courtesy of National Geographic
If you’ve ever had the displeasure of having to work outside in heavy fog, then you’re probably already aware of the fact that is indeed rich in moisture. After only a short while, you’re clothes are as wet as they would’ve been after a brief rainstorm. In actuality, fog is a type of light rainstorm, only the molecules of water are so small that they don’t form into drops, but clouds. These ground-level clouds contain large amounts of water that can actually be harvested using a very simple and inexpensive technique.
A Parched Part Of Peru
Lima, Peru is an extremely arid region receiving an average annual rainfall of about half an inch. Many people from Peru come to Lima, the capital city, looking for work and often times end up living in poor villages perched on the sides of the steep slopes surrounding the city. Not only are these bare slopes prone to landslides, but there is also almost no rainfall due to the topography, elevation, and lack of trees.
These rural villagers are almost solely dependent on getting their water piped in from very distant locations. This water comes at a very high price and often times is unavailable to many villages who need it. Though there may not be any significant rainfall for these steep villages, there is extremely thick fog that blows in from the Pacific Ocean between June and November. This fog carries hundreds of gallons of water within it and to capture it takes very little money, some laborers, and some know-how.
Salvation In The Fog
The hillside villagers of Peru employ a method of catching fog that dates back thousands of years and is decidedly low-tech. It’s essentially two 25-30 ft poles set in the ground apart from each other with a woven mesh netting stretched between them like a giant volleyball net. Under this netting sits a gutter which feeds into storage tanks.
The water is captured when the fog is blown through the mesh netting and begins to collect on the material. Once the water molecules become to heavy to stay suspended in the mesh, gravity pulls them down (as drips) into the gutters situated below where they are then directed into the storage tanks. On a good day, one net can yield 150 gallons of water. This means the poor villagers of Lima, as well as others like them, are able to sustain themselves regardless of rain patterns and supplied water cost/availability. Non-profit organizations like FogQuest travel around the world helping villages in need of water setup these simple devices that turn out to be literally be lifesavers.
courtesy of National Geographic
The Good: A passive low-tech way of bringing hundreds, even thousands, of gallons of fresh water to remote rural villages around the world. The materials needed to construct fog catchers are relatively inexpensive and easily obtainable.
The Bad: Though suited for small villages, using fog catchers for providing water on a large or commercial scale is impractical. Many villages that need water do not have the needed weather patterns that produce thick fog.
The Bottom-Line: An easily executable and repeatable method of providing fresh water to people who desperately need it.
OUR SUSTAINABILITY RATING:
YOUR SUSTAINABILITY RATING:
Related Posts:
Follow us on Twitter and join us on Facebook. While you're at it, subscribe to our feed as well!
Discussion
View Comments for “Fog Catchers Bring Water To Remote Rural Villages”