A mission to provide a healthier, more sustainable and affordable source of drinking water has led to new business venture using nothing but the air around us.
The concept uses technology to provide purified drinking water without the need to turn on a tap or open a plastic bottle of water.
Noosa locals Rex Halverson and Jon Rowe have co-founded AirQua, which uses an atmospheric water generator (AWG).
Based off an ancient practice known as water harvesting, a dehumidifier-like device coupled with a high-quality filter sucks the water out of the air and prepares it for drinking.
“AWGs have been in use for many years throughout the world, yet their availability and benefits are not widely known,” Mr Halverson said.
“Getting water from the air – or ‘water harvesting’ – is an ancient practice we’ve now enhanced with modern technology.
“Think of it as a dehumidifier coupled with a high-quality water filter system: instead of pouring the water out, you enjoy free, pure, sweet-tasting water ‘on tap’.”
Mr Rowe from Savemi Digital Marketing in Noosaville has teamed up with Mr Halverson for this project.
He first became inspired after watching news about the 2022 Pakistan floods, which inundated a third of the nation’s landmass and left little to no safe drinking water.
“They were a wake-up call. Many millions were displaced without access to clean drinking water – even though water was everywhere,” Mr Rowe said.
“Then I realised that we faced the same types of challenges with water safety and security here.
“Surely we could be doing more to provide a solution, and AWGs tick a lot of boxes that can make a real difference.”
Mr Rowe said they spent months researching various AWG designs and sources globally.
“In the end (we) found the best solution was in our own backyard, so we founded AirQua in order to make these more readily available for the Noosa community,” he said.
AirQua AWG models range from 15 litres to 500 litres a day, with the most popular a 30-litre floor-standing unit similar in size to a water cooler.
They work by pulling air across an internal condenser, collecting and then filtering the water through a multi-stage filtration system.
The water is recirculated between two internal storage tanks with ultra-violet sterilisation to ensure it is clean, fresh and ready to dispense at the push of a button.
They work well in humid rooms like the kitchen and laundry, especially if the dryer is running. The AWGs also support off-grid lifestyles, including caravanning, when combined with solar power.
Find out more at airqua.com.au.
Help keep independent and fair Sunshine Coast news coming by subscribing to our FREE daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email at the bottom of this article.
