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Currently in the monitoring and data collection phase of a viability study, the researchers hope E2 Off-Grid will prove that atmospheric water generation can be done cheaply.

And theyre not the only ones who see potential in their technology. The project was born out of an initiative of Singularity Group, a U.S.-based organization that promotes the use of exponential technologies to solve the worlds most pressing issues.

Singularity awarded the project the honorable mention in a competition among the organizations chapters across the globe to use exponential technologies to find solutions to local problems.

Exponential technologies are roughly defined as those that double their capacity over a specified amount of time. Computers are a prime example of such a technology, said to double their capacity every two years or so. Drones, 3D printing and artificial intelligence are other kinds of exponential technologies.

Making atmospheric water generation cost-efficient would solve Monterreys local problem, but as Ramrez pointed out, if they do that here, their projects impact will be seen across the globe.

He called the extreme water scarcity Monterrey experienced last year a sample of what other places around the world will see as climate change and human activity continue to alter natural environments and processes.

Climate variability and climate change are presenting more and more challenges to us, so we have to help, not only on the demand side by administering water better, but also on the supply side by looking for alternatives tailored to our environment, Ramrez said.

He cited atmospheric water generation alongside rainwater capture and the treatment and reuse of sewage water as some of those alternatives.

The idea is to scale up the technology currently generating atmospheric water at E2 Off-Grid to create larger substations that can be placed strategically at humid areas in and around the city. By taking advantage of places like the slopes of the mountains that rise out of the surrounding desert, they claim theyll be able to inject up to 60% of Monterreys water needs directly into the city system.

Innovaqua CEO Bonilla estimated that the job would require around 25,000 substations.

Acting as a kind of mediator between academia, the private sector and soon the government is Jorge Lerdo de Tejada, Singularitys ambassador in the Monterrey chapter. He has already lost one lead professor to a dispute over which stakeholder may ultimately benefit from the project, and hes trying hard to prevent another such setback.

Regardless of the fact that this idea was conceived by Innovaqua, picked up by Monterrey Tech and will hopefully be adopted by the government, the main idea is to make it a reality, he said. Without claiming authorship or saying I am, I am, I am, we just have to say We are, and we can do anything if we work together.

Lerdo de Tejada has his work cut out for him, though.

While Bonilla's intention to help his city provide water for its inhabitants is apparent, the CEO is clearly driven more by potential personal gain than altruism. Innovaquas atmospheric water coolers for homes and offices cost $1,900 a unit.

And while he believes that the current political environment in Nuevo Len is favorable to solutions such as theirs, Lerdo de Tejada has a difficult soul to convert in Juan Ignacio Barragn, director of Monterreys water and drainage department.

Barragn has already turned down several offers for atmospheric water generators from companies outside of Mexico due to the high cost and low volume of water they produce. He called it very interesting technology for people in extreme situations of water scarcity, but has yet to see anything that could convince him that it is a viable solution for Monterrey.

That technology is absolutely not of interest to an organization like a public water administration, he said.

Claiming that the three reservoirs servicing Monterrey currently have enough water to last the summer even in the case of no more rain, he is relying more on smart water management than bold innovations to ensure the citys taps dont run dry again. The water authority is building an additional aqueduct at the largest of the three reservoirs in an attempt to improve its ability to administer the resource effectively.

Still, Barragn is not opposed to atmospheric water, if someone can prove to him that they can make it work money-wise. And that is one big hurdle to hop.

They would have to achieve a technological innovation that would change the history of the world, he said.

Lerdo de Tejada is confident that the project has the exponential factor to improve rapidly enough for him to present his world-changing idea to the government by the years end.

Still, he admitted to certain doubts about the projects viability and ability to be scaled up to the city level. Researcher Ramrez is looking into the possible ecological effects of removing from the water cycle humidity that was destined for other areas.

Businessman Bonilla confidently touts his machines ability to produce water from the air while using just a third of the electricity it would take to run an air conditioning unit. Innovaqua engineers are testing new, exponentially more energy efficient condensers.

Time will tell whether Monterrey becomes the birthplace of the potable water production technology that changed the world. In a matter of months, the city will see if there really is enough water in the reservoirs to last it through the summer.

One thing, however, remains frighteningly clear in this uncertain situation: whether it be as grandiose as a history-making innovation or as mundane and difficult as changing the habits we have formed over generations of convenience, both Monterrey and the rest of the world need a solution sooner than later.

For, as Ramrez and other water researchers often say: The most expensive water is the water we dont have.

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Originally posted here:

Researchers hope to solve Mexico crisis by pulling water from air - Courthouse News Service