City deploys remarkable technology to pull drinking water from thin air

A small Texas city is preparing to make big waves in the global fight against water scarcity, reported Smart Cities Dive. Hubbard will become the first U.S. city to use a new technology called AirJoule, which transforms waste heat into pure, drinkable water.

The system is expected to be installed by early 2026. It will pull heat from a local geothermal well and use it to condense water vapor from the air. The result is distilled water clean enough to supplement Hubbard's municipal supply, reported the news outlet.

Mayor Mary Alderman welcomed the project as a step toward solving local challenges.

"Like many communities … we're facing growing concerns about water quality, aging infrastructure, and contamination," she said. "We believe [this technology] can be part of the long-term solution for communities and industries that need clean water without compromise."

The promise of AirJoule goes beyond one city. More than four billion people worldwide face shortages or unsafe access to drinking water, according to Science. By tapping waste heat from sources such as data centers, manufacturing plants, and power stations, the technology could generate safe water for millions while reducing strain on rivers and groundwater.

AirJoule's system uses a proprietary metal-organic framework to capture and condense water vapor without the refrigerants used in conventional cooling, reported Smart Cities Dive. It produces pure, PFAS-free water and consumes less energy, according to testing conducted in partnership with GE Vernova's Advanced Research Center in New York.

Founder and CEO Matt Jore said the Hubbard project will recover heat from hot water at about 60 degrees Celsius. "We'll pull that heat into our system and pull water out of the air," he said.

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Taxonomy

• Smart City
• IT
• Drinking Water
• New York, United States
• Water from Air
• Water from Urine
• Domestic Water Use