Another big wow from technology.
A Miracle? It's Water Out Of Air; FEMA, military among first customers for new hygroscopic technology
. BONASIA Investor's Business Daily October 30, 2006
Copyright 2006 Investor's Business Daily, Inc. All Rights Reserved
When Scott Morris took over as Florida's head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2004, the state was reeling from the effects of a nasty hurricane season.
Morris recalls costly efforts to deliver clean drinking water to mobile medical teams and others in hard-hit areas. Back then, he wished his crew had access to what he now calls "the water machines."
Two months ago, the FEMA staff in Florida bought two 40-foot trailers that can extract thousands of gallons of pure water from the atmosphere each day.
"This is a revolutionary way for FEMA to do business in Florida," Morris said. "We're fascinated with this technology and very excited by its potential."
The technology uses a patented, natural salt-based solution that's hygroscopic. That means it's highly attractive to moisture. It literally strips water molecules from the atmosphere, rather than condensing the droplets on cold coils like a standard household dehumidifier.
Each mobile water system lets FEMA wring 2,500 gallons of water from the air each day. The cost is about 15-30 cents per gallon, compared with $15 or more per gallon to truck water to disaster sites.
The new water system comes in trailers with generators and containers to package the water. The system includes a reverse-osmosis device, itself not a new technology, that can squeeze 12,000 more fresh gallons per day from nearby sources of brackish water.
