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The Problem / Solution Matrix: Water


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Intro     Conservation     Rainwater     Graywater     Atmospheric Water Generators     Solar Stills     Other


Humans have a long history of taking water out of holes in the ground. Whether those holes are wells, ponds, lakes, rivers or aquifers, they all have one thing in common: We're taking water out of them faster than nature can put it back in. The solution lies in getting water from somewhere other than a hole in the ground.


Conservation: The obvious first step is to stop wasting water. Between showers, flushing the toilet, doing laundry, washing dishes, cleaning and cooking, the average American uses 350 gallons of water a day. You can find all sorts of ways to conserve water here.


Rainwater Collection: Your roof collects a surprising amount of rainwater. Unfortunately, most people let that naturally softened water run off into the ground around their home's foundation. Rainwater systems range from humble barrels to large folding units to full blown cisterns. My favorite recent find is the Waterwall.

You can find all kinds of rainwater harvesting products by typing in "rainwater collection" at Google, and looking at both the search results and the ads. You can find free DIY tutorials on the subject here.


Greywater Systems: In a greywater system (also called "graywater"), a building's plumbing sends water to one of two places. Water from the toilet and from the kitchen sink (if you use a garbage disposal) are considered to be "black" water, and go right to the sewer or septic system. Water from the shower drain and clothes washer are considered to be "grey" water, and are reused to flush the toilet and water the lawn. For the system to work, only non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products can be used, but you should be doing that anyway.

It's much easier to install a greywater system into new construction than it is to retrofit an existing home, but it can be done. Even just capturing water from the clothes washer as it drains and using it in the garden helps reduce water usage significantly. Some cities don't allow their residents to reuse greywater. They're afraid that people might release contaminants into the water table. Check with your municipality first.

You can learn more about greywater systems here:

Branched Drain Greywater Systems
Graywater


Air Water Extraction / Atmospheric Water Generators / Atmospheric Condensers:

Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) pull clean drinking water from the air. They're essentially a combination of an air cleaner, dehumidifier and water purifier, but on steroids. AWGs easily replace bottled water, don't require plumbing, and in some cases, run off solar or wind power. I've tried water from two AWGs (the Mirage and the Aquamaker). Both were excellent.

Available models provide anywhere from 1 to over 50,000 gallons of purified water a day. Many also provide extra features, such as hot and cold water spigots, the ability to purify tap water, air conditioning and water oxygenation.

The typical AWG provides at least 3 stages of purification: air filtration, carbon filtration and reverse osmosis (RO) or ultraviolet (UV) light treatment. Small units are generally intended for residential and office use. Large units are used for commerical buildings, disaster relief, agriculture, industrial processes, military personnel, water bottling and to provide potable water to people who would otherwise lack access.

Some AWGs are intended to be used indoors, and some outdoors. "Split" units are increasingly common. These are usually a single unit that can be split into two parts. The consumer then chooses whether they prefer indoor dehumidification and air cleaning, or the ability to generate more water thanks to the higher outdoor humidity found in many locations.

When shopping for AWGS, look at the specs, and look at more than one manufacturer. Compare key features such as the quantity of water produced per day, the number and type of purification methods, the operating temperature range, required humidity levels, maintenance costs and energy use. You may also want to compare decibel levels.

Whatever you choose, it's a good idea to buy plenty of filters and other replacement items up front. The AWG market is extremely competitive, and you never know if a company will be able to stay in business. Below is a directory of AWG manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

(TreeHugger has an article about AWGs that compares 7 models. Article written June 22nd, 2009.)

PLEASE NOTE: I've received a number of demands/requests/threats to modify, update, remove, add or correct information on this list. While I certainly do want to correct errors, I will not remove factual information. Furthermore, be aware that I receive no compensation for providing this resource. My time is limited, and page updates tend to be infrequent. Thank you for your understanding.


Air Water: Developer of large and small AWGs, currently manufactured by Hyflux. Solar powered versions available. Refrigerator, freezer and coffee maker AWGs coming soon. AirWater owns the patents to its AWGs, but used to license them to Hendrx for manufacturing. In May 2008, AirWater filed suit against Hendrx for patent infringment and other claims. AirWater home/office models include the Galaxy, the SOHO (previously manufactured by Hendrx), the SpaceOne and the SpaceTwo. Large AWG models include the WM40, WM120, WM250, WM500, WM750, WM1000, MW1000M, AW2200 and WM5000. AirWater also makes the Magique 100 Ice Maker and the AWCM1 coffee maker.

