Half of the world’s inhabitants could possibly be dwelling in areas with water stress as early as 2025, in line with a United Nations report. India, the place groundwater is crucial for meals safety and ingesting, is already grappling with water desk decline. This alarming development highlights the pressing want for sustainable water options in India and all over the world. (ALSO READ: There’ll be tomorrow if there’s water, says Modi as he launches Jal Jan Abhiyan)

One such answer is extracting water from the air round us. Water from air? It might sound like science fiction, however innovators current this relatively unconventional methodology of water extraction as potential reply to serving to sort out the world’s water shortage downside. (ALSO READ: Google doodle for ‘Earth Day 2023’ depicts action plan for greener future)

How does an air-water extraction system work?

A water-air extraction system makes use of a dehumidifier to take away moisture from the air. It may be executed in a wide range of methods, the commonest being by cooling heat, humid air. By this course of, air loses its skill to carry moisture, inflicting water vapour to condense into droplets. Something comparable may be seen whereas we function our air conditioner.

A Bengaluru-based start-up Uravu Labs has made a tool to seize water from the air. They, nonetheless, have taken a distinct strategy. They have used an air-water extraction system primarily based on desiccation the place a saltwater answer referred to as brine is used to take away moisture from the air. Air passes over the brine, and because it absorbs moisture, the brine turns into saturated. The brine is then heated with photo voltaic power to evaporate the water, and the ensuing water vapour is collected.

You can relate water absorption to residence salt turning into moist and sticky in wet season.

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What is the good thing about a desiccation-based system over a cooling system?

Swapnil Shrivastav, co-founder of Uravu Labs, advised Hindustan Times that their intention is to have an environmentally pleasant, sustainable answer. “Our air-to-water system uses less energy (300 watt-hours per litre) and its requirement is independent of humidity change.”

While Uravu Labs is presently utilizing photo voltaic power, Shrivastav claims his machine may be powered by the waste warmth of industries and biomass.

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Capacity and enterprise mannequin

Uravu Labs delivers packaged water to the hospitality trade, premium cafes, drinks trade from an in-house facility primarily based in Bengaluru. Their current capability is 1000 litres per day (LPD), with a mean value of ₹4–5 per litre of water manufacturing. They have an bold objective of scaling as much as 1 lakh LPD inside two years and count on a reducing of prices.

Challenges to Air water extraction system

As the machine extracts water current within the air, it requires a climate situation with ample humidity. It might not work in dry and chilly climates, whereas extra humidity additionally poses a problem.

To sort out this, Shrivastav says they’ll modify the amount of brine to accommodate adjustments in relative humidity with out growing operational prices.

However, the machine requires a temperature of greater than 12–15 Celsius and a relative humidity of greater than 25–30 %, Swapnil provides.

But whereas water is chemically dihydrogen monoxide (H20), our our bodies require water that accommodates soluble minerals and salts. Additionally, the air air pollution might discover its means into the dehumidified water.

On this, Swapnil says their present goal prospects are those that require pure water, just like the beverage trade, whereas they’ll additionally mineralize the water primarily based on buyer necessities. He additionally claims that their machine can filter air pollution.

The value, measurement of the machine, upkeep requirement, and environmental concern of correct desiccation disposal are different challenges that may hinder wide-spread use of such a air-water extraction system.

A ray of hope in darkish occasions!

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) screens groundwater ranges within the nation and located that in 2021, over 33% of monitored wells showed a decline of 0–2 metres, and a few areas in main cities like Delhi, Chennai, and Lucknow had skilled a decline of over 4 metres when in comparison with the 2010–2019 common. (ALSO READ: India suffering from worst water crisis in its history: NITI Aayog)

The answer proposed by the Indian start-up can particularly assist the beverage trade, which frequently has to face backlash from locals over considerations about water desk depletion because of extreme extraction of water. (For context: Coca-Cola plant’s permit cancelled in TN after farmers protest)

We want extra such initiatives and technological developments in our struggle in opposition to the local weather disaster.