Dubai: Rather than leaving you sticky and tired, the UAE's humidity is being used to quench the thirst of residents through new technology which cuts the cost of producing potable water by half, and has already been adopted by some schools and companies.

Sustainable options like this provide a continuous access to drinking water without using plastic bottles or desalinated water which require extensive amounts of energy to produce.

Around nine million cubic metres of desalinated water is produced daily in the UAE, costing $18 million (Dh66 million) a day. In fact, the equivalent of four billion bottles of water is desalinated every day, Gulf News reported earlier.

The new system works by passing ambient air through a water generator which extracts water condensing the air. "The water is piped to a unit, purified and remineralised ready to be dispensed," said Rukhsana Kausar, partner, Liquid of Life, detailing her exhibit at the Future Green Dubai 2010 fair yesterday.

A Liquid of Life system can reduce the cost of a litre of water from between 30 and 40 fils from government utility companies, to between eight and 12 fils.

Threefold benefits

A system with a medium generator that can produce around 60 litres a day starts at Dh4,700. Return on investment for a domestic system will take a few years, said Kausar, but the benefits are threefold. "You save on plastic, you reduce your consumption of desalinated water which pumps brine back into the Gulf, and save money," she said.

"In the long term your water will be free. It also offers water security should there be a [oil] spill in the Gulf or water quality is affected in any way. This offers some security."

Future Green Dubai 2010 showcased several solutions available to residents now that can help lower their carbon footprint.

Bokashi is one such product that can take the smell out of your garbage and help replenish the soil of your garden.

A 20-litre plastic bin can hold up to three weeks worth of food waste, said Janine Sheard, distributor of Bokashi, a Japanese product. "All food, teabags, coffee grinds, veggie peels — it can all go in and you sprinkle a small amount of Bokashi activator, a mixture of pro-biotic organisms, each time," she said.

Eco-learning: distinctive campus

Al Awadi Field Studies Centre, one of the exhibitors at Future Green Dubai 2010, is the first institution of its kind offering students hands-on scientific experience in the great outdoors. It is opening its doors on November 6 and will provide an educational context devised to meet requirements of the International Baccalaureate, Keystage 2,3 and 4, and A-Levels curriculum.

Al Awadi is located in the heart of the Suhaila desert, 10km from Al Dhaid and an hour from Dubai.

Matthew Cocks, general manager of field study activities said the centre can teach students how to be sustainable. "The UAE environment is so sensitive and the damage done needs to be dealt with. We want kids to be aware of what they should or shouldn't do to respect their environment," he said.

To attend the open day e-mail mcocks@ecoventureme.com.