Clean water from the air

Creating clean water from thin air - 23rd August 2021

One in four people on the planet risk their lives drinking unsanitary water, despite water being the Earth's most prolific natural resource.

Water stocks in various regions of the world have been decimated by the climate crisis, warfare and shifting demographics – among other causes – and as the world population explodes, so does the urgency for innovators to bring technology to bear to confront the problem.

One such outfit is Watergen, an Israeli company offering the potential to escape catastrophic shortages by providing much-needed water to deprived areas via air-to-water technology.

Michael Mirilashvili, Watergen’s CEO and president, asserts, "Water is a basic human right, and yet millions don't have access to it."

Although pulling water out of thin air may sound like science fiction, it's actually not rocket science. Since the atmosphere is made up of 13 billion tonnes of fresh water, the firm makes use of a simple filtration system to extract it. Mirilashvili is confident Watergen's technology could spark a major shift for both the water industry and planet Earth.

The technique removes the need for large scale construction to transport the water, so there is no risk of heavy metals leaching from pipeways, nor is the water exposed to ground contamination. At the same time, plastic packaging becomes totally superfluous. And while air pollution is a major concern in built-up areas, one piece of scientific research suggests that even here the converted water meets hygiene standards set by the World Health Organisation.

Watergen's most powerful units can transform air droplets into 6,000 litres of water every 24 hours, providing potable water for entire hospitals in the Gaza Strip and to villagers in remote central African locations, as well as helping the Australian government to tame recent devastating bushfires.

"This is not just about saving lives, it's about improving the lives of millions," adds Mr Mirilashvili. "Even in developed countries, some people don't drink clean water and it has a direct effect on health and agriculture."