Testing water yield, efficiency of different meshes and water quality with a novel fog collector for high wind speeds

Fog harvesting techniques for water collection have been implemented successfully worldwide for several decades. However, at locations with high wind speeds, traditional installations require high maintenance efforts endangering the sustainability of projects. Furthermore, the efficiency of fog collection meshes and the water quality in the field are key questions for the implementation of large-scale facilities. This study presents a novel, durable fog collector design and investigates the yield (fog + rain) and inorganic water quality of different potential collection meshes at a test site in Morocco. The pilot facility proved very reliable with only minimal maintenance required. Rankings of the efficiency of different fog nets were set up, with monofilaments and three-dimensional structures tending to show higher yields than woven fabrics such as the traditional ‘Raschel’ mesh. However, differences from fog event to fog event could be identified. Water quality was better than that of local wells and met WHO guidelines, except for the ‘first flush’ just after the start of fog events.