The Aqueduct and Sewer Authority began its plan to remove and compost the aquatic vegetation from the reservoir as part of a project to improve the use and rendering of water for the 140,000 clients that are they serve as the dam.

The Aquarius Systems Aquatic Weed Harvester is removing about 4,000 cubic yards of water hyacinth weekly, which is then taken to composting facilities. Compost is a sustainable alternative to avoid the accumulation of vegetative material in landfills, whose capacity is already compromised.

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He spends his days beside it, fine-tuning the repurposed 20-foot shipping container, which is capable of producing 3,500 gallons of water daily and holding 528 gallons in storage.

Residents initially approached the machine and him with curiosity and skepticism, West said. They asked questions about how it worked and whether the water was clean. They also worried that he would return to the mainland and leave them to fend for themselves in the rubble of a paradise lost.

The machine is called an atmospheric water generator. It cools humid air until the water transforms from a gas to a liquid, otherwise known as condensation. The device pulls water from its gas form and filters it. The final product is clean, drinkable water.

The technology is more than a decade old, but the machines haven’t caught on, in part because few people know about them. The low market demand helps keep the price tag high, which again discourages potential buyers.

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