Interest widens in water-from-air technology.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs - Aqua Sciences Inc. - Hamilton Sundstrand, Windsor Locks, CT - Brief article

THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Agency has purchased two water extraction units from Aqua Sciences Inc. of Miami Beach, Fla.

The recent hurricanes, the Southeast Asian tsunami and the war in Iraq have spurred increased interest in technology that can produce drinking water from the air or automotive exhaust.

Aqua Sciences and Hamilton Sundstrand of Windsor Locks, Conn., displayed their water recovery systems for Army officials at a recent tactical wheeled vehicle technology demonstration at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md.

Officials at both companies said Army officials are interested in systems that can be scaled down and fit into the back of a Humvee to produce "water on the go."

Water-from-exhaust systems can recover about a half-gallon of water for every gallon of fuel, said Doug Snowdon, an engineer...