Clean Drinking Water From Thin Air? Scientist’s Breakthrough Revolutionises Access to Pure Water

This article has been sponsored by SOURCE

“But what if clean water could be conjured from thin air, materialising from nothingness to fill glasses,  water dispensers, and reservoirs as pure magic? It’s not mission impossible; it’s science — and it could very well become a not-so-distant reality.”

This is the alluring future envisioned by SOURCE, a US-based company making waves in the renewable energy sector. Founded by Dr Cody Friesen, a materials scientist, the organisation has innovated the world’s first renewable drinking water system, which can make clean, safe, potable water “entirely off-grid, anywhere in the world”.

SOURCE’s patented, one-of-a-kind Hydropanel is “a sustainable water technology that uses the power of the sun to extract an endless volume of clean, reliable drinking water from the air.” The collected water undergoes mineralization to achieve the perfect balance of composition and taste, ensuring that high-quality drinking water is easily accessible to everyone.

In simple words, a Hydropanel is similar to a solar panel, but instead of generating electricity, it produces clean and safe drinking water without needing electricity or a water source; it can be installed in almost any location.

It thereby enables companies to flourish as sustainable leaders for future generations and inspire through action – by adopting innovative renewable water solutions and preserving natural resources.

Adopting Cutting-Edge Technology to Lead the Way in Sustainable Transformation

While water production can vary depending on the weather in your location, SOURCE technology is optimised for a wide range of conditions and can even produce water in low to medium sun and humidity. Today, SOURCE is addressing conscious business practices and mindful consumers equally by providing water access in some of the most arid locations in the world. All while eliminating the need for water transportation by implementing alternative solutions. 

If making water from the sun and air sounds too good to be true, the company has already demonstrated its validity by undertaking projects spread across 52 countries around the world — the one closest to home is a boutique hotel aspiring to lead the way in providing a full-fledged sustainable experience for its guests. In the heart of New Delhi, SOURCE Hydropanels are generating renewable water from a sustainable and endless source of the atmosphere. Defying the odds of air quality, the SOURCE Hydropanel water starts pure and remains pure throughout the process.

The same high-quality premium water finds its use even in remote communities. For example, at a government school in India, students didn’t have access to safe drinking water and had to rely on low-quality water from hand pumps. The school is in an area that often experiences severe droughts, so they urgently needed a solution that relied on something other than existing surface water. A local NGO and SOURCE joined forces to provide an array of SOURCE Hydropanels. Now the school offers students clean and dependable water via dispensers connected to the classroom. 

An innovator’s quest that led to SOURCE

Now, to understand the history of how this vital innovation came to be.

Friesen completed his bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Arizona State University and got a Ph.D. in the same field from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

Focused on renewable energy, he built a research group and secured energy grants. Friesen became interested in energy storage as a physical electric chemist and surface scientist.

“I was deeply contemplating the future of renewable energy, not just from a policy or technological perspective, but as an innovator, I pondered the long-term outlook. I wasn’t concerned about the next five or ten years, but rather the next 30–40 years,” he says.

“The realisation, which was like a light bulb moment, was that we have almost transitioned to renewables for electricity from governments, private businesses, hospitality and tourism, education and institutions, healthcare, and this is to name a few. It is evident that solar power will become cheaper than coal, and the rapid advancements in lithium-ion technology indicate that energy storage will become more affordable. This led me to wonder if we could extend the principles of renewables to address a different resource,” Friesen adds.

“It dawned on me that access to clean drinking water is perhaps one of humanity’s most significant challenges. The health and economic consequences associated with water scarcity far surpass those of electricity. So, the question arose, ‘Could we apply renewable principles to water and make it a universally accessible resource, democratically available anywhere in the world?’” shares Friesen.

That’s where his journey began in the early 2000s, eventually materialising into what is now known as SOURCE.

High-quality, sustainable drinking water for all

SOURCE is a B-corp, for-profit company that upholds high social and environmental performance standards, accountability, and transparency. Today, the company provides renewable drinking water solutions to commercial organisations, schools, hospitality establishments, residential communities, etc.

At remote worksites, these Hydropanels provide a reliable and affordable source of clean drinking water for job sites, regardless of their size. By installing an array of Hydropanels on-site, workers can conveniently access a continuous and self-replenishing supply of fresh drinking water. This eliminates the need for expensive and complicated transportation of potable water.

Hospitality and commercial establishments, such as luxury hotels, eco-resorts, restaurants, and business venues/offices, can help achieve their sustainability goals by providing guests and employees with an option that avoids plastic and depletion of the water table by actively helping ‘create’ more water for the region.

In communities, be they remote or water-stressed, SOURCE provides a quickly established and affordable solution for clean water, which works well alongside existing bulk water sources that may not meet drinking water standards. It operates independently from existing infrastructure since it doesn’t need electricity or water connections. Furthermore, it can be expanded to cater to communities of varying sizes, ranging from small villages to large populations of thousands.

Touching upon its impact in reducing plastic on earth, Manu Karan, the Senior Vice President, Business Development, Middle East, Asia & Africa at SOURCE Global, shares, “Producing SOURCE at a 1,000-person worksite displaces more than 30 million plastic bottles over 15 years. And a single SOURCE Hydropanel eliminates the need for 54,000 single-use plastic water bottles over its 15-year lifespan. 92% of the materials used to build our Hydropanels are also mass bulk-recyclable.”

All pictures courtesy: SOURCE