Ongoing disruptions to mains power supplies in South Africa have focused the minds of businesses and consumers on the necessity of having alternative, independent sources of electricity. 

While load-shedding and unplanned outages can be disruptive, they tend to be, at worst, a chronic inconvenience and business cost. Water supply outages, however, have the potential to cause very serious health and safety issues.

Outdated infrastructure, increasing demand and climate change are combining to create a perfect storm of circumstances in which water security can no longer be guaranteed. Conventional means of accessing independent water supplies come at a high economic and environmental cost: borehole drilling can deplete groundwater reserves, while desalination is energy-intensive and creates toxic brine slurry and wind-borne salt dust.

A new approach to drinking water

What’s needed is a new, much more sustainable path to water independence – and that’s something that Kemtek is now able to offer in partnership with its new principal, Hydrus.

Hydrus atmospheric water generators (AWGs) literally create pure, clean drinking water from the air by cooling it to below its dew point. It has been estimated that the moisture content of the Earth’s atmosphere is the equivalent of at least 50% of the world’s oceans – so there is no shortage of water in this context, and removing some of it using AWG or climate-smart water extraction technology makes no appreciable difference.

Unlike existing reverse osmosis water purification technology, Hydrus systems are exceptionally energy- and water-efficient.

Hydrus units are easy to use and consume very little energy. Each device provides real-time water safety readings and also indicates when the filter media need to be changed. They can also be integrated with other sources of water, as required.

All the water in each system is continuously cycled, meaning it gets re-filtered every three to eight hours (depending on the specific model) until it’s used. In the event of a power outage, the system resets itself automatically as soon as power is restored, and all Hydrus units are compatible with renewable energy sources and inverters.

The estimated cost per litre of pure, clean Hydrus drinking water is just R1.40, with further savings achieved by running the unit at night, when electricity costs are lower. This scheduling is also automated, as the unit switches off when relative humidity falls below 30% – bear in mind that relative humidity (that is, the amount of water in the air) tends to be higher at night.

The unit also stops drawing air as soon as it is full, offering additional energy savings. In fact, over time the Hydrus 70l unit uses the same amount of power as a conventional water cooler/dispenser half its size.

Each standalone Hydrus system works in exactly the same way, with only the scale and volume of water produced each day being different. Air is pulled in and cooled to 4°C, with the resulting water being passed through multiple filters, including a medical-grade HEPA filter. It then passes into the receiving tank in the dispenser, and from there, into the dispatch tank. Each of the three tanks has a UV sterilisation lamp fitted for complete peace of mind.

Standard configuration for a Hydrus system is four filters, three UV lamps and the HEPA filter. Complete units are imported into SA, but the filtration set-up can be configured to meet specific customer needs during manufacturing.

The water that is produced in this way contains no natural pathogens, and an exceptionally low level of total dissolved solids. Unlike prepared water or mineral water, it does not originate as rain or from below ground, and so is exempt from legislation. That means there is no requirement (or indeed need) to add chlorine, so Hydrus water actually tastes like real water – which is exactly what it is.

The Hydrus range comprises 17 devices with output ranging from 20l to 20 000l per day. The 70l per day unit has proven to be particularly popular in domestic settings, while the larger units offer the potential to commercially bottle and sell drinking water.

To learn more about sustainability solutions from Kemtek, including Hydrus climate-smart water technology, contact Andre Smit on (+27) 011 624 8000 or e-mail andres@kemtek.co.za. Alternatively, visit https://kemtek.co.za/prod_brand/hydrus/ to learn more.