MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An innovation that can pull water from air, even in arid regions, has been honored at a major international conference. Water Harvesting Inc (WHI) secured the judges' vote for the most promising technology in its first-ever appearance at the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) held in Chicago, IL, USA.
The Croc Tank pitching competition took place in the Innovation Pavilion on 24 September and a total of seven technologies were entered. WHI won the award for its atmospheric water harvesting systems that produce water using a class of materials known as Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and are the most cost-effective method for harvesting water from the atmosphere.
“We are delighted to receive this honor, which recognizes the promise of our technology,” said Bill Gallo, CEO of WHI. “WEFTEC is the largest event of its kind in North America and we were up against some very stiff competition.”
Paul O’Callaghan, Chief Executive of BlueTech Research, a global provider of water technology market intelligence, and sponsor of the Innovation Pavilion said, “Atmospheric water capture with Metal Organic Frameworks is a relatively new innovation.”
“We are optimistic about this technology as it suggests we may be able to deliver water where no water exists at all and at a lower cost than bottled water. BlueTech Research are actively tracking this area and we’ve just released a report on atmospheric water capture technology.”
MOFs were pioneered by Professor Omar M. Yaghi at the University of California, Berkeley. Water Harvesting Inc is advancing the development of this proprietary MOF that produces water at low humidity - at or greater than 15% Relative Humidity.
The material enables water to cycle rapidly by adsorption and desorption, while minimizing energy usage to create clean, pure, water. To date, the WHI developmental prototype has run more than 3000 cycles producing water which has been tested and meets EPA drinking water standards.
The Croc Tank judges acknowledged the value of the innovation in the many regions of the world which have very low relative humidity and little-to-no natural water source. Even in the United States a large number of rural utilities are not able to meet demand because of water shortages or tainted supplies. Both scarcity and cleanliness of drinking water are growing issues globally.
During a technical presentation at WEFTEC, Frank Slovenec, WHI Vice President - Strategy and Business Development, noted that the process is very cost-effective, stating that water can be produced for one-tenth the cost of bottled water. Three sizes of Water Harvesters will be commercially available in 2020: a model that produces eight-liters per day and will be ideal for home use; a 200 L/day model for use in hotels, hospitals and schools; and a 20,000 L/day unit for military bases, disaster sites and rural communities in arid regions.
ABOUT WATER HARVESTING, INC: Water Harvesting Inc was formed in the summer of 2018 to commercialize atmospheric water harvesting systems based on MOFs (metal organic frameworks). Water Harvesting Inc has negotiated an exclusive commercial rights agreement with UC Berkeley to develop and commercialize water harvesting systems. It has also filed three provisional U.S. patent applications related to details of the system design and MOF formulation. Water Harvesting Inc combines industry leaders, each with decades of experience, MOF experts, and a commitment to addressing the global challenge of water scarcity. For more information, see: http://www.wahainc.com/
