The Denver Botanic Gardens uses a solar-powered atmospheric water-harvesting system to irrigate a vegetable garden

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While on a visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens , I stop to admire a planting system like I had never seen before . It was n’t the snowy plastic planters in a honeycomb - like design ; it was the sign send near the garden that draw me in : “ H2O from the Air . ”

This stand garden is plant with tomato and herbaceous plant industrial plant that are watered with the engineering that turns sunshine and atmosphere into weewee .

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The SOURCE unit is a solar - power atmospheric piss harvester on display at the Denver Botanic Gardens . The system water flora by speeding up condensation to convert body of water vapor into piddle .

Zero Mass Water , based in Scottsdale , Ariz. , is the manufacturer of the SOURCE unit . A solar jury at the center of the unit furnish tycoon . Two additional hydropanels hold special material that attract urine molecules to produce about two gallons of water each day . A store tank can hold almost 8 gallons .

The SOURCE building block is an off - the - grid system “ that uses solar Department of Energy to raise the dewpoint inside the panel , driving passive condensation , ” consort to the Zero Mass Water site . The resulting water is gamey - calibre drinking piddle alike to distilled body of water .

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pupil at Colorado University at Boulder ’s Environmental Design programme designed and invent the hive - like hexagonal planter , an artsy bee house to attract pollinator and a solar - powered light for the garden .

While the water harvester at the Gardens can water victual like love apple and herbs , the demonstration is a small example of what the engineering can do . Zero Mass Water is using the SOURCE unit to serve provide clean drinking water to thirsty the great unwashed in 26 countries across 6 continents .

The demonstration at the Denver Botanic Gardens bear witness the potential for being able to produce vegetables in places without a source for irrigation or reliable downfall to either body of water garden orfill pelting barrels .

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The SOURCE presentation is one of the many collaborations and initiatives at the Gardens for innovational ideas for water - wise gardening . Even in Colorado ’s proportional abject - humidness clime , the SOURCE unit give rise plenty of water to grow vegetables and herbaceous plant .

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A solar-powered atmospheric water harvesting system uses the sun’s energy to speed condensation for watering vegetables and herbs.Photo: Jodi Torpey

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