Atmospheric moisture is everywhere, allowing processing plants to be set up anywhere they are needed to serve people. Where meteorogically possible, Atmospheric Water Vapour Processing (AWVP) is an environmentally attractive alternative to desalination plants, groundwater mining, and surface water abstraction. AWVP allows decentralization and simplification of potable water distribution networks with attendant socio-economic benefits.

AWVP uses specially designed machines to extract water molecules from the atmosphere, ultimately causing them to change phase from vapour to liquid. Three classes of machines have been designed by various inventors. These machines either:

• Cool a surface below the dewpoint of the ambient air.
• Use desiccants to concentrate water vapour.
• Induce and control convection in a tower structure.

Patented devices vary in scale and potable water output from small units suitable for one person's daily needs to structures as large as multi-story office buildings capable of supplying drinking water to an urban neighbourhood. In global terms the quantity harvestable is very small.