left in the boiling container.

Answer 2

When water evaporates all impurities are left behind, so if you can then condense the evaporated water it will be perfectly clean.

There are simple ways of doing this using a plastic sheet, a stone and two containers.

1. Put dirty water in a large wide container, like a basin, in the sun.
2. Stand a smaller container in the middle of the dirty water.
3. Cover the large container with a sheet of plastic and weigh the centre down with a stone to direct drips into the smaller container.
4. Water vapour will rise from the dirty water, condense on the plastic sheet, and clean water will drip into the smaller container.