Super Eco

Photo credit: bluegum, SXC

"Honey, can I have a drink of your air?" No, this isn't the apocolyptic future and you haven't grown gills because this isn't Waterworld. Nope, it's somewhere humid and you're thirsty and you just happen to own a RainCloud C-15, a dehumidifier that's also a water purifier.

Pure genius, really. As far as I'm concerned there's nothing good about extremely humid climates, so drinking the very air I breathe just seems like a glassful of ironic justice. It's amazing how much water can be pulled out of the air by conventional dehumidifiers—a large one can pull up to 42 pints of water a day from your home (are you drinking that much?), so a purifying dehumidifier could conceivably easily supply all your drinking and cooking water needs, at least on humid days. And pulling excess moisture (over 50% relative humidity) is a good idea because moisture-laden air can breed dust mites, grow toxic mold, cause itchy skin and nasal passages, and even rot wood furnishings and fixtures.

The RainCloud, made by Cleanworld Ltd. in the UK, is portable and will also heat or chill your drinking water for you. Downsides? Well, the thing isn't cheap at about $1000. And it runs on electricity, especially if you're heating or cooling that glass of water. But if you live in a humid climate and have way more graywater dehumidifier output than your house plants and garden plants can use, the RainCloud might be a good choice for you.