Texas man makes H2O out of air

GRANITE SHOALS, Texas (KXAN) - Terry LeBleu of Granite Shoals in the Texas Hill Country is not worried about how to water his lawn or water restrictions in this time of drought.  He also is not rushing out to buy bottled water. That is because he invented a machine that makes water out of the air.

The machine is called the Drought-Master.

"These make pure water," said LeBleu.  "The water never touches the ground.  It is strictly straight out of the air.  We have oceans of water in the air, in the sky.  All you have to do is pull it out and condense it down."

LeBleu said moisture-laden air is pulled through the machine's generator, condenses it and then exhausts the purified air. The captured water is then filtered and is actually drinkable.

"It is ready on demand.  It is good emergency water," he explained.

The patented machine is now on the market and plugs into an electric outlet. It can produce 5- to 7- gallons a day.

LeBleu sent water samples for analysis to Stevens Ecology in Mosier, Ore.  According to the company, the test water samples based on standards set up by the Environmental Protection Agency, Association of Analytical Chemists, American Public Health Association, American Water Works Association and the Water Pollution Control Federation.

Test results show that the water LeBleu's machine makes is free of metals like zinc and copper and has no coliform bacteria.

LeBleu said the company likened his water to sterilized distilled water.

A few Hill Country residents have LeBleu's machine in and around their homes.  Even local celebrities like Willie Nelson bought a couple and has them on his ranch.

"Willie has 50 of them and I am working on one for his tour bus," LeBleu added.

His machine comes in 27 different styles and can cost anywhere from $499-$519.

More information can be found on LeBleu's web site, www.droughtmasters.net.