Watermill pulls drinking water from thin air

Sure we've seen glorified dehumidifiers like this before, but we're a sucker for any aquatic wonder which claims to solve the world's drinking water shortage. The exterior wall-mounted Watermill from Element Four is the latest "water from thin air" contraption and produces up to 3.2 gallons of water a day, pumped through a trusty ultraviolet sterilizer. But more importantly, it offers to hydrate your family of 6 (according to EF) for a mere thirty-five cents a day in power, not including whatever price Element Four decides to sell it for. Or you could just stick a bucket on your roof and be done with it -- we hear it rains occasionally.

[Via Gadget Review]

[gad get @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:34AM]

"Or you could just stick a bucket on your roof and be done with it -- we hear it rains occasionally."

Tell that to those living in arid climates. Actually, you know what? Don't.

[j_g_puff @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:10AM]

Are you talking about the people who live in arid, dry climates? The ones for whom this product is entirely useless, due to the absence of humid air? They're screwed either way, i'm afraid :(

[bstear @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:20AM]

What, no Dune windtrap/stillsuit references yet?

How much does this thing cost in spice?

[mcg @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:17AM]

Nowhere is it completely dry. Yes, you do need a certain level of humidity for these and similar devices to work, but most supposedly arid climates qualify.

[Platinum_Skeet @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:05AM]

I wonder if this thing messes up the humidity levels in the house or a bedroom...

[j_g_puff @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:10AM]

Really, mcg? Obviously it'd be great if they could work in areas of drought, but I'll believe it when I see it (or when you see it and assure me that they work...)

[j_g_puff @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:12AM]

These devices also pave the way towards wireless (pipeless?) water transmission: if you have a boiling pan next to an airconditioning intake which circulates are around your whole house, you could place these machines anywhere and have an instant water supply without costly plumbing. This, my friends, is the future.

[EatingPie @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:24AM]

Living in Southern California, the Fremen are always out with their Stilsuits. They've set these things up all over the place so they can capture the water in clandestine reservoirs to revitalize the planet Dune.... er Southern California region. It's all hush-hush, though, since they're fighting the man in their refusal to do an Environmental Impact Report... And who can blame them, I mean, it won't effect the Sandworms, anyone can see that -- it's not like those mile-long worms are going to go extinct or anything! I mean, c'mon!

What pisses the Fremen off the most, I think, is that Herbert wrote one great book, and decided to pen a TON of sequels that were complete and total crap.

-Pie

[Jeebus @ Oct 2nd 2008 12:43PM]

"Or you could just stick a bucket on your roof and be done with it -- we hear it rains occasionally."

That would be illegal in Colorado.

[absinthe party @ Oct 2nd 2008 1:06PM]

@ Jeebus

Rain is illegal in Colorado!?

[Jeebus @ Oct 2nd 2008 2:49PM]

No, collecting rain in Colorado is illegal.

[Wwhat @ Oct 2nd 2008 4:26PM]

Also rain collects pollution and is acid, so you'd still have to filter it, AND wait for it to rain.

[Andy TGD @ Oct 2nd 2008 5:10PM]

I hear that the water produced by these machines tastes awful. Not good.

[Muhammed @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:34AM]

That is just amazing.

[Xavier @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:41AM]

How much energy does it cost to produce water ?

[jared @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:53AM]

ummm...according to the article, for a family of 6, it's 35 cents per day

[gad get @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:54AM]

No no no... he asked how much ENERGY it costs, not how much money!

[pball_inuyaha @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:55AM]

Read the article stupid

"a mere thirty-five cents a day in power"

[Joshua @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:57AM]

I would guess it offers to hydrate your family of 6 for a mere thirty-five cents a day in power. But that's just some far fetched inference from the text above.

[j_g_puff @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:12AM]

How much will it cost to hydrate my washing machine? And how much does it cost to hydrate my (hypothetical) family of six using traditional, pipe-n'-pumping-station methods?

[Josh @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:36AM]

Is the 35 cents energy usage?

That's about 1kWh per day usage in the UK, or 20 pence per kwh.

In the US, however, that works out to about 3-4kWh - going by the much cheaper 10 cents per unit.

That do you?

[Bobjim @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:56AM]

Moisture vaporator anyone?

[theninth @ Oct 2nd 2008 12:18PM]

What I really need is a droid that understands the binary language of moisture vaporators.

[RIFRAF @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:34PM]

I'd buy one, but those pesky sandpeople and jawas would be over everyday stealing my water! Oh and don't get me started on the Empire.....

[Haji Hill @ Oct 2nd 2008 5:34PM]

Seriously!