Air Water World USA: Supplier to the USA, Caribbean islands and the Bahamas
Air-Water Hellas: Greek distributor
Aqua Limpia Technologies: Based in Miami. Website is in Spanish.
H.K. Orient Success Eco-Products: Chinese reseller of the SOHO AWG
WaterMaker Africa: African distributor
WaterMaker India: Indian distributor
Air2Water: Developer of home and office AWGs. Air2Water has won patent infringement judgements against Hendrx and two other manufacturers. Models include the Dolphin 1/Dragonfly T16, the Dolphin 6 & 7 and Dolphin 2/Dragonfly M18 home/office units, as well as the Triton series large AWGs. Hyflux manufactures the Dragonfly M18. Treehugger article on the Dolphin
Air2Water Caribbean: Distributor
Air2Water Generator: Maltese Islands distributor
Air2Water Hellas: Greek distributor
Air2Water Nigeria Nigerian distributor
Air2Water Puerto Rico: Puerto Rican distributor
Productividad Y Ecologia: Mexican distributor
Nature's Way Water: Minnesota, Wisconsin & Iowa distributor
Purever Water: Master distributor for all Air2Water products in the United States, Central & South America. As of April 2008, the Dolphin 1 & Dolphin 7 are $2295. Dolphin 6: $1945
Telenos: Distributor for Spain & Portugal. They call the Dolphin 1/Dragonfly T16 the "WaterBox".
Voxcom: Minnesota distributor
Xziex: A network marketing company (MLM). The Xziex Elite is Air2Water's Dolphin 2/dragonfly M18. Xziex also sells Hercules large AWGs (manufacturer unknown).
AirQUA: Marketing & distribution arm of Singapore-based AridTec. Products include the home/office Sano, the mid-sized e2sav, the Offshore & the Marine.

Aquair: This company appears to have become dormant. In 2005, Aquair's parent company, RG Global Lifestyles, was sued for defamation (among other things) by Universal Communications Systems, parent company of Air Water Corp. In July 2007, the parties settled. In October 2007, RG Global Lifestyles filed the last SEC report that mentioned Aquair. That same month, the Aquair website began losing functionality. Aquair history: Developer, marketer & distributor. Dong Yang made some of their units until 2006, when they switched to Hendrx. They also distributed Munters' commercial units, and resold the Everest E-10 and AquaStar M-10.

AquaMagic: US-based developer of the HP120 large AWG

AquaMaker: Marketer of home/office and large AWGs. They own the patent to the AM-10 and Hendrx manufactures the units. AquaMaker's large AWGs include the AM1000, AM3000 and AM5000. Boing Boing article on the AM10

AquaBoys: Northwest Florida dealer
AquaMaker: Australian branch of the company
AquaMaker Distribution Services: Middle East and Africa agent
ClearWater Systems: Bermuda distributor
Infinity Water Solutions: Georgia distributor
Miracle Water: Northeast Florida distributor
Osiris Enterprises: Northern California distributor
Today's Water: Texas distributor. Also leases AWGs and has an online store.
Totally Green Plumbing: Australian distributor
WaterTech Inc: South Carolina distributor

Atmospheric Water Systems, Inc.: Developers of the DewPointe DH9, a home/office unit.

Dong Yang: Korean manufacturers of home and office AWGs. They're licensed to manufacture TTW's Everest E-10 and AquaStar M-10. The former is also sold as the WaterPure Water Workhouse and the Airqua E10 Airwater Maker. Other AWGs include the C-7, AD-6, the E-6 and the M-6.

Eco Vibe: Australian reseller of the Taiyu YLR-A2, the Tili TA-10 and the Hendrx Rainmaker and Big Blue AWGs.

Element Four: Makers of the WaterMill residential AWG. Element Four's emphasis is on energy efficiency. The WaterMill was supposed to begin shipping in March/April 2009. As of July 2009, it's unclear whether or not the units are available or are still in the pre-order phase. Call first to confirm. Introductory price is $990. MSRP will be $1295. The WaterMill is a split unit whose sections do not mate. The water generation section attaches to the outside of your home, and the purified water is routed inside, through your plumbing if desired. The water dispensing section seems to be optional, since the water can be routed to a spigot or refrigerator water dispenser. Solar and wind powered models are in the works. MSNBC article

World's Nest: California reseller

Envirosource: Australian manufacturer of small & large AWGs. They also lease units. Envirosource, Wataire and Winix parterned for R&D. The Envirosource Aqua V & the Wataire WII-4010 are nearly identical. I believe both are split units. Envirosource is also Wataire's Australian distributor. Large AWG models include the CL 2500 and CL 5000.

