How would you like to harvest straight from the air to water your garden. The knowledge of extracting water from the air has been around for thousands of years. Now this technology is getting a big upgrade, and there are possibilities for a dry state like Utah. 

Atmospheric Water Harvesting That Doesn’t Require Energy 

The ancient Inca people that lived in South America created mesh nets that collected water blown in from the ocean. The temperature has to be at the right level to produce dew that is collected on the nets and dropped into a cistern. 

In our day, air conditioners were used to cool the air and make it work. This was not economically viable, but a breakthrough in creating new materials like hydrogels has made harvesting water from air possible without using energy. 

Dew is an example of water collecting from the air. Photo by Olivia Basile on Unsplash
Dew is an example of water collecting from the air. Photo by Olivia Basile on Unsplash
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They have used this hydrogel system in Death Valley, California, one of the hottest, driest places on earth and produced 1.2 liters of water per kilogram of hydrogel. With advances in this technology other groups have increased it to 14 times the amount. 

Water from the Air for Utah’s Yards and Gardens 

With these hydrogel systems, a home system could water plants and gardens without taking from local reservoirs and rivers. There are do-it-yourself water harvesting systems on the internet that could already be used in this way. 

This is a technology that is developing quickly. The need for water is increasing around the world and harvesting it from the air could be the answer.

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They are experimenting with water harvesting systems that run with solar panels to desalinate salt water and cool data centers. This is just the beginning of what can be done with the water found in the air. 

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