A low-tech way to turn dew into fresh, usable water has been
developed by two architects at the Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology.
Inspired by the dew-collecting properties of leaves, the invention
can extract a minimum of 48 liters of fresh water from the air each day.
Depending on the number of collectors used, an unlimited daily supply
of water could be produced even in remote and polluted places. Their
invention recently won an international competition seeking to make
clean, safe water available to millions around the world.
The brainchild of Technion Architecture and Building Planning grad
student Joseph Cory and his colleague Eyal Malka, "WatAir" is an
inverted pyramid array of panels that collects dew from the air and
turns it into fresh water in almost any climate.
According to Cory, WatAir can be easily incorporated into both rural
and urban landscapes because it has a relatively small base. Its
vertical and diagonal design utilizes gravity to increase the collection
areas. The panels are flexible and easy to collapse when not in use, and
provide shelter from rain and heat and play areas for children.
The project was selected from 100 entries from North America, Europe,
Africa and Asia as the winner of the "drawing water challenge" sponsored
by Arup - a global firm of designers, engineers, planners and
business consultants specializing in innovative and sustainable
design.
"WatAir is a wonderfully simple concept which draws its inspiration
from nature," said competition judge Jo da Silva. "This is a simple and
effective idea using tried and tested technology."
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Drinking Water From Dew
