CloudFisher - Converting fog into drinking water

Created by Aqualonis, CloudFisher could allow people living in coastal or mountainous areas to convert fog into safe drinking water. This water can also be used to irrigate crops or for forestry efforts.

It's made from a 3D mesh that can withstand high wind speeds while still retaining water.
It comes in a variety of sizes to suit individual needs or the needs of an entire village. The green innovation example is already being used to help people around the world.

 

The CloudFisher net in morocco is the largest functioning fog-harvesting project in the world. developed by volunteer engineer peter trautwein from the german water foundation, CloudFisher technology mimics the way in which a spider’s web naturally collects dewy droplets from mist. in turn, the net supplies drinking water to areas of morocco that would otherwise be subject to drought.

The CloudFisher itself is structured from tiny triangles, sandwiched between a robust grid made from plastic. the wind naturally directs fog into the nets, which are suspended vertically in the mountains. the net traps water droplets within its mesh, and these then fall into a trough below, leading to a reservoir where the drinking water is collected.

Depending on the region and the time of year, the CloudFisher harvests between four and fourteen liters of water, per square meters of net. the system is aleady helping to provide water to the people of the boutmezguida area in morocco, freeing up time of women and children for work and study. in november, the project won the united nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) momentum for change award. following the testing period.


 
Water droplets in the net of cloudfisher

Impact

The technology is already having a marked impact on the households of surrounding villages. Women and girls, traditionally responsible for fetching and carrying water, no longer have to spend hours trekking to remote locations to collect water for their families’ daily needs. With fresh, clean drinking water now piped into their homes, they can devote more time to learning to read and write and other activities. The ready supply of water also means villagers can grow more fruit and vegetables, with health improvements associated with a better diet and opportunities to trade and generate income.

When the project is completed, around 1,150 villagers will have access to up to 18 liters of water per day, compared to just 8 liters in years past. In the interests of sustainability, however, villagers are required to pay a modest sum for the water to cover operating and maintenance costs. “The communities have participated and welcomed what originally seemed to them an unconventional idea,” notes the Dar Si Hmad Foundation, which has been working with the team and liaising with the communities in rolling out the project.


the CloudFisher’s vast mesh measures 1,600 square metres


Advantages:

  • Passive collection system requiring no energy input to operate.
  • Cheap and easy to maintain and repair.
  • Water quality is generally good in non-industrial areas, though pH can often be low.
  • Modular system that can grow in line with demand or available funds.
  • Quick and simple design and construction.

Main applications:

  • fog collectors can provide water meeting World Health Organization drinking water standards to rural communities and groups of homes; this water is inexpensive to produce and can be delivered to the homes by gravity flow
  • fog collectors can provide water for reforestation of ridge lines and the upper parts of mountains where it is impractical to import water from conventional sources; the fog water can be delivered to drip irrigation systems by gravity flow and the resulting forests, if properly situated, can become self-sustaining by directly collecting fog water. 


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