AS graziers and farmers around the state hope and pray for an end to the prolonged dry, a fantastical sounding but very real water solution could allow future farming generations to be less reliant on rainfall to sustain their operations.
And where does this untapped water source come from?
In the atmosphere all around us.
Atmospheric water generators (AWG) produce unlimited, pure drinking water from the humidity in the air.
As those of you who live in the Tropics know humidity is something that the North has in abundance, making these machines perfect for agricultural operators in the region that want peace of mind that no matter the rainfall level, a constant supply of water will always be available.
The machines utilise highly energy efficient condensers to extract moisture from the atmosphere, quickly and efficiently while leaving a very small environmental footprint.
Californian-based company EcoloBlue and its co-founders Wayne Ferreira and Henri-James Tieleman are global leaders in the AWG industry and share a of being able to provide potable water to everyone, everywhere in the world.
EcoloBlue vice president of operations Heather Jepsen told the North Queensland Register that Mr Ferreira traveled extensively before starting the company and witnessed a serious lack of water, as well as serious waste of water and wanted to come up with a solution to solve both.
“There are worldwide regions affected by water shortages or contaminated water, the AWG’s are designed to work seamlessly with any power source, including solar, wind, and gas-powered generators. So you can have limitless, pure drinking water anywhere, anytime,” Ms Jepsen said.
Ms Jepsen said industrial AWG units are available now and would be well suited for agricultural sustainability in the Northern climate.
“EcoloBlue's largest unit, the EB10000 is capable of producing 10,000 liters of water a day, at an ideal humidity level of 70-80 per cent,” she said.
“Production levels will lower as the humidity and temperatures reduce. But the machines are capable of creating water at humidity levels as low as 30pc.”
She said the AWG units are capable of being modified for grazing, cropping and horticultural operations as the machines have general plumbing outputs that can be hooked up to an external system for storage or irrigation.
The AWG’s only require minimal maintenance as well according to Ms Jepsen.
“If you choose a system with filtration, the filters will require replacement at six month or two year intervals depending on the filter.
“Other than filtration, basic cleaning of the collection tray/tank will be required on a routine basis to aid in keeping the machine in ideal sanitary conditions, as well as general wiping down of the machine depending on the environmental factors in which the machine is located.”
So what’s the catch? The price; at present an EB10000 machine retails for $AUD477,610.
“As far as the cost, it just depends on the demand. Once the AWG’s are no longer a foreign concept to communities and countries, and are a bit more mainstream, I'm certain the cost will go down.”
