Technology allows humans to create magic and producing water out of thin air is the latest that science has invented to benefit those who live in areas that have less or no safe drinking water supply, claims Terence Barreto, director of Goa-based HydroCore Atmospheric Water Generator
BHARATI PAWASKAR
It’s no less than magic! They are creating pure, unadulterated drinking water out of thin air. It is possible and they have proved it. Offering a solution to produce pure, freshwater made 100 per cent from the air (yes, the air around us that we breathe in and out). Claiming that their advance filtration process also adds minerals to this water, making it an ideal source for healthy re-hydration and it tastes awesome. Explaining the process on how this system works to produce pure drinking water from the atmosphere, Terence Barreto, the young director of HydroCore Atmospheric Water Generator, shares, “These innovative machines extract humidity from the air which is filtered, condensed and then processed through an additional multi-step filtration system; producing purified great tasting water with no chlorine, fluoride or heavy metals present.”
But how is this possible? Terence elaborates, “The water vapour in the air around us does not touch the ground, thus being much cleaner than the water in the ground which may contain chemicals, bacteria, pesticides etc.” The atmospheric water generator collects water from the environment, condenses it - and then purifies the water to give you clean and fresh water that can be used for drinking, cooking etc. The air also passes through a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) and a carbon filter before its condensed. The condensed water as well goes through ultra-filtration and a filter specially made to add minerals back into the water and provide the correct PH value and taste.
It’s a step towards a sustainable source of fresh and clean drinking water and creating plastic water bottle-free world. And the salient features are – it doesn’t need a water supply but creates a clear, portable drinking water. The process protects our natural water sources. The water thus created undergoes through timed sterilization with the help of ultraviolet rays. There is no water wastage. It is a pipe-less plug-and-play design. “Our endeavour is to tackle the water issues experienced in India by providing environmentally sustainable solutions that minimize the use of groundwater and develop innovative cost-efficient technology to provide clean and safe drinking water for all. We also strongly want to minimize the use of plastic bottles as it is a huge source of the pollution problem,” maintains Terence, a commerce graduate with an MBA degree in business and marketing.
HydroCore is a sister concern, a brand of an already running company, Aqua Projects and Constructions Pvt Ltd. This parent company was initiated by Terence’s father, Minguel Ismael Barreto in 2011. They are pioneers in SBR (sequencing batch reactor) based sewage treatment plants for residential complexes, factories, resorts and industries. The company caters to clients across Goa. Terence who is the director along with his father in this company, briefs, “The water from our sewage treatment plants can be used for gardening, cleaning of car parks/lobby and reused for flushing.”
It is after eight years of successful operations at Aqua Projects that the father-son duo decided to expand and diversify into HydroCore – offering two types of products – HydroCore F20 and HydroCore P50. The HydroCore F20 produces up to 20 litres every 24 hours. It functions like an effective dehumidifier and purifier and is ideal for homes, offices or any place where one would like to have access to pure, safe drinking water. Apart from the capacity to produce 20 litres per day, this portable machine can also offer hot and cold water.
The HydroCore P50 Atmospheric Water Generator produces 50 litres of water every day. It comes with a 19-litre internal water tank and can be made to stand on the floor. It’s plug-and-play operative and offers cold
water.
Terence points out that it is a well-known fact that public drinking water can get contaminated sometimes and becomes unsafe for consumption. So why not make your water yourself? This can make you sure of its safety and reliability. The water produced by HydroCore atmospheric water generators is tested and has passed the BIS (IS 10500:2012) water quality standards, claims Terence.
One may have doubts – is there enough water in the air to produce water every day? Yes, there are 15 quadrillion litres of water in the atmosphere at any given point. And is it possible to get pure drinking water from air that may have impurities in it? Yes, as the HydroCore’s filtration system removes particles smaller than .01 microns.
Once the water is produced it remains fresh and 100 per cent pure as the system continually recycles the water in the reservoir tank. The machine is automated and simply pushing a button is enough to dispense water.
“We have introduced minerals in this water, to raise the PH level to an optimum level for a better taste. The minerals that our body requires are absorbed from our diet and water contains only a small amount of minerals, so to say. The PH level is between 7.4 to 7.6 depending on the machine model. This is the ideal PH level of drinking water. The TDS of this water is low – 30 to 60 depending on the model. Studies indicate that there are no health risks associated with the consumption of low TDS water. People are misled to promote sales of mineral water or mineral filter systems. Our machines are energy efficient and compared to bottled water, the cost per litre is significantly less. The water filters last for 1000 litres and the air filter for six-eight months.
The machines automatically monitor the condition of the filters and give a replacement warning when the filters need to be replaced. So, you don’t have to keep worrying whether the filter has exhausted its capacity.
And finally, people do come with this important question – What if the atmosphere runs out of water? To this, my answer is – even the entire world population of 7 billion consumes water from atmospheric generators, it would use only 0.0002 per cent of the water vapour in the atmosphere. Hence, there’s no need to worry. Nature has enough store of life-sustaining material for the planet. It’s time to embrace technology for a better and safe living,” concludes Terence.
