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Fog harvesting could provide water for dry cities

Fog Harvesting - Level 0

Many towns have little rain. It is difficult for people to get water. Scientists say harvesting water from fog could be an answer. The researchers collected fog water on large screens. Drops of fog water stick to the screen. The water then drips into tanks below. It is a cheap and easy way to collect water in dry areas.

The researchers tested fog harvesting in a desert town which gets 5 mm of rain a year. People get water delivered by truck. Fog harvesting could change this. It could be a "practical water resource". A researcher said "water from the clouds" could give cities access to clean water.

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Fog Harvesting - Level 1

Many towns have little rain. It is a challenge for people to get water. Scientists in Chile say harvesting water from fog could provide water for millions of people. The researchers studied how fog harvesting can collect water. Water from fog is collected on large mesh screens. Drops of fog water stick to the mesh. The water then drips into storage tanks below. This is a cheap and easy way of collecting water in dry areas.

The researchers tested fog harvesting in a desert town which gets 5 mm of rain a year. People there get their drinking water delivered by truck. A researcher said fog harvesting could change this. People will think more about the uses of fog water. She said it could be a "practical water resource". She said "water from the clouds" could protect cities during climate change. She added that fog harvesting could give cities access to clean water.

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Fog Harvesting - Level 2

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Many places in the world have little rain. It is a challenge for people to get water. Scientists in Chile want to help the driest towns and cities in the world. They say harvesting water from fog could provide drinking water to millions of people. The researchers have been studying how fog harvesting can collect water. It is a simple process. Water from fog is collected on large mesh screens. When fog passes through the screens, drops of water stick to the mesh. This water drips into storage tanks below. This is a cheap and easy way of collecting water in dry areas.

The researchers are from a university in the capital city Santiago. They tested fog harvesting in the desert town of Alto Hospicio, which gets less than 5 mm of rainfall a year. Many people there get their drinking water delivered by truck. A researcher said fog harvesting could bring a "new era" to the town. People will think more about the uses of fog. She said it could be a "practical water resource for cities". She said "water from the clouds" could protect cities from climate change. She added that fog harvesting could also improve access to clean water.

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Fog Harvesting - Level 3

Many regions in the world have very little rain. It is a daily challenge for people to get water. Scientists have found a new way that could help some of the driest towns and cities in the world. Capturing water from fog could provide drinking water to millions of people. Researchers in Chile have been studying how fog harvesting could help to collect water. Fog harvesting is a simple process. Water from fog is collected on large mesh screens that are hung between poles. When fog and clouds pass through the screens, droplets of water stick to the mesh. This water then drips into pipes below the screens and ends up in storage tanks. It is a cheap and easy way of collecting water in dry areas.

The researchers are from Universidad Mayor, a private university in the capital city Santiago. They have been testing fog harvesting in the desert town of Alto Hospicio. The town gets an average of less than 5 mm of rainfall a year. Many people who live there get their drinking water delivered by truck. Researcher Dr Virginia Carter Gamberini said fog harvesting could bring a "new era" to the town. She said her research "represents a notable shift in the perception of fog water use – from a rural, rather small-scale solution to a practical water resource for cities". She added: "Water from the clouds could enhance our cities' resilience to climate change, while improving access to clean water."

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