This article is about reclaiming water from the air, it may not work everywhere - but it is quite effective in the former swamp that my home has been built upon. Actually in many cases it has become necessary to use a dehumidifier -but this article isn't about why I need one, it is about how itss use can have practical applications outside of making your home dry.

A dehumidifier is built in a similar fashion as a fridge, and thrive on its open air abilty to produce condensation. This is often very good water, from the air, that we would otherwise breathe in and not recognize the work that it is doing. It takes a phenominal amount of electricity to operate a dehumidifier, which is why it is important to get one that is effective and in good repair.

You can tell that a dehumidifier is in good condition when the tank fills within the day or multiple times a day (presuming your tank is between 3 Litres and 5 Litres). We used to operate a unit that only required dumping once a week, and now I recognize that this was bad. It was ineffective at its work and in a sorry state of disrepair.

Back on track - the good dehumidifier does more with less electricity and more importantly - at 3 litres a day minimum that could suffice for drinking water for a small family. But in Canada we are not that desperate for clean water. This article is a reminder that a technology that is originally for comfort in our nation may be a tool for survival elsewhere. By filtering out contaminants, and avoiding toxified ground-water human quality of life can improve until they can develop their own infrastructure for purification and commerce.