Spout distills fresh water from thin air

The Future. Climate change has made droughts more common and access to clean water more limited. To address this issue, Spout has developed a small device that creates drinking water from the surrounding air. If successful, the machine could be revolutionary for humanity’s overall quality of life.

Something from nothing
Fast Company covered the ins and outs of the new device.

• The portable Spout system absorbs water from filtered air with clay, vaporizes it with a heating coil, and condenses that vapor into liquid water. The water is then alkalized with minerals, diverted to a pitcher, and disinfected with UV light.
• Spout can produce 1.5-2.5 gallons of water per day, and its ¾ gallon container fills in 6-9 hours.
• Spout works in any home with electrical access.

The launch model costs $599, with customers expected to spend another $100 annually on filter replacements.

Making it rain
Globally, around 4 in 5 homes are located in areas humid enough for Spout to work. Given that 3.6 billion people currently struggle to get enough potable water and that desalination can be too costly, Spout may prove to be the best solution for much of earth’s population– if they can afford the price tag.