Engineer Moses West’s Innovative Machine Creates Safe, Drinkable Water Out of Thin Air
No, it’s not magic. It’s the system behind Moses West’s innovative machine that’s making it so communities in need have access to safe drinking water.
What’s more, folks are already pretty familiar with the science behind it all.
Moses West, 61, developed a machine that can pull moisture from the atmosphere and turn it into potable water. (Photo: KVUE/video screenshot)
West’s water-harvesting machine, called an atmospheric water generator, extracts moisture from the air, condenses it and turns it into water. With his device, the military vet has managed to provide millions of gallons of water to people in Puerto Rico, as well as families impacted by the ongoing water contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan.
Now, West is hoping to do the same in the Bahamas, which was ravaged by a monster hurricane that left thousands without homes, electricity or running water.
So how did it all start? The Columbus, Georgia native began studying cistern water systems after leaving the military for Australia, where he lived for 11 years before eventually moving back to the States. West, 61, got his first look at a water generator during his time in Hawaii, a small one belonging to his neighbor that could pool about 5 gallons of water.
From there, he knew he could make it bigger and better.
Moses West posing with a smaller version of his water generator. (Photo: Water Rescue Foundation/Facebook)
After securing an investor, West was able to build the first machine of his own design in 2015. A 90-day trial run of the technology returned water quality that exceeded World Health Organization and U.S. water quality standards.
“I’ve taken this machine so far, and the technology to a whole new level,” West told ABS of his patented generator, adding, “We don’t have to operate inside this box anymore.”
The machine, which is about 800 square feet, generated 868 gallons of water per day (36.2 gal/hr) from July 1 to July 31, 2015, using just 638.1 kWhs of diesel fuel energy per day, according to a summary of testing results provided by West. The average daily humidity was 72 percent, making for an impressive amount of water generation.
“I’m walking … around in all that water that you need to supply this entire city with drinking water today,” the vet said of Austin, Texas, where he partly developed his first machine at Camp Mabry. “We are tapping into the best source of water we’ve got, and there’s no shortage of it.”
West’s grind hasn’t stopped, however, and the engineer said he’s constantly thinking of ways to better his already innovative system.
“What can I do to make it better?” he explained. “What can I do to make it produce more water? What can I do to make that water cleaner? What can I do to reduce the energy consumption?
West is now raising money to take his water generator to the Bahamas to help those working rebuild after Hurricane Dorian. Many of his missions have been made possible through his nonprofit Water Rescue Foundation, which collects donations to provide clean drinking water to people in need.
The warmer and more humid the weather, the better the machine works, which is why West knows it would make a huge impact.
“And so the gift of giving is the capital,” he told ABS. “My capital is giving back and the joy that I get giving.”
To learn more or donate, please visit waterrescuefoundation.org/
Texas man’s invention provides clean water out of air
MANITOWOC, Wis (SPECTRUM NEWS) — In efforts to combat the ongoing water crisis and eliminate drought, a Texas man is bringing clean water to people around the world.
Moses West, founder of Atmospheric Water Generator Contracting LLC, has made it his personal mission to bring clean, affordable drinking water to those in need.
In 2015, West invented an atmospheric water generator (AWG), a machine that turns air into clean drinking water.
Although clean water is something people can take for granted, especially near the Great Lakes, Midwesterners are helping West to combat the crisis. Most of West’s AWGs are manufactured right here in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Just one AWG unit provides a city with hundreds of gallons water at no cost to residents. West has been working with the Water Rescue Foundation to cover the cost.
How it works: the AWG takes H2O molecules (water) from the atmosphere and creates the natural process of condensation with water vapor from the humidity in the air. The water then collects and is passed through a water filtration system and is ready for immediate use.
Now, after helping Hurricane Maria victims in Puerto Rico, West plans to install AWGs for our neighbors in Flint, Michigan.
If citizens would like to help, West is asking them to donate to the Water Rescue Foundation, the foundation that funds his efforts. source