Hello BEST members,

Just last year, Peru’s University of Engineering and Technology
partnered with ad agency Mayo DraftFCBand to design a billboard that
creates clean water from atmospheric humidity through the process of
reverse osmosis.

Lima, Peru is the second largest capital (~7.5 million residents) set
on a dessert. Lima receives less than two inches of rain per year and
has an atmospheric humidity of around 98%. One of the biggest issues in
Lima is water insecurity. It is said that around 700,000 people lack
access to safe drinking water and another 600,000 people rely on
cisterns, which require high maintenance.

As well, UTEC faced a problem of their own-- a decrease in enrollment.
Inspired by both problems, UTEC and Mayo DraftFCBand worked together to
create the first billboard to produce potable water out of air. Simply
put, the billboard consists of five condensers that capture the air
humidity and after reverse osmosis purification, all the water flows
into a 20 liter tank. The billboard is said to generate around 96 liters
of water per day.

Although only one billboard was built, the idea is that billboards such
as the one stationed in the Bujama District of Lima could be dispersed
in many areas where clean water is not easily accessible. The billboard
is a dual-purpose technology--it serves as a sustainable water
infrastructure and is an effective use of advertisement. In the case for
the billboard stationed in Lima, the advertisement has helped not only
increase UTEC’s enrollment by 28% but also help offset the cost
barrier for the overall structure. As well, the billboard has
successfully produced 9450 liters in 3 months which contributes to the
water consumption of hundreds of families per month.

Smith-Strickland, Kiona. "A Billboard That Makes Clean Drinking
Water."Popular Mechanics. N.p., 25 Apr. 2013.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/water/a-billboard-that-condenses-water-from-humidity-15393050


Best,


Kimberly D. Hafner
Undergraduate Intern
2014 BioEnergy & Sustainability School
Soil and Water Science Department
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