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Eco-Nomics ››
Potable Water ››
Potable Water Sources
Potable Water Sources
Nearly, if not all available water sources on earth can provide us with a year round potable water supply.
Water can be collected directly from surface water such as oceans, lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, or from
springs and other groundwater sources. Atmospheric water vapors can also be collected from the air in the form
of fog or humidity. Indeed, potable water can be obtained throughout virtually every step of the water cycle
(i.e., evaporation, transpiration, humidification, condensation and precipitation).
Evaporation and Transpiration
Plants transpire just as a person sweats. Most plants transpire at least 90-95% of all the water they use. At
high enough temperatures and low enough humidity just one tree at one foot in diameter can transpire up
to 100 gallons of water per day. Corn and juniper are excellent examples. Corn grows fast, doesn't take
much space to grow and transpires about 99% of the water it uses. Juniper trees are hardy, grow in dry areas,
and tap into water deep underground on their own, so they go beyond mere water recycling and can actually bring
the water source to you. Transpired water is naturally purified and can be collected, contained and stored
to recycle, supplement or even replace water supplies.
One way to catch water vapors from plants before they escape into the air is to grow your plants in a greenhouse,
where they can stay warm and grow all year round. The rate of transpiration and condensation can be increased if warm
air is sealed inside a greenhouse during the day, and cool air is allowed to replace warm air at night. Recycling
transpired water in the greenhouse can reduce water requirements for plants by as much as 90-95% or more.
Rainwater Harvesting
Rain water can supplement or even replace the drinking water supply, depending on the amount of rainfall, the size
of your roof or other collection area, and available storage space. For every 1000 feet of collection space, 600
gallons of water can be harvested per inch of rainfall. Rainwater can be collected from the rooftops of homes,
buildings, cisterns and other surfaces. It can then be directed with rain chains and/or gutters, filtered, purified
and stored in rain barrels, cisterns or other water storage mediums for later use. A lack of space for the collection
area can be overcome with sufficient rainfall, while a lack of rainfall can be overcome with more space to harvest water.
As with all these suggestions, some or even all of these water sources can also be combined so as to make up for a lack
of water from one source with another.
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