Producing Safe Drinking Water Using an Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) in an Urban Environment

• Main Authors: Offir Inbar, Igal Gozlan, Stanislav Ratner, Yaron Aviv, Roman Sirota, Dror Avisar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: atmospheric water generator; water quality; drinking water; alternative water resource; atmospheric water chemistry
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/10/2940

Alternative new technologies are urgently needed to overcome the rapidly increasing global water scarcity. Atmospheric dew water is a potential source of potable water, as the earth’s atmosphere contains billions of tons of fresh water (98% in a vapor state). The atmospheric water generator (AWG) converts water vapor into liquid water and is a promising solution for water scarcity. We provide the first comprehensive analysis of the chemical profiles of water produced for several months by an AWG in the city of Tel Aviv, Israel. Metals, inorganic ions, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and semi-VOCs were analyzed in the dew water. The main elements found were ammonium, calcium, sulfate, and nitrate. Location of the sampling site in an urban residential area, between major traffic routes, likely affected the chemical composition of the produced dew water. Nevertheless, the produced water nearly always (day and night in different seasons) met the WHO and Israeli drinking water standards. Thus, even in a highly developed urban environment, the AWG offers an excellent alternative source of safe drinking water throughout the year.