Waterspots: Watering Holes for the 21st Century

WaterSpots are water catchment & treatment hubs combining rain, fog & dew harvesting with public gathering & education space.

Long Description

Waterspots are decentralized water catchment & treatment hubs that harvest rain, fog & dew. As climate change progresses, capturing fog & dew will become increasingly important for water security. At the same time, climate change will cause rainfall in many semi-arid climates to decrease. Rain events that do occur are slated to become stronger & shorter. Maximizing our capacity to capture that water when it falls is vital to enhancing water resilience as climates shift.

Waterspots accomplish these goals. Layers of plastic filament mesh span aluminum pipe frames. Acting much like the needles of redwood trees, the mesh captures passing fog and transfers it to storage & treatment containers.

Support pipes have two additional functions. Designed to be hollow, they catch & store rainwater. They are also cooled with solar power, enabling them to serve as dew catchers during nighttime & dawn hours. Once treated, water is pumped to waist-height water spouts, where users can source fresh water onsite.

Because fog flows differently in different places, Waterspots come in four versions. Square models are designed for areas with consistent wind direction, like coastlines & ridges. Round models are designed for areas with variable fog patterns, like denser urban streets & centralized neighborhood parks. Each model comes with educational touch screens to spread information about water use & alternative catchment systems.

Waterspots also serve as public gathering spaces. Seating allows people to linger, learn about water resilience issues, chat with each other and enjoy a rest from the day.