Researchers in Australia Develop a ‘Water Harvester’

Researchers in Australia recently announced the launch of a new device that, they say, absorbs water from air to produce drinkable water.

They said it can produce up to 1,000 liters of drinkable water a day, adding that it could be “lifesaving during drought or emergencies.”

The Australian team said that unlike other atmospheric water generators, their invention works by heating air instead of cooling it.

The device absorbs water from the atmosphere.

Solar energy or heat from other industrial processes can be used to produce hot, wet air.

After heating, the air cools, producing water for drinking or watering crops.

He added, "When you condense water contained in that air you would have the drinking water at your disposal.”

The researchers say the device can produce enough drinking water each day for a small rural town of up to 400 people.

It could also help farmers keep livestock alive during droughts.

Moghtaderi said the technology could be used in parts of the world where water is limited.

Researchers thought their device would be useful because Australia's climate is dry.

Studies of the technology will be done in several Australian communities this year.

The World Economic Forum (WEF), a nonprofit group based in Switzerland, says water scarcity continues to be a problem worldwide

The WEF said getting water from the atmosphere is a “promising emergency solution that can immediately generate drinkable water using moisture in the air.”

However, the group warns that the technology is costly.