There are two devices that immediately come to mind: dehumidifiers and air conditioners. Each device produces water via condensation as a result of their operation and can be collected for use. If filtered or boiled the water can be consumed, otherwise, it can be used for alternate uses such as hygiene.

A retired Navy Veteran once told me that he had served on a submarine that used a desalinator to distill sea water into pure drinking water. It was limited in it’s production and used only for consumption. The submarine also operated an air conditioner. What he and other crew members would do is put a piece of cloth in the condensation collection pan of the air conditioner and wick out the water into a pail that was placed beneath it. They used this for “Marine showers” for bathing with washcloths.

The resulting volume of water produced by these devices will vary based on the humidity of their environment in combination with their frequency or duration of use. There have been machines manufactured called “atmospheric water generators” specifically built for the production of water but can be costly to obtain and maintain so they have not flourished in todays market place.

Conceivably, if you have a source of electricity, you can manufacture water for limitied needs. Perhaps if you are trapped or stranded in a building that is earthquake damaged or if you are locked in a building or under seige, this would be a critical resource for survival, so keep it in mind should you ever encounter this situation.

I decided to simulate an emergency scenario by improving a condensation surface by cutting open a 16 gallon sized plastic bag to spread out as a sheet measuring 2.5 feet by 4 feet. Because of it’s thin material and flimsy nature, the slightest breeze could blow it away so I weighted it down with small stones at the four corners but it still fluttered with the breeze. That fluttering could spill any collected condensation back into the grass so I placed more stones around the edge until it was still.

I left this moisture collector alone for about a half hour then returned to find it holding a “beady” fog on the bottom surface. The first step in collecting this moisture was to protect it from touching the grass so I removed most of the stones including one at the corner. I pulled that corner of the sheet up and back until the entire sheet was completely inverted and laying flat on the grass. Then I gathered all corners together and lifted the sheet upward, thus consolidating the beads of water into larger drops that flowed down into the center of the sheet, forming a small puddle. I continued to tap the sides to consolidate all of the droplets into the bottom and then I carefully poured the puddle out the side and into a measuring cup (see picture insert).

Under the environmental conditions of the day combined with the size of the sheet I was able to collect about an ounce of water. Your results may vary. Larger sheets with greater surface area will yield larger volumes of water. It would be strategic to set out a number of sheets at the same time to increase the total yield of harvested water.

Subsequently I have used a thicker plastic sheet that I found much easier to control during the entire process. This would make a great weekend project that would familiarize you with the process and give you “hands-on” experience.