Israeli Startup Turns Humidity Into Drinking Water
Water is required for life. Having access to clean potable drinking water is a necessity for all people around the globe. In a world getting hotter and drier, an Israeli company is working to provide safe water from an unlikely source; the air.
Water scarcity is getting worse and one-in-four people worldwide lack access to safe water, reported i24 News. But water from air technology from the climate-tech company Watergen, based in Peta Tikvah can make a big difference in closing the gap.
From rooftop machines that supply 1,000 liters of water a day to larger installations that can provide 6,000 liters and support several households, Watergen’s atmospheric water generators (AWGs) can even be used in heavily polluted urban areas.
Watergen Technology
The startup, founded in 2010 by Michael Mirilashvili, MD, developed a technology that pulls moisture from air, purifies it, and turns it into clean drinkable mineral water, reported The Jewish Press Gulf Coast. The technology is sustainable and can provide clean water in water scarce regions.
The process is not that complicated. AWGs that pull humidity from the air are adaptable to different climates and are scalable, so that they can serve entire communities. But the best part is that no traditional water sources are necessary because Watergen produces clean water wherever it is needed. The startup now operates in 90 countries.
Mirilashvili told The Jewish Press that the company’s vision is about helping humanity, “It is the birth right of every person in this world to enjoy the most basic human necessity of clean, pure drinking water, regardless of geographical location, skin color, or religious belief. In the 21st century, no one deserves to live without access to safe, clean drinking water.”
Disaster Relief
The technology is being used in providing emergency aid for communities in crisis and natural disasters. After Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in 2017, Watergen partnered with FEMA and the American Red Cross to bring portable units into the disaster areas for first responders and people displaced from their homes. Watergen also helped first responders during the California wildfires in 2018.
These portable units are mounted on trucks and use solar panels or generators to power them, according to i24. These units can be deployed quickly and produce up to 220 liters a day that can fill hundreds of bottles of water.
Watergen’s technology has also been used in drought affected regions or in areas where there are active conflicts in Africa and South Asia. In fact, in Kenya, Watergen units have been transformative in remote areas by eliminating the need to fetch water that is not always safe to drink. Providing potable water helps people, one drop at a time.
