Armidale Community Preschool's hydro-panels find water in thin air

Now, with six source hydro-panels installed on the roof of the preschool, moisture is drawn out of the air and between 60 and 120 litres of drinking water is produced each day.

This latest activity has reduced its water consumption and taken the preschool closer towards water self-sufficiency.

With an average of 39 students at the preschool each day, and a target for each child to drink 500 millilitres per day, the source panels have comfortably produced enough water to meet the demand.

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The preschool's director/nominated supervisor, Sue Motley, said solar panels built into each hydro-panel power a process that draws ambient moisture from the air and converts it to pure water, passing it through filters that remove any flavour.

The water is then stored in a tank and dispensed at a drinking fountain, without the need for any further treatment.

The preschool received two instalments of $20,000 each from NSW Department of Education funding to preschools in drought-affected areas to cover the $36,000 cost of the panels and associated equipment, and also assisted with additional water saving initiatives on the preschool grounds.

"We're also awaiting the arrival of two water tanks, to complement the tanks we already have in place and increase the amount of water we're capturing," Ms Motley said.

"Sustainability and being responsible with water have been central to the preschool's activities for quite a while. However, we have further reduced our water consumption by more than half since the water restrictions began.

"We are working to drought-proof our areas and the installation of the hydro-panels in August has taken us further down that path."

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