Inspired by the mechanics of a dripping air conditioner, Marc Parent created a company, Eole Water, that produces wind turbines that literally pull fresh water out of thin air.
His solution, which has been dubbed the WMS1000, uses the electricity generated from a windmill to collect and treat water without tapping into a water source such as a river, lake or well.
Eole Water is testing the invention in France and Abu Dhabi.
"The idea came from Marc Parent, founder of Eole Water, when he lived in the Caribbean, and was subjected to water shortages. He began to work on a system that could recover moisture from the air and transform it into water. Soon after, he returned to France. He patented the process and founded Eole Water," ABC News quoted Thibault Janin, Marketing and Communication Director of Eole Water, as saying.
Janin believes the invention has a potential to solve the issue of millions worldwide living in remote areas without any access to safe drinking water.
"Each unit can create 1,000 liters of drinking water using only moisture and powered only by wind. Let me highlight this word : CREATE. All existing solutions (wells, desalination, lakes/rivers pumping, etc.) only treat an existing source of water. Thus, what happens when there is no or no more water available?" Janin said.
"The WMS1000 can create water when there is no existing source available. That makes a difference. Our technology integrates water creation, water collection, water treatment and water local distribution. The WMS1000 can produce and distribute water everywhere," he said.
Janin told ABC News that people only use centralised distribution from a centre point to others and the turbine can decentralise the water access.
"As the logistic and the process are easy to install and operate, it will be an answer to various issues like massive population movements that cause swelling of cities, increased diseases and therefore health care costs increasing, a door to agriculture or a local industry beginning.
"All economic or welfare starts with access to water. And this is what we provide," Janin added.
