Inhabitat » WATAIR: Turning Air Into Water

April 16, 2007

WATAIR: Turning Air Into Water

by Evelyn Lee

With an estimated 5,000 children dying daily due to dirty drinking water, Joseph Cory and Eyal Malka’s award-winning WatAir design for Arup and WaterAid’s drawn water challenge might be the response barren landscapes are looking for. Simply described, WatAir produces water from the air through its inverted pyramid array of panels. Inspired by spiderwebs and the dew-catching properties of leaves, WatAir is easy to incorporate into both rural and urban landscapes due to its relatively small footprint.

Arup’s and WaterAid’s drawing water challenge launched in September of 2006 as an ideas competition seeking innovative ways to “help many more people gain access to safe water and effective sanitation.” Over 91 entrants responded from 19 countries across North America, with WatAir taking away the grand prize. Each WatAir unit features 96 square meters of lightweight dew-collecting panels that gravitationally funnel moisture from the air to one collective source. The designers estimate that each unit can collect roughly 48 liters of water in remote places or places that do not have any clean water sources. The panels are flexible, easy to collapse when not in use, and readily available to provide shade and even some shelter.

The low-tech design was conceived by Joseph Cory of Geotectura and Eyal Malka of Malka Architects from Haifa, Israel.

+ Geotectura
+ Arup
+ WaterAid

34 Responses to “WATAIR: Turning Air Into Water”

Werner Gronwald Says:

April 16th, 2007 at 5:29 am

Dear Sirs,

I am curious about more technical information about that project. Are those devices allready available or at which status is that development. I am an German architect who is since ten years involved in post desaster assignments all over the world. This is a great idea. Please send me more information. In the moment I am in Sri Lanka for Post Tsunami reconstruction projects as consultant for big international relief organizations.

Regards, Werner Gronwald

Nick Leaney Says:

April 16th, 2007 at 8:02 am

There was a similar design posted on the web a couple of years ago called FogQuest by a Candian not for profit, which collected dew and fog using a spiders web as inspiration

Christopher Says:

April 16th, 2007 at 2:20 pm

This “low tech design” has been in use by humans forever. I first learned about it 20 years ago when I was in the boy scouts by inverting the rain-fly on my tent. It’s simply surface area with a run-off. It does work, and if it’s all you can muster then it might help you stay alive, but there’s no possible way it could sustain high volumes of people unless you start talking about covering kilometers worth of land with these.

Werner, you can do this with anything. It’s an extremely simple concept. IF you have enough water in the air, then it will collect on things when you hit the dewpoint. If those things on which it collect just happen to allow gravity to pull the water down, then it will flow down in to your collector of choice. The trick is that you have to collect enough dew for the droplets to roll in to each other and amass enough volume for gravity to break the droplets free - before they evaporate from your surface.

To test this, go jam 3 sticks in the ground in the shape of a triangle. Affix the plastic to the sticks and place a stone in the middle of the plastic so that it pulls the plastic downward. Check the bag in the morning before the sun heats anything up; you should see a little pool of water at the bottom of the bag. Once you’ve acquired water with this small test, it’s then just a matter of scale to generate the amount of water that you want. The more surface area, the more you will collect.

Ro Says:

April 17th, 2007 at 4:28 am

Like Christopher mentions, boyscouts learn this.

Wouldn’t it be logical to use such a construction as a roof for housing? that way you can gather both dew AND rain.
And you can collect it all inside the house for direct use (or after some filtering).

Seems like a win-win situation to me. :)

Subbarao Seethamsetty Says:

April 17th, 2007 at 9:02 am

Christopher, The key phrase in your write up is “… hitting the dew point” and the associated “If” statements - “.. If there is enough water in the air” and “.. “surface area”. In all the above, the only thing that we can control appears to be the surface area.

Having never lived in arid or desert climates, I have trouble undestanding if this works in those climates. My general take is if the climate allows for dew point to be reached, then there is porbably not as severe a water problem as to justify this enormous investment for water “litres at a time”.

But an extension of this watair is if the panels themselves are PV panels providing (1) shade for people below, (2) generating electriccity during the day and (3) collecting water during the night, the cost may become justified.

Bucky Fuller evisaged that providing shade in hot places to the community in general with large geodesic roofs will increase productvity. I know for a fact that mindless hot climate saps your strength and motivation to do anything useful other than just talk about how hot it is.