Air To H2O: Australian distributor. Also leases units.
BluePoint: Mexican distributor
Create Air Water: Australian distributor
Envirosource EU: European distributor
Envirosource Scandinavia AB: Nordic distributor
One Earth Outlet: Australian retailer
Winix: Korean distributor. Also manufactures their own products.

Island Sky: Residential and small business units. As of April 2008, prices ranged from $1800-$2800 USD.

Hendrx: Chinese based manufacturer of large and small AWGs. 'The Big Blue' large AWG is manufactured by Munters. Some of the AWGs manufactured by Hendrx are also sold under the Eriva brand name. In addition, Hendrx manufactures AWGs for other companies, which have included the AquaMaker M-10, the AirWater SOHO, the Librex Waterex and models from Air2Water. Air2Water won a 1.23 million dollar judgement against Hendrx in May 2008 for patent infringement. AirWater Corporation filed suit the same month.

Eco Vibe: Australian reseller
First Coast Water: Florida reseller brands the Rainmaker HR-77A as the IW-750
Proto Developers & Technologies: Indian Hendrx distributor.
Serken: Turkish distributor of the Rainmaker models
Hidroair: Spanish reseller (& possibly developer or manufacturer). They carry the home/office M-5 (which looks like an E10) & M-7. They also have the commercial-sized CC350 and RC series.

Librex Group: Lebanon-based developers of the home/office Waterex line (which includes the M2 & WR-2), and the WaterCrown large AWG series. Hendrx manufactures the Waterex under contract. Hendrx also sells the Waterex as 'The Rainmaker' (MK-22RO-F) and under the Eriva brand as the EA-22A. (It was originally called the Hendrx USA Watergen.) Yet another rebranded version is sold as the Air Bio-Energy Water System, or AIR EA-22A. Ansun is selling it simply as the Atmospheric Water Generator. MauiDew and White Buffalo Nation, both Munters distributors, sell the Waterex as the Munter's H2O LiquidAir 2 (LA-2). EcoloBlue sells what appears to be a reskinned Waterex as the EcoloBlue 28. As of June 13th, 2009, the price is $1350 USD. WaterMicron sells the same thing as the AWG-30H/O.

Adriano José Borralho Paulo: Portuguese distributor
Air Oasis: British reseller. As of November 6th, 2008, the Waterex base price was £799.
All Seasons Inc: EU distributors based in Poland
Atlandes Perú: Peruvian distributor
Crystello / WorldWideMe: Saudi Arabian distributors
Eurobinaca: Serbia & Montenegro distributors. Their waterairwater site provides the same information in English.
Grão com Sabor / Unipessoal Lda: This is a vending machine company. As far as I can tell, they're leasing Waterex units.
New Best: Ukrainian reseller
Oxy Water: UK-based wholesaler
Planet's Water: US & worldwide wholesaler
Valiformula: Portuguese distributors
Water Shop: Portuguese distributor
Waterex Kenya: Kenyan distributors

Munters: Swedish manufacturer of the industrial H2O LiquidAir line. The residential H2O LiquidAir line appears to be rebranded versions of other AWGs.

Eco-$mart: Sells the Liquid-Air LA-1.
H2O LiquidAir Florida: South Florida (& Caribbean?) distributors. Filed suit against Munters & Aquair in July 2006 for statutory infringement, unfair competition and interference with a distribution agreement. The case was settled with no liability in 2007.
iGreen Products: Fort Lauderdale, Florida distributor. They carry the H2O Liquid Air LA-1.
MauiDew.com: Hawaiian distributors. Carries the H2O Liquid Air LA-2, which appears to be the Librex Waterex. As of June 2005, this unit was $1200.
Ultimate Pure Water: Central Florida distributors

Mirage Water Maker : They have 48v units, which some solar & wind systems can use. They'll be coming out with a 24v unit, and ultimately, a 12v unit, for use with all DC systems.

Planet's Purest Water: US-based manufacturers of the Raincloud line of home/office AWGs and the TC line of industrial units. It appears that they'll be selling some new industrial units soon: the PWM1000/2000. They previously sold the C-7, E-7 and E-10, all manufactured by Dong Yang.

Air To Water Rainbow Company: Distributor in Alberta, Canada
Aqua Ozono: Distributor that appears to be located in California.
H2hOme: Italian reseller
HDC Development Corp: Bahamas distributor
Heaven's Pure Water: California distributor
Living AirWater: Washington DC distributor with lease option. $59-$79 a month as of November 2008. New site will be here.
Thin Air Australia: Australian distributor
World's Nest: California resellers

Sino-Bao: A Chinese manufacturer that appears to be involved in some way with the Taiyu YLR-A1 & YLR-A2, the SOHO and the AirWater Magique 1 AWG/refrigerator.

