Living in Arizona has made me very aware of water … and the lack of it at times. When I was backpacking anywhere on the east coast of the USA, I would carry a bottle of water and water filter. Often as I needed water there were plenty of water sources available. I could filter the creek or river water and hike on. In the southwest USA, one must carry all the water needed in a day’s hike since there are few waterholes.
As our decades of observations have now made us more clearly aware of climatic changes, we know for sure there is less water in our southwest USA reservoirs. The “bathtub ring” remained as the water level continues to drop! And dropping far enough for more people to take the concern more seriously. I hear of towns once with water shipped to them now being completely dry and even the availability of shipped water to them has lessened. Other towns are trying to replenish their aquifers with water conservation practices. There are many things individuals can do also to not waste water!
But this post is about a water technology I had never heard about and am interested in. Imagine a panel similar to a solar panel but with hygroscopic material on it. Hygroscopic means the substance will absorb moisture from the air. The SOURCE hydropanels use solar energy (sunlight) to extract water from air! Remember the rice in salt shakers so salt crystals did not stick together and just be clumps in the shaker? Well the hygroscopic water absorbing material is like the salt and pulls in water to be condensed and collected. Amazing!
Hydropanels would be mounted on your roof … probably at least 2 panels needed. Each panel is 340 pounds and 4 x8 x 3.5 feet … with each panel producing about 12 standard water bottles of water per day. Want to know more information? Go to www.SOURCE.co
I happened to hear about this renewable water technology while listening to NPR. I was intrigued because the SOURCE company is actually installing these panels in at least 50 countries, including Navajo, Native American, properties here in Arizona. The company figures a panel has a 15 year life span and would eliminate 54,000 single use plastic water bottles. Plastic water bottles take 450 years to decompose… hmmm…. check out this latest renewable water technology at www.SOURCE.co …. and if nothing else …. do not waste water! Thanks!
Rarely do we see water in Arizona rivers, but here it was in the Rillito River in Tucson, AZ! We could use more water in that river!
