Water Capture and Distribution is one of the key issues of our time and is becoming more and more important with each passing year. We must work as a cooperative unit to ensure that everyone has an adequate water supply. Even though great strides are being made all the time, as evidenced by the wonderful innovations and organizations below, we still need to make this a worldwide focus. We are way behind in managing water distribution. Many thanks to all those working so hard around the world to bring usable water to those who are lacking this precious resource! We link many of the organizations below along with links to videos and articles on capturing rainwater and reusing greywater and the many innovations being developed using solar energy to help capture water from thin air and more.
Working together, we can ensure everyone has clean water if we are industrious and generous in our approach. There have been incredible advances made in technologies to capture water from the air that will prove invaluable to many. Individuals may want to look into capturing rainwater for home use more and more with increasing climate change.
Seawater Desalination remains an important technology and great strides are being made in this field as well as magnetism seems to be the answer to more efficient ways to remove salt from seawater. Let us not forget that by removing seawater from the oceans, we will in turn slow down rising sea levels that threaten the stability of so many coastlines around the world. The other main advantage to harnessing seawater is that during the process of removing the salt content, the filtration system also works to remove bacteria and other contaminants, saving people from water-born illnesses which are so common.
Sourcing water also means conserving water. An example of not wasting a drop can be as simple as capturing the water used to get the temperature right in the shower, bath, or sink with the use of a bucket, which can then be used for other purposes including watering a garden. This step may be becoming more and more necessary for drought-ridden areas.
We cannot rely on governments to do all the work when it comes to sourcing and conserving water and hopefully, you will find inspiration to be proactive in this area in some of the links listed below.
There are many organizations working on an international basis to bring water to those in need. One such organization is Water Aid whose mission statement is: “WaterAid transforms lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene, and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities. We work with partners and influence decision-makers to maximize our impact.”
Check out Managing Our Earth’s Seawater Desalination page for more on distributing water and for more information on Water Capture, Distribution, and Management advancements on our Pinterest Page.
Interesting Engineering: Robot transforms air into drinking water
Nature.com: Get water governance on the global agenda
Greywater recycling Video demonstrating how wastewater from showers, baths, and wash-hand basins is treated up to 2nd class quality, suitable for flushing toilets or for irrigation.
Phys.org: New membrane to make freshwater
Interesting Engineering: Robot transforms air into drinking water
Wikipedia: Water Distribution Systems
Unbox Energy – A new type of dual-purpose solar panel is making waves by producing both electricity and clean drinking water.
InceptiveMind: A wind turbine that produces both electricity and drinking water
David The Good’s Video – Top 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Harvesting Rainwater
Concave Roof System Captures Water
EcoSnippets: Rainwater Harvesting – Home System Tour & Q&A
Wikipedia: Rainwater harvesting in Canada
BBC News: Why houses in Bermuda have white stepped roofs
Homesthetics: 37 Awesome DIY Rainwater Harvesting Systems You Can Actually Build
Attn Video: Capturing Fog Water by Erecting Nets, (credits to CloudFisher® and Aqualonis)
HackHouse & Garden Guidance – A Simple System That Turns Fog Into a Reliable Water Source
Gardening – Plantcaretoday – Rainbarrel Benefits
Willis Abernathy – How a Home Rainwater Harvesting System Works (Step by Step Construction Guide)
Slingshot Water Vapor Distillation System – Vapour Compression Distiller Deka, Sling Shot, Dean Kamen will purify 1000 liters a day without much maintenance or overhaul.
Wikipedia: Atmospheric Water Generator Systems explained
‘Watergenics‘ – ‘Clean water and power solutions’ have developed a Hybrid Atmospheric Water Generation
TreeHugger: ‘The Low Down on Home Water Makers and 7 to Choose From’
‘Innovative System to Extract Water from Air Using Solar Energy’ by www.decodedscience.org
HackHouse & Garden Guidance – A Simple System That Turns Fog Into a Reliable Water Source
National Geographic speaks to the Fresh Water Crisis
Global Issues: Water Viewed from all angles
Wikipedia: Water issues in developing countries
Do Something: 11 Facts About Water in the Developing World
UN.org: Bringing water to Africa’s poor
Wikipedia: Individual Water Bottle Filters
TreeHuugger: A Beginner’s Guide to Rainwater Harvesting
Chemistry Views: Capturing Water from the Atmosphere
Acted: Restoring access to water in drought-prone areas
Wikipedia: Slingshot Water Vapor Distillation System – Vapour Compression Distiller Deka, Sling Shot, purifying 1000 liters a day without much maintenance or overhaul.
Inceptive Mind: Engineers develop a simple way to desalinate water using solar energy
