How many people living in the gaslands have no clean water? We really don’t know. We don’t know how many people have been and are currently being supplied with water by the gas corporations. DEP doesn’t track it.
Between gag orders, non-disclosure clauses imposed by the gas corporations, and reluctance of state and federal environmental to do their job, we don’t have these figures. We can guess based on groundwater contamination complaints filed with federal and state agencies. However, an exact or even a close number is nearly impossible to determine.
What we do know is there are perhaps thousands of people who do not have clean water, and thousands more to come. This is something we see on advertisements, organizations asking for donations to give people in 3rd world countries access to clean water. With the rapid industrialization of our communities via gas/oil activities, more and more people – here in our own back yard – no longer have clean water.
There are grassroots efforts going on to raise money for water deliveries. This will meet immediate and short term needs. What about the long term needs as the number without clean water increases?
As we saw back in 2010, when a waterline was proposed for the people of Dimock, the gas corporations, and their supporters managed to prevent construction of the waterline.
An average household of 4 may use up to 300 gallons of water a day for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing clothes, and housecleaning. A water buffalo holds approximately 500 gallons, so in an average week, this means a fill-up every 2-3 days.
There has to be a better way.
There’s an old saying – “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he’ll eat for life.” Let’s apply that to water and take a look at Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG).
What’s an AWG? An AWG is a device that extracts water from humid ambient air. Water vapor in the air is condensed by cooling the air below its dew point, exposing the air to desiccants, or pressurizing the air. Unlike a dehumidifier, an AWG is designed to render the water potable. AWGs are useful where pure drinking water is difficult or impossible to obtain, because there is almost always a small amount of water in the air. 
Depending on the size of the AWG and humidity in the air, a unit can produce anywhere from 3 to 500 gallons of clean potable water per day at a fraction of the cost compared to purchasing water. Features of AWG vary, but many include filters to remove air pollutants, built-in water filters, large storage capacity and run on solar energy.
Watch this short video: EcoloBlue 28 Atmospheric Water Generator – Interview – NBC6.
If a few large environmental organizations banded together and pooled their resources – AWGs may be the way to go instead of endless water deliveries.
Think about it, Is it doable to meet the water needs of people in the gaslands?
© 2013 by Dory Hippauf
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