The Startups Producing Drinkable Water from Air – Reasons to be Cheerful

Report on Atmospheric Water Generation Technology and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Global water scarcity, a critical challenge exacerbated by climate change, threatens the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With only 2.5 percent of the Earth’s water being fresh, and this supply diminishing due to rising temperatures and droughts, innovative solutions are imperative. This report examines the role of Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs)—technology that condenses atmospheric moisture into potable water—in addressing this crisis and advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Technological Innovations Advancing SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Several organizations are pioneering AWG technology to provide clean and safe drinking water, directly contributing to SDG 6. Their diverse models target different scales of need, from individual households to entire communities.

Aquaria Technologies: Household-Level Water Security

Aquaria Technologies focuses on decentralized water solutions for home use, enhancing community resilience and supporting SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

• Technology: Aquaria’s AWG units are designed for residential installation, connecting to existing plumbing systems to produce up to 200 gallons of purified water daily.
• Sustainability Integration: To promote SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), the units can be integrated with home solar systems, reducing reliance on grid electricity and lowering operational costs.
• Accessibility: While the initial investment is significant, the company offers payment plans to make the technology more accessible, addressing economic barriers to clean water access.

Aqua Ubique: A Social Enterprise Model for SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

Aqua Ubique operates as a social enterprise in Australia, specifically targeting water access disparities affecting First Nations communities, a direct effort to reduce inequalities (SDG 10) and improve public health (SDG 3).

1. Drop 4 Drop Program: For every five AWG units leased to businesses, one is installed in a community lacking safe drinking water.
2. Community Impact: In Cherbourg, Queensland, where E. coli contamination led to a nine-month boil water alert, Aqua Ubique installed units at a daycare and an elders village. This intervention provides a safe alternative to contaminated tap water and expensive bottled drinks, directly improving health and well-being (SDG 3).

Moses West Foundation: Disaster Relief and Large-Scale Water Provision

The Moses West Foundation deploys large-scale, patented AWG units to provide water in crisis situations and underserved areas, embodying the principles of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by building resilient infrastructure.

• Disaster Response: Following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, the foundation’s largest unit provided unlimited free drinking water to 15,000 families for six months, saving the island an estimated $300 million in bottled water costs. This demonstrates a significant contribution to SDG 1 (No Poverty) through cost savings for vulnerable populations.
• Renewable Energy Synergy: The foundation’s systems are designed to connect to solar panels, enabling rapid deployment and operation in off-grid locations, a critical component for climate adaptation (SDG 13) and energy sustainability (SDG 7).

Challenges and Strategic Outlook for AWG Implementation

While AWGs present a promising solution, their effective deployment requires addressing several challenges and strategic considerations to maximize their contribution to the SDGs.

Operational and Awareness Hurdles

• Climatic Dependency: AWG performance is contingent on environmental conditions, with higher yields in warm, humid climates and lower production in dry or cold environments.
• Energy Consumption: The process is energy-intensive, reinforcing the need for integration with renewable energy sources like solar to align with SDG 7 and SDG 13.
• Public Awareness: A significant barrier to wider adoption is the lack of public and institutional awareness of the technology’s potential to address water scarcity.

A Hybrid Approach for Comprehensive Water Management

Experts advocate for integrating AWGs into a broader water management strategy. This hybrid approach, which aligns with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), would see AWGs complementing other systems.

