Make it rain--it's a power that countless shamans longed for.
New Mexico's Altela has come up with an industrial system that simulates the evaporation/condensation process, which naturally turns seawater into rainwater. Altela's system, however, turns industrial waste water into water that's safe to drink.
A single unit, which can desalinate and decontaminate 250 gallons of water a day, fits into a 20-foot by 40-foot shipping container. The company recently received $7.1 million in funding and is testing the equipment in the Southwest.
"We can provide desalinated water for the world's population," CEO Ned Godshall said in an interview earlier this year.
Water, for human consumption and agricultural use, will likely be one of the first tangible crises to emerge out of global warming. A number of start-ups and established companies--NanoH2O, Atlantium, Aqwise, and General Electric, for example--are putting more of a focus on desalination and purification.
Photo by Argonne National Labs and Altela
