Clean and safe water isn’t always an accessible essential as it should be, and that’s why one South Florida city is taking a proactive approach with the launch of a pilot program that uses technology to create water out of thin air, literally.
Miami Gardens announced Monday its partnership with Israel-based start-up, WaterGen, Inc. The company created an energy-efficient air-to-water generating unit that can develop up to 1,000 gallons of clean water, depending on the size of the modular unit. WaterGen, Inc.'s goal is to make clean drinking water available in the event it becomes scarce due to a power outage or damage from storms.
Yehuda Kaploun is the president of WaterGen, Inc. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life across the globe,” Kaploun said. “If we have humidity and air, we can produce water.” WaterGen, Inc. says it plans to make home units available in the United States by the end of the year.
Mayor Oliver G. Gilbert III , Kaploun and other city leaders participated in a taste test Monday, drinking the water that was created from the air in the location they stood in.
Mayor Gilbert said that teaming up with WaterGen, Inc. is an opportunity to showcase Miami Gardens’ mission to push the envelope and create change in the community and across the world.
“To the extent that we can lend Miami Gardens, our residents, to the backdrop of the launching of this technology in South Florida, I’m very happy to do it,” Mayor Gilbert said.
Pedro Gassant, an attorney at Holland and Knight, introduced the Israeli company to Mayor Gilbert in hopes of bringing new technology to the City of Miami Gardens.