1. System Integration: AWGs can provide safe drinking water while other sources, such as rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling, are used for non-potable needs like irrigation and washing.
2. Future Potential: By forming part of a complete off-grid water system, AWGs can significantly enhance water security and resilience, making them a vital tool in the global effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in a world facing increasing water stress.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) addresses several interconnected Sustainable Development Goals by focusing on innovative solutions to water scarcity, a critical global challenge exacerbated by climate change. The primary SDGs identified are:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: This is the most central SDG, as the entire article revolves around technologies and initiatives designed to provide safe, drinkable water to communities lacking access.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article directly links access to clean water with health outcomes, highlighting the prevention of water-borne diseases and deaths.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The development and deployment of AWGs represent technological innovation. The article discusses these devices as a form of resilient infrastructure, especially in disaster-prone areas.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The focus is on making communities more resilient and ensuring access to basic services like clean water, particularly for vulnerable populations in places like Cherbourg, Australia, and post-hurricane Puerto Rico.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The article frames the growing need for alternative water sources within the context of climate change, mentioning that a “warmer” world and “heat waves exacerbate drought conditions.” AWGs are presented as an adaptive measure to build resilience against these climate-related hazards.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article mentions that AWG units can be connected to solar power systems, aligning the solution with the goal of using clean and sustainable energy sources, which also allows for off-grid operation.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s discussion of water scarcity and the deployment of AWG technology, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
   • The article directly addresses this by describing how companies like Aquaria Technologies, Aqua Ubique, and the Moses West Foundation are working to provide potable water. Aqua Ubique’s “Drop 4 Drop” program, which installs a unit in a community in need for every five units leased, is a clear effort to ensure equitable access for those who cannot afford it, such as First Nations communities.
2. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
   • The article highlights the health crisis in Cherbourg, Australia, where a “nine month boil water alert in 2024 due to E. coli contamination” forced residents to avoid tap water. The installation of AWGs that purify water directly mitigates the risk of illness from such contamination. The WHO statistic that “1.4 million deaths could be prevented each year with improved access to safe drinking water” further reinforces this connection.
3. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations.
   • The deployment of an AWG unit in Puerto Rico after “Hurricane Maria… ripped apart infrastructure” is a direct example of building resilience and providing essential services to a disaster-affected population. The article notes that this action gave “15,000 families access to unlimited free drinking water,” protecting a vulnerable community.
4. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.
   • The AWG units, especially large-scale ones like those from the Moses West Foundation, function as decentralized and resilient water infrastructure. Their ability to operate off-grid using solar power, as mentioned in the article, makes them reliable even when conventional infrastructure fails, as seen in Puerto Rico.
5. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
   • The article explicitly states that “the world becomes warmer and heat waves exacerbate drought conditions,” linking water scarcity to climate change. AWGs are presented as an adaptive technology that helps communities cope with these climate-induced water shortages, thereby strengthening their resilience to hazards like drought.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article provides several qualitative and quantitative points that can serve as indicators for measuring progress toward the identified SDG targets:

• Indicator for Target 6.1 (Access to Water): The article implies the indicator “Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services.” It provides specific examples of progress:
  • In Cherbourg, “dozens of children and seniors who didn’t before have access to safe drinking water now do.”
  • In Puerto Rico, “15,000 families” gained access to free drinking water.
  • The baseline problem is quantified by the statement that “over two million people in Australia don’t have access to safe drinking water.”
• Indicator for Target 3.9 (Health Impact): The article implies the indicator “Mortality rate attributed to unsafe water.” This is supported by the WHO statistic that “1.4 million deaths could be prevented each year” with improved water access. The specific mention of “E. coli contamination” in Cherbourg serves as an indicator of water quality failure that the new technology aims to resolve.
• Indicator for Target 9.1 & 11.5 (Resilient Infrastructure): The number of AWG units deployed can serve as a direct indicator. The article mentions the installation of “two MG10 AWG water cooler units in Cherbourg” and one “largest AWG 5000 unit” in Puerto Rico. The production capacity, such as “up to 200 gallons of water daily,” is another quantifiable metric of the infrastructure’s impact.
• Indicator for Economic Impact (related to Target 11.5): The article provides a financial indicator of the benefits of this resilient infrastructure. In Puerto Rico, the use of AWGs “saved the Island about $300 million in the cost of having to ship in plastic water bottles.” This quantifies the economic loss averted.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: reasonstobecheerful.world