Fog-harvesting system could provide potable water for the world’s driest regions

This title is a bit of an over-exaggeration. As the article says, &quot;Systems to make use of this airborne potable water already exist in at least 17 nations.&quot; The title implies that it&#x27;s relatively new technology.<p>For some historical background, an early fog harvesting project started in Chile in 1987, and the success from that kicked off projects in other countries. (Based on a cursory search I just did.)<p>The linked-to article then clarifies the importance of this new work: &quot;But the new research shows that their efficiency in a mild fog condition can be improved by at least fivefold, making them far more feasible and practical than existing versions.&quot;

If used on a large scale, I wonder how this would affect the environment around the collection sites. As is now, the fog goes somewhere and I&#x27;m sure some organisms rely on it getting to where it&#x27;s going.<p>If the water is collected with enough efficiency, there could be significant unforeseen consequences.

Hmmm, that reminds of Arakis. Are they called windtraps ? ;)

If h2o is heavier than other components of air like o2 and nitrogen why can&#x27;t we just run air through a giant centrifuge to get the water out?

That would not be applicable in desert regions.

Tatooine