The Coolest Watercoolerurprising as it may sound in this land of plenty, the world’s most precious...
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urprising as it may sound in this land of plenty, the world’s most precious commodity isn’t oil or gold, but rather something that many of us take for granted: drinking water. The World Health Organization estimates that some 1.3 billion people are forced to consume con- taminated water—resulting in the death of one child every 15 seconds. As global population increases, the pandemic will likely worsen. But a Florida-based company called Island Sky may have a solution. Dubbed the Skywater 14, this understated machine—easily mistaken for a watercooler with hot and cold water taps, minus the plastic bottle—makes fresh, potable water using nothing more than air and electricity. “The planet’s surface is about 75 percent water, but most of it isn’t drinkable,” says Island Sky’s managing director, Richard Groden. “The earth’s largest source of water is ac- tually in the atmosphere as vapor, which falls as rain. Our machine turns that vapor into pure, sweet drinking water.” The floor-standing Skywater 14 ($1,800 – $2,500) and the larger, outdoor-sized Skywater 300 ($16,000, in- stalled) are so-named for their maximum daily output of fresh water: 14 and 300 gallons, respectively. They both work by drawing in ambient air, filtering it for dust and other contaminants, and then running it through a two- stage cooling device that mimics the natural dew point, The Coolest Watercooler Island Sky’s atmospheric water generators create drinking water from thin air. BY MATTHEW PHENIX 120D the robb report collection june 200 8 GREAT MACHINES Appliances causing the water vapor to condense. The resultant water (the higher the humidity, the more it makes) is purified with ozone, then filtered through carbon to make it taste better. Moreover, the Skywater 14 conserves energy. In addi- tion to the fuel savings compared to transporting bottled water for traditional watercoolers, there is no concern about water storage or environmental waste. Maintenance is minimal and the unit demands as little as 26 cents’ worth of electricity for every gallon of H20 it produces—a small price to pay to quench the world’s thirst. Island Sky, 954.922.3507, www.islandsky.com
Transcript of The Coolest Watercoolerurprising as it may sound in this land of plenty, the world’s most precious...
urprising as it may sound in this land of plenty, the world’s most precious commodity isn’t oil or gold, but rather something that many of us take for granted:
drinking water. The World Health Organization estimates that some 1.3 billion people are forced to consume con-taminated water—resulting in the death of one child every 15 seconds. As global population increases, the pandemic will likely worsen.
But a Florida-based company called Island Sky may have a solution. Dubbed the Skywater 14, this understated machine—easily mistaken for a watercooler with hot and cold water taps, minus the plastic bottle—makes fresh, potable water using nothing more than air and electricity. “The planet’s surface is about 75 percent water, but most of it isn’t drinkable,” says Island Sky’s managing director, Richard Groden. “The earth’s largest source of water is ac-tually in the atmosphere as vapor, which falls as rain. Our machine turns that vapor into pure, sweet drinking water.”
The floor-standing Skywater 14 ($1,800 – $2,500) and the larger, outdoor-sized Skywater 300 ($16,000, in-stalled) are so-named for their maximum daily output of fresh water: 14 and 300 gallons, respectively. They both work by drawing in ambient air, filtering it for dust and other contaminants, and then running it through a two-stage cooling device that mimics the natural dew point,
The Coolest WatercoolerIsland Sky’s atmospheric
water generators create
drinking water from thin air.
B Y M A T T H E W P H E N I X
1 2 0 D t h e r o b b r e p o r t c o l l e c t i o n j u n e 2 0 0 8
GREAT MACHINES Appliances
causing the water vapor to condense. The resultant water (the higher the humidity, the more it makes) is purified with ozone, then filtered through carbon to make it taste better.
Moreover, the Skywater 14 conserves energy. In addi-tion to the fuel savings compared to transporting bottled water for traditional watercoolers, there is no concern about water storage or environmental waste. Maintenance is minimal and the unit demands as little as 26 cents’ worth of electricity for every gallon of H20 it produces—a small price to pay to quench the world’s thirst.
Island Sky, 954.922.3507, www.islandsky.com
Doug Holmes
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($1,995 – $2,500)
