Assessing fog water collection in the coastal mountain range of Antofagasta, Chile

Abstract

Fog water collection can be an alternative source of water supply in areas with limited water resources. Fog water is usually collected with plastic meshes mounted on wooden or metal frames arranged perpendicular to winds carrying fog. This study assessed fog water collection at the coastal mountain range of Antofagasta, Chile, with the purpose of analyzing the relationship between collected water and local meteorological conditions. For this, four standard 1-m2 fog collectors with meteorological instrumentation were located at different places in the study area. From August 2019 to February 2020, the collectors recorded data on collected water and atmospheric variables, including wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, and ambient temperature. The results indicate that fog water collection ranged between 0.16 ± 0.02 and 0.37 ± 0.05 L m−2 day−1 averaged over the entire period. The collection was notably reduced in summer, with values generally <0.09 L m−2 day−1, due to fewer days with fog collection events. More than half of the collected water was obtained in less than 8% of the study days. The frequency of foggy days and orientation of the collectors were among the main factors explaining the differences in yield between the collectors.