Air-to-Water Machines Available in Dry Area of US

If a machine could make water out of air but cost a lot of money, would you buy it? In very dry parts of California, some homeowners are doing just that.

The air-to-water system works like an air conditioner by using coils to cool air. It then collects water and drops it in a container. The water is then cleaned to make it safe to drink.

"Our motto is, water from air (is not) magic, (it is) science, and (that is) really what (we are) doing with these machines," said Ted¹ Bowman. He is a design engineer at Washington state-based Tsunami² Products and helped to design the machine.

The system is one of several that have been developed in recent years to remove water from the air.

The machines are made for use at homes, offices, farms ... just about anywhere. The technology works especially well in foggy areas. Machines come in different sizes. The largest can produce about 8,600 liters of water a day.

The machines, Bowman added, also operate well in any area with high humidity³. This includes California's coastline.

The machines are costly⁴. Prices start at $30,000 and go as high as $200,000.

Even though the cost is high, some homeowners in California are buying them to meet their water needs. California is experiencing one of the worst droughts in recent history. The water supply there is extremely low and people have been asked to save water.

Don Johnson lives in California and bought the smallest machine. It looks like a large air conditioning unit. He said he hoped it would produce enough water to keep his garden alive. He found, however, that it produces more than enough water for use in his garden and house.

"This machine will produce water for a lot less than you can buy bottled water ... for," he said. Johnson added that as the cost of water goes up, he thinks the machine will pay for itself.

Besides the high price, the machine also needs a lot of energy to run. But Johnson said the solar panels⁶ on the roof produce enough power to operate the machine without adding energy costs.

Some experts say the technology makes sense for individual homeowners, especially in rural areas. But it may not be a good solution for all of California.

One such expert is Helen Dahlke, a researcher with the University of California, Davis. She said the most important thing is to fight global warming to prevent future droughts. She said the world needs to slow climate warming to really make a difference.

Words in This Story

air conditioner – n. a system for controlling the humidity, ventilation, and temperature in a building or vehicle, typically to maintain a cool atmosphere in warm conditions.

coil – n. a series of connected pipes in rows, layers, or windings⁷

motto – n. a short sentence or phrase that expresses a rule guiding the behavior of a particular person or group

magic – n. a power that seems mysterious

humidity – n. a moderate degree of wetness especially of the atmosphere

foggy – adj. covered with small drops of water

drought – n. a period of dryness especially when prolonged⁸

solar panel⁵ – n. a battery of solar cells (as on a rooftop)

roof – n. the cover or top of a building, vehicle, etc.

1 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

2 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

3 humidity   

n.湿度，潮湿，湿气

参考例句：

• The house is not comfortable tonight ,because of the high humidity.由于湿度高，今晚屋子里不舒服。
• It's difficult to work because of the humidity.由于空气潮湿，工作很困难。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

5 panel   

n.面，板，专门小组，控制板，仪表盘

参考例句：

• The unusual control panel on the walls caught our attention.墙上不同寻常的控制板引起了我们的注意。
• The panel of judges included several well-known writers.评判小组中包括几位知名作家。

6 panels   

镶板( panel的名词复数 )； 面； （门、墙等上面的）嵌板； 控制板

参考例句：

• One of the glass panels in the front door was cracked. 前门的一块方玻璃破裂了。
• Make sure the panels are treated with a wood preservative. 确保镶板用木材防腐剂处理过。

7 windings   

（道路、河流等）蜿蜒的，弯曲的( winding的名词复数 )； 缠绕( wind的现在分词 )； 卷绕； 转动（把手）

参考例句：

• The time harmonics can be considered as voltages of higher frequencies applied to the windings. 时间谐波可以看作是施加在绕组上的较高频率的电压。
• All the vales in their manifold windings shaded by the most delightful forests. 所有的幽谷，都笼罩在繁茂的垂枝下。

8 prolonged   

a.长时期的；持续很久的

参考例句：

• Prolonged strike action debilitated the industry. 长时间的罢工削弱了这个行业的活力。
• prolonged exposure to harmful radiation 长时间接触有害辐射