Atmospheric Water Generation: An Introduction

What is atmospheric water generation?

Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) is a process whereby potable water is produced from the humidity in the air. The purpose of this process is to harness the over abundance of water that exists in earth’s atmosphere as water vapor. This method of water sourcing allows us to tremendously expand drinking water availability, accessibility, and sustainability. As a revolutionary method of producing pure drinking water, it circumvents reliance on ground water sources and rainwater while making possible a mobile and independent water source for the first time in history. AWG technology has many applications and can serve commercial, emergency, and long-term water supply solutions.

Methods of AWG have been around for hundreds of years (using fog-nets or “air-wells” that passively collect moisture from the air), but the lack of filtration and efficiency of such methods have never allowed it to serve as a dependable or primary source of clean drinking water.

In modern times, the common method of AWG uses a cooling-condensation process similar in function to a dehumidifier. The main difference is that Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) are designed to generate significantly more water and purify it during the process. This method relies on electricity to power the generators, but when equipped with solar, wind, hydro, or any sustainable power source, AWGs produce pure drinking water out of thin air in all its abundance in a fully-sustainable manner. It is truly a science fiction dream come true as the world has long struggled to find an effective and efficient solution to drinking water shortages and contamination. This technology has an especially great deal of utility where pure drinking water is difficult or impossible to obtain otherwise.

What are the benefits of atmospheric water generation?

• Reduces Carbon Footprint:

Producing pure drinking water on-site with moderate use of electricity reduces the carbon footprint of drinking water provisioning in the long-term. At the point that the carbon-emission savings pass the amount used to manufacture the generator, the savings rate per year outpaces the electricity emissions, creating a carbon-credit scenario. In comparison to bottled water, AWGs do not cause the tremendous amount of carbon emissions resulting from the production and transport operations needed for the roughly 500 billion plastic water bottles sold every year.

• Eliminates Reliance on Single-Use Plastics:

Without reliance on single-use plastics for transport and storage of drinking water, the positive environmental impact is incalculable. Lifetime costs on the environment associated with single-use plastics include GHG emissions for production and transport, health costs, waste management costs, mismanaged waste costs, and marine plastic pollution.

• Plethora of Water in the Air:

Groundwater sources run dry, the atmosphere cannot. While there are many different estimates on how much water exists in Earth’s atmosphere as water vapor, the lowest estimates are over hundreds of trillions of gallons — enough to cover the entire surface of Earth with at least an inch of rain if condensed! Tapping into this abundant source of water is the most practical solution for water stressed regions and global drinking water scarcity.

• Sustainability:

AWGs can be powered using electricity via power-grid, gas generator, battery pack, solar energy, wind energy, and hydro energy. The options and potential for full-sustainability in this sector are unprecedented. Think of it like this, when powered by solar, AWGs are essentially turning sunlight into pure drinking water on-site and on-demand!

• Convenience and Availability:

Generating water from the air via AWG is the most convenient way humans have ever produced pure and clean drinking water. The technology allows for a fully mobile source of water that can be utilized almost anywhere in the world. With AWG, there is no lengthy or expensive process to extract, obtain, purify, or transport the water. Simply connect an AWG unit to a power source and watch the magic happen!

• Health:

AWG provides a truly reliable source of toxin-free drinking water. The integrity of public water supplies are questionable in many cases and their traditional methods of purification (UV, filtration, and disinfection) have a number of potential sources of contamination. Being that tap water is also transported through lead and corrosive pipes makes it unlikely that water retains purity by the time it reaches a glass. On the other hand, bottled water is at high risk for microplastic contaminants. AWG produces pure drinking water on-site — avoiding potential sources of contamination and providing pure drinking water free of toxins and contaminants.

What are the drawbacks to using atmospheric water generation?

• Location Matters:

The output of the water production for AWGs is directly impacted by relative humidity levels, so in areas of the world where the humidity is little to none, AWGs will not produce efficiently. Recent advances in the technology have significantly improved output capabilities, and H2O Everywhere AWGs can operate efficiently in more than 90% of the United States and more than 70% of the world.

• Filters:

Currently, atmospheric water generators require filter replacements 2-3 times a year. The maintenance is as minimal as changing your pants but it is something to take into account. The cost for the filters is inexpensive and dirt cheap if bought in bulk. All things considered, the unit cost of one gallon of water via AWG is far less than the cost of bottled water.