If you live in a soft water area, simple de-ionisation is all you need to purify your water. For most of us, reverse osmosis and DI is the solution,.. but some very clever industry moguls are harvesting rainwater which is already extremely pure.
Poles have come a long way in recent years,.. with some of the 60 foot carbon fibre ones weighing less than your old 12' unger extension pole!
It isn't very expensive to get the basic setup,.. especially if you go DIY on some of it,.. but its much faster and much safer. It's well worth researching for a few weeks before you commit to buy any equipment though.