Fog collection, also called fog harvesting, is a method of gathering water from fog. It uses large vertical mesh nets to help fog droplets move downward into a trough below. This setup is called a fog fence, fog collector, or fog net.
An atmospheric water generator (AWG) is a machine that pulls water from the air around us, creating clean drinking water. Water vapor in the air can be collected in several ways, such as cooling the air until it reaches a temperature where moisture can no longer stay in the air, using drying materials to absorb water vapor, employing special membranes that allow only water vapor to pass through, gathering water from fog, or increasing the air’s pressure. AWGs are helpful in places where clean water is hard to find because water vapor is always present in the air.
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the process of collecting and storing rainwater instead of letting it flow away. Water is gathered from surfaces like rooftops and directed into tanks, cisterns, deep pits (such as wells, shafts, or boreholes), underground water storage areas, or reservoirs where it slowly soaks into the ground to replenish groundwater. Rainwater harvesting is different from stormwater harvesting because it typically collects water from rooftops and similar surfaces for storage and later use.
Gravity feed is a method that uses Earth’s gravity to move something, often a liquid, from one place to another. It is a simple way to move liquids without needing a pump. One common use is supplying fuel to an engine by placing the fuel tank above the engine, such as in motorcycles and lawn mowers.
Solar-powered pumps use electricity made by solar panels or heat from collected sunlight instead of electricity from the power grid or diesel fuel. These pumps usually include solar panels, a charge controller, a water pump that runs on direct current (DC), a fuse box, electrical wires, and a water storage tank. Solar-powered pumps are more cost-effective because they have lower operating and repair costs and cause less harm to the environment compared to pumps that use engines powered by fuel.
Hand pumps are pumps that people operate by hand. They use human power and tools to make it easier to move liquids or air from one place to another. They are used in many countries around the world for tasks like industry, boats, farming, and recreation.
Access to clean water is an important problem that affects the health, happiness, and growth of people around the world. Although some progress has been made, many people still do not have safe water to drink. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, as of 2020, about 2 billion people globally lack access to drinking water that is properly managed and safe.
The Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation, run by WHO and UNICEF, is the official way used by the United Nations to check progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) since 2016. Before 2015, the JMP was responsible for tracking progress on the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) related to drinking water and sanitation (MDG 7, Target 7c). This goal aimed to “cut in half, by 2015, the number of people without safe drinking water and basic sanitation.” The JMP operates under the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) focuses on providing clean water and proper sanitation for everyone. It is one of 17 goals created by the United Nations General Assembly to replace the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The United Nations states that the main goal is to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” This goal includes eight targets to be met by 2030, covering areas like water supply, sanitation, and managing water resources.
Drinking water quality standards explain the rules that determine the quality of drinking water. Water can contain harmful substances, but there are no worldwide standards that all countries agree on. Even when standards exist, the allowed amounts of these substances can differ by up to ten times between different sets of standards.