Water for nothing, water for all...

Hugh black sheets covered in tiny bumps that are water attracting (hydrophilic) at their tips and water-repelling (hydrophobic) at their sides.

Artfully stretched between two pillars, sloping down to funnel water into a holding tank.

Available in kits that cost next to nothing.

God had created a beetle in Africa's Namib desert where it never rains except for 1.3cm of water per year.

This beetle extends and aims the wings at incoming sea breezes to catch humid air; tiny droplets 15 to 20 microns in diameter eventually accumulate on its back and run straight down towards its mouth.

 The wing shell is covered in tiny bumps that are water attracting (hydrophilic) at their tips and water-repelling (hydrophobic) at their sides.

Man can duplicated this design in flexible rolls of plastic film that can be set up anywhere water is needed in minutes.

Yards and yards of this inexpensive material stretched across the landscape could provide fresh clean water from the evening dew and from ocean breeze. No expensive low yield desalination plants.

Just plastic film draped across the landscape above light weight collecting tanks.

Easily set up in minutes by anyone, so simple even a child can do it...

But for now we will have to settle for a mere self filling water bottle.

 Expect my vision of the plastic sheets in the near future.

Unless the water barons suppress it for profit.

After all, "Water is the new oil."

Even the Bush Family is getting in on the "New Oil."

***
update:

 Simple Method Yields A Wrinkly, Durable, Water-Repellent Coating

 Superhydrophobic coatings that make water droplets dance and roll off of a surface show promise for applications such as self-cleaning cars, buildings, and food processing equipment.

 A new method creates a durable superhydrophobic coating by combining two common materials -- Teflon and a shrinkable plastic -- in a few simple steps. 

The researchers took inspiration from work done with the polystyrene material found in Shrinky Dinks -- the children's crafting kit.

 They deposited Teflon onto a similar material called PolyShrink, heated it, and found that the Teflon formed a crinkled surface that caused water to bead and roll off easily.

 The best results came from polyolefin shrink wrap coated with a 10mm-thick layer of Teflon.

 What's more, the surface is durable, having about the same scratch resistance as an aluminum coating, and repels water even after being scratched.