RAUL GARZA Says:

April 17th, 2007 at 10:08 pm

WATER IS THE FUTURE CHALLENGE OF THE WORLD. THE IDEA IS FEASIBLE BUT I THINK IS NOT MEANT FOR A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, I SAW A FEW MONTHS AGO, A PRODUCT ALLREADY IN THE MARQUET, OR GOING TO BE SOON AVAILABLE. IT IS A SIMPLE–STRAW– LARGE WITH SOME INSIDE NATERIAL, THAT RENDERS THE WATER AS IT PASSES THRU THE STRAW CLEAN, FREE OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC ELEMENTS, IS IS FOR A CONSUMSION OF 3 TO 4 LITERS A DAY, AND LAST FOR MONTHS. PERHAPS BOTH IDEAS CAN BE OF GREAT USE IN LARGE COMMUNITIES HELPING PEOPLE TO MITIGATE THEIR NEEDS OF DRINKABLE WATER AT A MINIMUN COST.

AirVsWater Says:

April 23rd, 2007 at 3:59 pm

Now we will run out of air instead of water.

Worse, I’d say.

Bottom line: there are not enough natural resources to sustain everyone on this planet.

Joshua Doolittle Says:

May 12th, 2007 at 7:00 pm

Wemer,
Please review our website describing the humble origins of a new species of bamboo architecture that will provide a sustainable rebuilding system for post-natural disasters in regions with locally accessible bamboo.

Our goal is to transform bamboo from “the poor man/woman’s building material” to “the globally conscious building material of choice.”

More info at:

http://chi-bagoda.com/

Updated/ more detailed drawings available upon request. Conact info at our site.

We’d lvoe to collaborate with your Sri Lankan rebuilding efforts. However, we’re big in vision, but low on funds.

Sincerely,

Joshua Doolittle

David Says:

June 3rd, 2007 at 2:15 pm

AirVsWater - I think you understand that these devices don’t actually turn air into water, but rather extracts the water vapour from it? Thus; no air shortage for you or anyone else.

Clay Claiborne Says:

June 4th, 2007 at 8:29 pm

Fantastic Idea. There is much need for this NOW. ASAP In this world.

Joe Says:

June 5th, 2007 at 2:59 pm

Subbarao Seethamsetty, The question is not one of abundance of water, but of clean, potable water. Direct from the air rather than from, say, the Ganges river, the water would be as clean as the collectors and container. There are many similarly wet places that would benefit immensly from this one easy tech.
Does this mean that the Boy Scouts can save the world by invading third world countries? Yech. That would be a real dystopia.

Doug Lucchetti Says:

June 6th, 2007 at 8:09 am

Subbarao Seethamsetty, whose comment above, recognizng that he’s never lived in an arid environment questions whether a desert environmnet could routinely sink below the dew point. It can and does almost everywhere arid conditions exist. The reason for this is because arid regions are typically cloud free and at night the heat of the day quickly radiates into the blackness of the night sky. In fact, a common characteristic of many arid regions is the contrast between the intense solar exposure of day where things can heat up and the descent into cool temperatures…sometime so quickly that rocks will fracture due to thermal shock.

My compliments to the designers of this product and to the others which are found in their design portfolio. It is an old trick I’ve used a few times but having its features maximized brings a world on potential to its capabilities. Thank you for your contribution to eradicating the idea that it is because of shortages that we suffer. If it is a shortage, it is a shortage of imagination.

Phil Brooks Says:

June 6th, 2007 at 1:38 pm

This particular method for capturing water from the air has been around for decades, it is taught in survival schools, and to sailors at sea. This is no great new invention. What I’d like to see is actual installations, rather than computer renditions, and actual data on how they perform. An idea is easy, making it happen is the issue. Seems like the slightest wind will blow these things away. Also, if you do get around to actually building any of these, I suggest you don’t put them under any trees. I’d really rather not have bird droppings mixed with my pure water. Solar stills, which have existed for decades, may be a better way to go for purifying poluted water, or extracting water from the ocean.

Larry Bell Says:

June 11th, 2007 at 5:58 pm

Wonderful words and images! But does this get translated into practical, hands-on reality? Do we have simple designs and findable materials from which to make these ourselves? How about the ability of “kits”?
Thank you.
Larry Bell
North East Arizona Energy Services Company

Paul van Beers Says:

June 12th, 2007 at 3:53 am

It is good that water supply is on the agenda and that new technologies are tried out to improve WatSan (Water & Sanitation) in developing countries.

The idea to use dew water is off course not new, but the trick is how to use it and where can it be applied, also on the long run.

More reading on for instance the website >> http://www.FogQuest.org

Some ideas are more feasible than others. Main problem is always, what we call “upscaling” or, how can good ideas be used by the millions that need it.

It is our experience, that only ideas that can create an income for some people, are feasible in the end.

To get wider attention in the WatSan sector for this idea, i would advise to make an info page about this idea on our website >> http://www.watsan.org

Paul van Beers
WatSan Consult
Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Website >> http://www.handpump.org

Website >> http://www.WatSan.org

Angela Flores Says:

June 12th, 2007 at 5:22 pm

I would like to know the cost of this pannels, the kind of material, in a 96 m2 area.

