Can AWGs help after a disaster?

In the wake of a natural disaster, water access can be threatened. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes don’t just down power lines – they can destroy water treatment facilities, water distribution lines, and other fundamental water access infrastructure. Repairing these structures requires no shortage of money and time.

Making matters worse is that, with electricity unavailable in the wake of a disaster, it can be challenging to create and use the energy needed to power water treatment and distribution facilities. An ideal post-disaster water source would rely only on renewable energy sources and equipment not already part of the affected area’s infrastructure. One such water source, AWG (atmospheric water generation), may offer that promise.

Why rely on AWG after a disaster?

Most water that humans access comes from groundwater and surface water. In the wake of a natural disaster, the infrastructure through which water is transported from these sources to homes can be damaged, if not entirely destroyed. AWG can provide people with water without accessing these sources.

All that AWG requires is access to air, a resource that’s far from lacking across the earth. Better yet, natural disasters don’t add or subtract from the volume of air across the earth. AWG thus offers an exciting solution for combating water shortage supply issues following a natural disaster, but its imperfections should be considered as well.

In what ways does AWG fall short after a disaster?

To properly provide clean water for drinking and household use, AWG has some pitfalls with which to reckon. The most obvious challenge is that some, but not nearly all, AWG machines are powered by electricity, eliminating these devices from consideration following a natural disaster. AWG machines designed for home use are especially likely to depend on electricity, whereas those intended for providing water to larger communities may be renewably powered.

Most of these machines also generate only tiny volumes of water. Most AWG machines produce enough water per day to serve small groups of people rather than the massive populations that compete for water access following a natural disaster. 

Additionally, most modern AWG machines don’t filter or treat the water they generate from the air. Since air pollution impacts 90 percent of the global population, water generated from the air is almost certain to include harmful substances. Without proper filtration and treatment, relying on AWG to provide water after a natural disaster can be as limited a solution as attempting to access more traditional sources.

The good news is that much work has been done to address the many flaws that prevent AWG from being a utopian solution. At Oxydus, we’ve devised a potentially revolutionary method for embracing the potential of AWG while eliminating its most concerning drawbacks.

Oxydus AWG factories are the perfect post-disaster solution

At Oxydus, we’ve taken the concept of AWG and brought it into a factory setting to address its flaws with energy sourcing, contaminant levels, and production quantity. Each and every component of our factory is solar-powered, meaning that electricity shortages won’t prevent our AWG factories from running -- they can continue to generate water during an emergency situation. When we bring air from the outside world into our factories for conversion to water, we immediately pass it through bag filters that remove some of the most noxious air pollutants known to man. And after we actually generate the water, we pass it through more state-of-the-art filters to ensure that our water is as clean as could be.

By bringing AWG into a factory setting, we can maintain the temperature and humidity levels at those best for maximizing the volume of water produced. After the water is produced, our factories add minerals to the water to meet local governmental guidelines. Every day, one AWG factory can generate 10,000 liters of this mineralized water, which is then packaged in entirely biodegradable water bottles that can be shipped to any communities in need. 

AWG factories can be built in disaster-affected areas to provide the affected communities with a water source not threatened by current conditions. To make these lifesaving factories a reality, we’re asking ordinary citizens to contribute to our vision. Click here to visit the Oxydus Wefunder page and learn how you can contribute to a permanent infrastructure that could help to provide clean water for all.