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David K. Israel
Green Water
by David K. Israel - October 9, 2008 - 7:24 AM

If you’re up on your environmental news, you already know water is a big issue. We’re not only running out of clean tap water, we’re spending billions of dollars and polluting the environment as we haul bottled water all over the country (much of which comes from municipal water supplies). Drought is such an issue here in California, desalinization plants are starting to pop up in the Pacific, but they’re controversial too because of the negative effects on our fragile aquatic ecosystems. It’s only a matter of years before water is more prized than oil.

dewpointe.jpgSo what’s the answer? How to avoid water wars in the near future and how to quench our thirst for clean drinking water in an increasingly toxic environment? One answer might be the new technology behind DewPointe Atmospheric Water Generator. Made by Atmospheric Water Systems, the DewPoint device, which looks like a sleek, futuristic water cooler, extracts water from the air, filters it, and keeps about six gallons, hot and/or cold, in storage as long as the unit is plugged in. Maybe best of all, the water is 99.99% free of all chemicals and contaminants and the device only costs about $0.60 per day to keep plugged in, much like your fridge.
So how does it work? Well, without getting too technical, the DewPointe makes indoor rain, condensing and collecting the moisture much like a dehumidifier might. But unlike a dehumidifier, the water collected is filtered many different ways (including pre- and post-carbon filtered and ultra-violet-ly). According to Atmospheric Water Systems, there are 3.1 quadrillion gallons of water in the atmosphere for the taking at any given time—a big number that might produce big-time relief in the future. Anyone already have the DewPoint or another, similar device? Let us know what you think.

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Comments (11)

  1. Yes, I’m dreading the day we start living like those in Tank Girl world. They’ll be draining us of water as soon as we kick the bucket . . .

    posted by nutmeag on 10-9-2008 at 8:32 am

  2. We have a dew point in our office. to tell you the truth, i had no idea what it was or how it worked until i read this article. i just was reading and was like “holy moley, that’s our water cooler!” pretty cool though.

    posted by Gary on 10-9-2008 at 9:03 am

  3. I’d love to know what it costs. Their website doesn’t give that information readily.

    posted by Steve-0 on 10-9-2008 at 10:31 am

  4. Dude. I want one. That is so cool.

    posted by JenPo on 10-9-2008 at 10:41 am

  5. mmm…. Lori Petty in fishnets….

    posted by Kevin on 10-9-2008 at 10:41 am

  6. That sounds like a great idea, especially in a warm climate. It would be great to lower the humidity in a house in the summer, but I wonder it would leave the air too dry in the winter (causing static and dry skin)?

    posted by Amy on 10-9-2008 at 11:23 am

  7. Seems like an extra-great idea in the humid South. But we’re only just learning that payback is a b**** when we manipulate our ecosystem carelessly. If we all start sucking the atmosphere dry, what happens?

    posted by Southern Buddhist on 10-9-2008 at 11:25 am

  8. I have always wondered about us running out of water…they have been saying that its just around the corner for years. Not that I don’t believe we should prepare or invent other means for water. Georgia could sure use another way to get water! The economic downturn has produced one good thing. People are cutting back on “luxuries” and the first to go is bottle water, yeah!

    posted by Marty on 10-9-2008 at 12:25 pm

  9. Its kind of morbidly funny. The public has always referred to water as a renewable resource, when, in reality, it is no more renewable then oil(less really). Some groundwater can be as old as one million years. Water in all forms is limited.

    posted by Nathan on 10-9-2008 at 5:01 pm

  10. Any idea how much one of these costs? It looks like an intriguing solution to our basement problem.

    posted by Fruppi on 10-10-2008 at 4:31 pm

  11. Steve-O, on the Inhabitat website they’re claiming it costs $1595.

    Not bad when you consider what the water barons will be charging 20 years from now.

    (If you folks want to get conspiracy theory-ey, visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/oct/23/mainsection.tomphillips)

    posted by Joel on 7-24-2009 at 3:16 am

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