David E. Taylor Says:

June 16th, 2007 at 4:40 pm

Are there any companies that are manufacturing the WatAir? What are the names?

jose luis avendano Says:

June 28th, 2007 at 9:35 am

sorry for my so poor english language skills. I think you can use the shade of the the water recolectors to water plants even cactus that produce food, pitayas for instance, I am from mexico and those plants give a delicious fruit. and there is a lot of desert vegetation that provide food and dont require too much water

wen qi Says:

July 15th, 2007 at 10:50 pm

I want to get the way of contect to the men who have invented watair.
they are Josephcory and Eyal Malka.
Please give me their Tel,fax,E-mail .We want to buy the products of watair for getting water.
Thank you!

ephesus Says:

July 17th, 2007 at 4:03 pm

it s really attractive,especially nowadays.necessary to learn more about this.

Kezban Dönmez Says:

July 25th, 2007 at 3:12 am

Perfect idea.Please send me more information .Thank you!

Ana Says:

September 26th, 2007 at 3:50 pm

Hi, im an industrial designer and i have to say im very interested in the water collector system, however, i’d like to know how does it unfolde. Any information you can give me about that particular item, ill appreciate it. In addition, id like to know in which particular enviroments does it work efficiently. Thanks.

Aaron Grow Says:

October 2nd, 2007 at 3:20 pm

As a kid I saw a TV documentary that showed beetles in the Sahara Desert using their own bodies as dew collecters. If a beetle in the Sahara can do it I think we could do it, too.

Lack of resources should not be a problem, using them efficiently is.

CHARLES MORENO Says:

October 16th, 2007 at 5:01 pm

DO YOU FRANCHISE YOUR WATAIR PLEASE REPLY

bernard delbaere Says:

October 18th, 2007 at 8:14 am

The idea of “dew catching” is not new.

As producer of rachel knitted PE monofil cloth, we supplied our cloth for similar purposes.

Some years ago I heard of projects in Yemen and in Chili.
Please have a look at http://www.fogquest.org.

The structures of WATAIR look nice and that is a plus to the end-users.
They don’t have to start designing, it exists and looks great.

James hawthorn Says:

December 30th, 2007 at 9:07 am

Brilliant ! Bravo Corey and Malka for this invention. Creating water where there is “none”. Fabulous. This know-how must be exploited the maximum and right now.

Basava Says:

January 1st, 2008 at 11:57 am

The problem with these marvellous inventions is if they are not commercially viable they will end up as some college report in some archives of some university for ever and will never become popular.

harvey peritt Says:

February 11th, 2008 at 6:01 pm

I would like to know if the 48 liters per day was computed or experimentally determined.
Relationships developed by Nusselt can be used to determine concentration rate.

Rate of dew collection can be increased by using black or white metallic surfaces that
face the cold night sky.Amount of condensation is site specific and would depend on daytiime
temperature and RH as well as sky temperature at night.

Timothy Nichols Says:

February 12th, 2008 at 7:28 pm

WatAir is an amazing and innovative device that has, so far gone massively underutilized. However, the potential it wields is tremendous. It has the capacity to solve the current world wide water crisis due to its uniquely effective nature.

george dibble Says:

February 29th, 2008 at 5:34 pm

not yet - is any one interested in a machine that makes air into water? prototyp is done getting ready to lauch - my phone is 1 574 992 8112

Jessica Says:

March 20th, 2008 at 4:45 am

we want to buy wateraie, it is very useful for us . please tell us how to get it .thanks!

Jessica

tibebwa Says:

April 20th, 2008 at 6:02 pm

I am looking for help in finding a real water catching system for night-time dew and a pretty resident cloud that sits on top of a mountain in Central Ethiopia. We have a project there where there is 600 monks living on top of the mountain and the only water is collected from the roof tops and channeled into communal storage tanks. If there was an inexpensive realistic way of collecting water from nighttime moisture, ( I have seen the drips falling from the trees up there!), please can anyone out there give me some realistic solutions. Everything has to be carried up the 9 kms hike up the mountain, and resources are few and far between, so bearing this in mind maybe someone knows a realistic way of collecting water from the air….. Love, joy and peace, from Ethiopia

Komal Madam Says:

April 27th, 2008 at 10:49 am

Send information

Martin van Veenendaal Says:

July 9th, 2008 at 11:06 am

I heard that there is a product which collects water from dew and looks like a spiderweb. Probably made of silk. Korean guys were spotted with it but the couldn’t communicate about it. It fits nearly in a small photofilm box. Does anyone know the name, brand or producer of this? Please let me know.

Martin van Veenendaal, Holland

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