SANTIAGO – As Water crisis is one of the greatest challenges facing mankind towards the future, a Chilean company has come up with a unique idea of making freshwater from the air.
FreshWater, officially founded in June 2015, goes beyond a technological process to produce water and embarks on the idea of creating sustainable projects.
Brainchild of Chile-based engineer Hector Pino, FreshWater machine produces drinking water from thin air. This potable system can run on AC power, battery or solar energy, and is able to produce water by absorbing humidity in the surrounding air.
The machine is able to pull water vapor out of the air to form artificial clouds. These artificial clouds further rain down to provide clean water to a whole community. This way helps in collecting clean water by mimicking the natural water cycle.
It is being tested in San Pedro de Atacama, an arid mountain town in northwestern Chile. In this region, FreshWater device has produced nearly two and a half gallons of water in a day. Although it’s not sufficient for a large community, but if the project is done on a large scale then it could surely provide relief to many remote communities worldwide.
Pino, forestry engineer and executive director of the company, said in its range of perspectives there are programs to solve problems of communities both in Chilean territory and abroad.
“We capture micro particles from the air and transform them into water using computerized technology. Each machine can produce from nine to 30 liters per day, depending on the season and the environment where it is located,” Pino explained.
He pointed out that they have indirectly approached the United Nations to promote FreshWater’s plan to design sustainable initiatives for communities, with capacity for the long term.
“At the moment we are advancing in a program in La Guajira, Colombia, and at the same time we are in talks with Paraguay in El Chaco, we look at Haiti, El Salvador and Guatemala,” he added.
FreshWater device costs around $1,600, and Pino is even working on making a smaller version, so it can even be carried around by travelers. If successful, the Pino will be able to make a portable and affordable clean water device for regions with limited or no water supply.
