creating water

[Norbert]

With all the clean water crises affecting so much of the world, you start to wonder if there are ways to actually create water for some these people using various chemical reactions. There are many reactions that yield water and other products which are not too difficult to filter out and not terribly harmful to the environment. Why can't we utilize these reactions for purposes of water genesis? I always wondered. What do you think of this?

Edited August 5, 2012 by Norbert

[ewmon]

Are you hoping that these chemicals already naturally exist at these locations, or that they need to be transported to these sites (in which case, make the water elsewhere and transport it in)?

 

It seems easier to work with, and transform, the water that's there. For example, use solar distillers on liquid water, and use "air well" condensers on water vapor.

[Norbert]

Are you hoping that these chemicals already naturally exist at these locations, or that they need to be transported to these sites (in which case, make the water elsewhere and transport it in)?

 

It seems easier to work with, and transform, the water that's there. For example, use solar distillers on liquid water, and use "air well" condensers on water vapor.

 

I guess but nobody seems to be doing that either.

Edited August 5, 2012 by Norbert

[CaptainPanic]

The simple reason is money. Water is so cheap that it's impossible to make it out of anything else. The price would be a LOT higher.

 

As ewmon already said, it is always cheaper to transport the water than to transport some base chemicals to make it.

[ewmon]

I know a fellow who lives for extended periods in developing countries to determine the water needs of communities, find sources of potable water, determine the means to get the water to the people, and then rolls up his sleeves and helps to build the delivery/storage systems. There are non-profits such as Engineers Without Borders, Lifewater International, etc.

 

Then there's people who develop more "individual" devices such as the Q drum, the Hippo Water Roller, and the LifeStraw.