Sirius: Singapore marketer of the Vesta AirWater Makers for home/office use, which include the M8. More info is available at Sirius Art.

Taiyu Science and Technology: Chinese makers of Taiyu home/office AWGs. Models include the YLR series and the TY-A40. Sino-Bao also claims to manufacture the YLR-A1 & YLR-A2.

Tili: Chinese-Canadian joint venture. Manufacturer of home/office AWGs. Models include the TA-10B & TA-40B.

TTW International: Canadian-based company that developed the E-10, which is manufactured by DongYang. Models also include the Everest E-7 and the Aquastar M10 & R10 home/office units, the Everest E-100 and the AquaStar large AWG line. Their website hasn't been updated since 2002.

Air to Water Rainbow Co.: Distributor based in Alberta, Canada
Lifes Essentials: Distributor based in Modesto, California
The Wai'ealani Company: Hawaiian distributor
Water Island Canada: Canadian distributor

Vapaire: This company and its product seems to have disappeared completely. The Vapaire DM produced up to 20 liters a day and was manufactured in Korea.

Wataire: Home, office, commercial & agricultural AWGs. International company based in Canada. Wataire, Envirosource and Winix have partnered for product research and development, leading to the nearly identical Envirosource Aqua V and Wataire WII-4010 models. I believe that both are split units. Other models include the WII-4005 countertop and the CI-2500 and CI-5000 large capacity AWGs.

Aquaduct Intl: Florida distributor
Chervin Enterprises: Philippines distributor
EnviroSource Hellas: Greek distributor
Envirosource International: Australian distributor
Mo Fo Yo Money: California/Carribean (?) distributor. As of April 2008, the WII-4005 Counter Top was $495.95. WII-4010 Home/Office $1495.95.
Tradewinds Water Hawaii: Hawaiian distributor.
Wataire.cl: Chile based distributor
Willie Nelson's Water From Air: The Texas icon is Wataire's new Gulf Coast distributor!
Water Master: Manufacturer of the C2000 Water Maker, a home and office AWG.

WaterMicron: Manufacturer/distributor based in Hong Kong. A division of AgroMicron. The home/office AWG-30H/O is nearly identical in appearance to one of the versions of the Librex Waterex. Also available is the industrial grade AWG-C Series.

WaterPure: Manufactures the Water Cycle, as well as the Water Workhorse, a modified version of the Everest AWG. Other models include the WaterPure Executive, which appears to be a Dong Yang C-7 (possibly modified) and the 3-Z.

DEC Green: Northeast US distributor
WaterStar: The website for this product shut down in October 2008. The WaterStar was launched in 2001 by Advanced Medical Technologies Inc and its inventor, James J. Reidy. It had an air conditioning option available.

Winix: Korean manufacturer of AWGS and many other products. Winix partnered with Envirosource and Wataire to develop AWGs, which is why the Winix POU water cooler appears nearly identical to the Envirosource Aqua V and the Wataire WII-4010.

Caliche Imp., Exp. & Agencies: Winix agent for the Middle East. Website under construction. Contact info here.


Solar Stills: Solar stills use evaporation to purify water. Particulates, including the salt in seawater, are left behind during evaporation, and bacteria and viruses are killed by the heat. The pure water runs off into a collector. The process doesn't require electricity. However, it takes a lot of surface area to evaporate significant amounts of water, so portable units are primarily intended for survival situations where other options aren't available. Solar stills are easy and cheap to make. You can find tutorials here.

You can also purchase ready-made solar stills with a wide range of capacities:

AquaCone
Aquamate Inflatable Solar Still
Envirosource Greenhouse: Still under development, this will be the world's largest solar still if sucessful. It will produce 200,000 liters (52,834 gallons) of drinking water per day!
SolAqua Inc.
Sunwater Solar Still, Airwater Distiller & the Sol Saver
Watercone

It's worth noting that solar stills are improving lives around the world, including in the colonias on the US side of the Mexican border.


Other Potable Water Solutions: The Cuz'n Magic Wand captured my imagination. It's similar to a method used in ancient Egypt and requires no filters, chemicals, electricity or even sunlight! Of course, it won't remove pesticide residues, heavy metals or particulates, but in the conditions common in so many countries, it could save lives.

Better yet, Potters For Peace has developed a ceramic filter that can be manufactured easily anywhere in the world and that removes 99.98% of harmful microorganisms from water. There's also the LifeStraw, which is low-cost and effective.


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