This Digital Journal writer came across a post on my Facebook page last night. It was a video sent by my sister that outlined a device called the WaterSeer. “Astounded,” is the only word I can use to describe the simple, straightforward concept behind the device.
WaterSeer relies on condensation to collect water from the air and can provide up to 11 gallons (36 liters) of clean, safe drinking water a day. There are no external power sources used or the need to add any purification chemicals. Plus, there are no adverse environmental impacts involved in creating the water, reports Inhabitat.
But the best thing about this innovative device is the notion that it can run forever, providing clean water in areas of the world where extremes of climate or a lack of infrastructure make access to safe drinking water a problem. The WaterSeer’s creators envision the simple wind-powered machine as being a major step in creating a sustainable solution to water shortages worldwide.
How the WaterSeer works
The WaterSeer device is planted in the ground to a depth of six feet or more, and the soil in then packed tightly around it and up to the metal neck of the device. The top of the WaterSeer holds a wind turbine that turns internal metal fan blades that draw air into the below-ground collection chamber.
The subterranean part of the WaterSeer is cooled by the surrounding soil, causing the warm air sucked into the chamber to condense, creating an artificial well of water that people are able to draw up any time they need some clean water. The current device has a filter that will keep insects and debris from falling into the chamber.
Because the WaterSeer chamber is inserted into a sleeve underground, it is easily removed for cleaning and inspection when needed. Testing has been done that shows the water in the collection chamber to be virtually free of particulates over a one week period, and cleaner than rainwater in terms of pollutants and pathogens.
Development of the WaterSeer
The WaterSeer was developed by VICI Labs in Reston, Virgina, and the original prototype was tested at the University of California’s Berkeley Gill Tract Community Farm in April 2016. Several models were tested, and every one of them exceeded water production goals.
Taking the best features of the different prototypes tested, VICI Labs came up with the new prototype that began testing in August in coordination with the National Peace Corps Association. The final testing is being done along with crowdfunding through Indiegogo, which by the way has raised over $103,000 to date.
So, how do you know the WaterSeer will actually produce 11 gallons of water a day? First of all, it is true, and it will give you that much water. VICI Labs says that in Virginia, the device actually gave them more than the 11 gallons every day.
Actual yield will vary based on environmental conditions, and the WaterSeer’s effectiveness is not based on the relative humidity, either. And yes, the device was tested under arid conditions. To read the results of testing for yourself, go to the Proof of Concept results PDF.
My sister and a slew of other people wanted to know how they could get one of the WaterSeer’s for themselves. Well, for a contribution of $134 or more, your donation will become a registered pre-order. You order will be filled following the first manufacturing run.
WaterSeer says: “the current schedule is to test the new model prototype in the field over the next 6 months. We anticipate shipping the new model within the next year.”
