A new device extracts up to 1,000 liters of clean water a day from desert air, offering a potential backup supply when storms or drought disrupt central systems. The machine, developed by 2025 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry Omar Yaghi, is designed to operate in arid conditions with humidity as low as 20%. His company, Atoco, says the unit can function without connection to the power grid.

The system uses a branch of science known as reticular chemistry. Inside the container-sized unit are Metal-Organic Frameworks, synthetic porous materials engineered at the molecular level.

These materials have an extremely large internal surface area. Even a few grams can match the area of a football arena. That structure allows the material to capture moisture from the air and release it as liquid water.