Tech Meets Good: Out of Thin Air

Element Four is a Canadian company that has come up with a great solution to help with declining fresh water supplies. It's called the Watermill and it manufactures water from thin air. The machine was featured over the weekend in New York at the Wired magazine annual showcase of gadgets, and Wired claims this invention will make a difference.

Using the same mechanical system as dehumidifiers, the mill can create up to 12 litres of clean water per day using only air as its source. It runs using no more electricity than three light bulbs, condenses moisture from the air and purifies it into clean drinking water. For many people around the world who suffer from a lack of water, this breakthrough could be an enormous development in producing safe water.

As more and more of our planet's fresh water is depleted from growing demand, the Watermill could help solve many problems for countries like Spain who have experienced severe water shortages this year. The only downside is the cost with a price tag of a hefty $1,200 for the device.

However, the machine's inventor and Element Four's founder, Jonathan Ritchey, says this cost works out to about 3 cents a litre and is much cheaper than bottled water in the long run. The creators have already devised an agricultural version to assist farmers with their crops in areas of low rainfall. Check it out here.

“Technology Meets Good” is a regular feature at Tonic News.  If you have cool examples of technology doing good in our world, please email dan[at]tonic.com.