The world is filled with dry places, places where people still live but also where the problem of finding clean drinking water can cripple a community’s ability to thrive. Many of these places are poorer, meaning that building complex, water-transporting infrastructure is a near-impossibility. One of these places happens to be the coastal region of Peru. Some engineers there decided to solve this problem via the building of a billboard that snatches moisture out of the air and allows locals to collect it at their leisure.
The University of Engineering and Technology in Peru, working with others, came up with this amazing idea. Since one of the main problems with clean drinking water on the coast is pollution, residents can not rely on their wells without risking illness. The air of the region, however, is extremely humid, making it an ideal source of water given the right technology. Thus came the billboard, which grabs the moisture and stores it for use.
This prototype in Peru is the first in the world and over the course of its three months in operation it has produced around 2500 gallons of clean drinking water. It’s obviously not enough for everyone, but has made a significant impact for the locals. With more of these billboards, the chance to relieve the problem is within reach. Billions of people on the planet have little or no access to clean water and the billboard could prove to be one answer.
There are many groups in the world trying to help with the problem of getting water to those who need it, such as The Water Project. Now with this new technology, they may have another tool in the struggle. Given the fact that it requires no infrastructure improvements, it’s much easier for governments to invest in them in both urban and rural areas. In order to operate, the billboards do require a humid environment, but this new development could likely lead to other technologies that do similar things. With any luck, and the help of innovative people like those in Peru, we may be able to solve this problem in the near future.
Water Billboard courtesy of edra.com
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