Solar hydropanel extracts 10 liters of clean drinking water from the air per day

Solar powered water extractor. (CREDIT: SOURCE. CO)

By collecting water vapor from the air and condensing it into a liquid, atmospheric water generators can essentially extract water from the air, and these devices hold great promise for providing an independent source of drinking water.

And while drought-stricken regions and areas without safe or stable water sources are prime candidates for water production and purification devices like these, residential and commercial buildings in developed countries can also benefit from their use, and they are great for recreation. -networked homes and emergency preparedness kits.

The statistics speak for themselves:

• According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 40 percent of America’s 50,000 public water systems had water quality problems.

• 15 percent of Americans still rely on wells for their primary source of water. A full 50 percent of that water would fail quality testing.

• More than 450,000 California residents who are served by the public water system consume water that does not comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act.

• Available data show that US households facing water scarcity and poor water quality are more likely to have lower incomes and live in areas where infrastructure is systematically underfunded.

• 100 percent of California’s failed systems serve fewer than 100,000 people; 96.4 percent serve fewer than 10,000 people. Tulare County, where Allensworth is located, has the most systems without safe water. (The Public Water Center’s Drinking Water Tool pinpoints where communities bear the environmental burden of lack of clean water and are also disadvantaged.)

• The most common contaminants found in these water systems are arsenic, nitrates, lead, copper, uranium, and E. coli.

Similar stories

Some water generators, like WaterSeer, got a lot of hype (and a lot of skepticism) but failed to materialize. Others, such as the Ecoloblue devices, are a little more expensive and more complex, but they do exist and can be bought and run.

The SOURCE device from Zero Mass Water is a rooftop solar device that produces water, not just electricity. SOURCE hydropanel arrays are now available in the US, where “they work in virtually every climate and nearly every day of the year.”

The standard SOURCE unit consists of two hydropanels, with additional panels added as needed for water production or local climate, and this standalone unit is designed to be installed on the roof of a building where it can then produce an average of 4-10 liters per day.

An onboard 30 liter tank holds the collected water and mineralizes it with calcium and magnesium, and the unit’s drain can be connected directly to a faucet (or refrigerator or dispenser) inside the building for ease of use.

No maintenance is said to be required other than an annual filter change and mineral cartridge replacement every five years, which are provided through a subscription program when the time is right.

The system will produce the equivalent of 43,800 bottles of water over its lifetime without plastic waste.

practical solution

According to Zero Mass Water, even those in dry regions with low humidity can use SOURCE units to produce water, which is an issue that many system skeptics raise.

A solar-powered water extractor on a school campus. (CREDIT: SOURCE. CO)

“Our array at Zero Mass Water headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona produces water all year round despite low relative humidity. In the Phoenix-Metro area, relative humidity can drop below 5% in summer, and SOURCE is still producing water in these incredibly dry conditions. “

SOURCE water generators are expensive, at least in terms of initial investment. A standard two-panel array costs about $4,000, plus another $500 for installation, and is said to have a lifespan of at least 10 years. This results in a cost of about $1.23 per day, or $0.12 to $0.30 per liter when averaged over the life of the device.

To learn more about environmental news, check out our Green Impact section at The bright side of the news.

Note. Materials provided above Derek Markham. Content can be edited for style and length.

Do you like such pleasant stories? Get Brighter Side of News Newsletter.