WWF staff install solar-powered equipment that collects water vapour from the air at Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri province on Sunday. DEM
WWF-Cambodia is collaborating with the Mondulkiri provincial Department of Environment to install “Source” hydro-panels to collect water from the air for use, the director of the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary said on Monday.
The technological breakthrough from the Arizona-based Zero Mass Water company aims to produce water from vapour in the atmosphere for use, particularly in the dry season.
Zero Mass Water manufactures “solar-powered personal water production systems” that collect water vapour from heated air. The vapour then becomes drinking water after it cools.
Created in early 2016, the “Source” technology effectively takes water out of thin air to cover the daily needs of a family of four, the company states.
“Water from this system is clean water, safe to use and consume,” a Zero Mass Water specialist from Arizona said.
Pen Pheaktra, the director of Mondulkiri province’s Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary, told The Post on Monday that the technological innovation had been recently installed for testing on more than 10 square metres of land in the protected area.
“Technical specialists from our WWF-Cambodia partner organisation came to install four panels, which have the capacity to absorb moisture in the atmosphere and convert it into 20 to 30 litres of water per day for the daily use of environment rangers, especially during the dry season,” he said.
He said experts in Phnom Penh would test the water collected in the trials to make sure it is completely clean and safe for use and to spot any potential problems before the system was fully rolled out.
Seng Teak, the country director of WWF-Cambodia, which brought the latest technology in the water sector to the Kingdom, told The Post on Monday that water collected from the hydro-panels was completely safe.
“We don’t actually need to test it because water produced from this latest technological device is 100 per cent safe, while its quality is better than the pure water produced by some manufacturers,” Teak said.
He said that besides producing clean water, the system can also store energy for use as it uses solar panels.
“In the future, we will be able to install Zero Mass Water systems at wildlife sanctuaries, protected forests and preservation areas to provide a clean and convenient water supply for our environment rangers for their daily use,” he said.