At this rate there's no way I'm gonna get to Tashi Station. And, you can kiss those power converters good-bye.

[Henry @ Oct 2nd 2008 7:57AM]

What ever happened to Dean Kamen's Slingshot water machine?

http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/23/dean-kamen-aims-to-clean-water-generate-electricity-with-slings/

[Soni @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:02AM]

This isnt so new... we;ve been exporting these machines to africa since almost 2 years now. Look up AIRWATERAFRICA :)

[Andir3.0 @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:05AM]

Do I need to look it up in caps with no spaces?

[Martin M @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:02AM]

Think about where this water is coming from in a family home. It's recycled sweat, sneezes and evaporated cleaning water.

[Jay Evans @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:04AM]

I guess you don't want me to tell you where your tap water comes from then?

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Oct 2nd 2008 12:18PM]

hmm does tap water have ultraviolet sanitizers?

[Loban @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:38AM]

Ummm, you do realize that all water (or at least the hydrogen and oxygen molecules) on the earth has been around for millions of years. At some point, the water molecules you drink on a daily basis may have taken a trip through the digestive tract of a water buffalo. In the end, as long as it's been filtered and sterilized, who cares where it's been.

[Wiserun @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:04AM]

Someone ought to tell them that Summer of 2008 (when their site says their store will open) is already over. Let me know when they're actually selling something.

[Josh @ Oct 2nd 2008 3:26PM]

Isn't this what a dehumidifier does? They're only like $100. Add a Brita filter and UV light, and there ya go!

[tcs @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:21AM]

I use 4 Wood's Dehumidifier in my library and been using more than 4 gallons water that it produce everyday to water the plant. The product in the article is probably a marriage between a dehumidifier and water purifier.

[Chris Przybycien @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:12AM]

This device also solves the world shortages in dry skin and nosebleeds

[Mike @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:16AM]

Wont the air run out of water if we all use this thing?

[Bob @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:39AM]

Yeah, that's what I thought when I read "we hear it rains occasionally." If it's taking water from the air, there's less water in the air for it to rain...?

[Chris @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:25AM]

The nice people of Phoenix would like a word with this contraption's creators...

[subvelocity @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:27AM]

Now I can finally go start that vaporator farm on Tattooine. I'll need a droid that understands the binary language of the moisture vaporators though.

[Xenoterranos @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:29AM]

Ok, dehumidifiers add all sorts of badd stuff to the water they produce, not the worst of which is a ton of heavy metals which can be pretty bad for you over time. I hope this thing is paired with some very good water purification (and not just some activated carbon).

[bobdole @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:16PM]

Where do the heavy metals come from?

Some piece of mechanics is made of lead? Why don't they make it out of something safer?
It's pulling it out of the air? Wouldn't we be *breathing it anyways*??

Anyways, they use ultraviolet apparently... No mention of filtration really, but as far as that goes, I was under the assumption that heavy metals were one of the things carbon filters were supposed to be able to remove.

[iEye @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:36AM]

What if I poop in the vicinity of the air inlets? will the water taste like poop?

[Das Boot @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:00AM]

no, it will just taste like chocolate milk, duh.

[Brian @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:40AM]

My well produces a whole lot more water for a whole lot less money.

[Arran @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:47AM]

Yes but, does it pull it from .... THIN AIR!? ...

[Boarderwoot @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:48AM]

Yes but it also tastes like rotten eggs...

This thing does sterilize the water but does it deodorize too? and make chilli and fries?

[kakapo @ Oct 2nd 2008 8:44AM]

So give them a call - they are just outside of Vancouver BC - ask them if you can see anything other than a rendering of their system. Nope.
Actual cost per litre (20 per day is not six gallons by the way and it is "up to 20 litres per day - depending upon the humidity where it is operating - Equatorial, I'd say) is in the $2.00 to $2.50 per litre when yo look at cost of the product, cost of energy production. And it is a compressor based technology, so it is not that efficient. AND most of these little puppies that use the compressor based technology have to freeze then thaw the water to get it into your hot little hands.

Xenoterranos - I hate to tell you but these systems are quite different than your run of the mill dehumidifiers. They are designed and developed and produced to pass food grade testing and certification. All of them have at least two - some three - different filters. And UVc light to kill the microbes.

Many of the systems out there will work in most climates but not all. And no it won't suck all of the humidity out of the air!

cheers...

[bstear @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:22AM]

Sure, Vancouver. That's a dry climate good for testing this thing.

[BigD145 @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:31AM]

Most home interiors tend to drier than the outside, in the first place. Sucking out even more water is likely to do more harm than good.