Startup has Figured Out a Way to Produce Water Out of Thin Air

A Kerala-based startup (India), Uravu Labs, has devised a product that sources drinking water from atmospheric air using condensation cooling, and can ‘produce’ up to 200 litres of water a day under testing conditions.

The volume is slated to go up as the equipment is refined, say the founders.

In simple terms, the product cools the air to the point that water vapour undergoes condensation and converts to the liquid state.

The product, named Eva, is yet to be launched but has been tested in Hyderabad, Kozhikode and Bengaluru; it produces about 200 litres of drinking water a day at a cost of Rs 1.5-2 per litre. Eva, which means “life”, aims to create a decentralised public infrastructure (eliminating the need to lay pipelines and pump water) that makes water available to everyone.

In shape and size, this water kiosk looks no different from a double-door refrigerator. It might be bulky, but is portable. It merely needs to be connected to electricity to start generating, what its makers claim, is water fit to drink.

Product architect and Uravu Labs CEO and cofounder Swapnil Shrivastav, 24, told FactorDaily that even in polluted localities, one can trust Eva to generate pure, drinking water. He informed that towards this end, Eva is fitted with air filters that have a three-stage purification process and can filter out suspended particulate matter even of 0.3 microns in size. He claimed that harmful particulate matter like carbon soot will be removed and toxic gases will be absorbed.

A major concern with water sourced from the atmosphere is its lack of mineral content. Water conservation expert Vishwanath Srikantaiah said treated water obtained from rivers and lakes contains natural minerals in minute quantities while atmospheric water has no minerals. Vishwanath said water generated from condensing air needs to have minerals added to it to be fit for consumption.

In shape and size, the water kiosk looks no different from a double-door refrigerator

Eva is fitted with air filters that have a three-stage purification process and can filter out suspended particulate matter even of 0.3 microns in size. Its makers claim that harmful particulate matter like carbon soot will be removed and toxic gases will be absorbed  

Uravu Labs claims to have taken care of this aspect as well. Eva is fitted with a cartridge that adds the required minerals to the water and also balances its pH (acidity) level. Further, Shrivastav clarified that water vapour in the atmosphere is inexhaustible and gets continuously replenished. He said sourcing water from air doesn’t affect the surroundings or people in that radius in any manner.

The technology can work even in conditions where concentration of water vapour in the air is as low as 10-12 parts per million, vouching for its efficiency.

Watch the video for more information

Read more: Factor Daily

Video source: Uravu Labs

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Taxonomy

• Startups
• Water Scarcity
• Water Access
• Technology
• Access
• Water Supply