SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte (PIA) -- The Port Management Office (PMO) in Surigao City recently exhibited the use of a device called an atmospheric water generator (AWG) system to harvest water from the air as the office’s remedy for water scarcity, especially with the onset of the El Niño season.
The device is manufactured by an Indian company that extracts clean drinking water from the air, offering a reliable and renewable source of water in the face of potential shortages.
The system includes a water block designed for large-scale production, capable of generating up to 250 to 300 liters of clean water daily. Each water block can generate up to 10-12 liters of water per hour.
It has a 500-liter water tank and a backup generator for uninterrupted operation when power is not available.
PMO Surigao manager Froilan Caturla shared that while the country has high humidity like other tropical nations that often brings discomfort, this also presents an opportunity for AWG technology to harness this humidity, converting it into refreshing potable water.
“The Philippines, with its consistently high relative humidity of 60 to 80 percent, is an ideal environment for this technology to thrive. This innovative approach shows promise for mitigating water scarcity challenges in the country, offering a sustainable and reliable solution to address water scarcity,” Caturla said.
He also shared that the equipment is a promising innovation that will help them address water scarcity considering that they are not only catering to the needs of PMO’s personnel but also the needs of the passengers, saying, “Ito po ay malaking tulong na mabigyan namin sila ng sanitary potable water, not only for passengers but also for our port workers.”
[This is a big help, so we can provide sanitary and potable water not only for the passengers but also for our port workers.]
Caturla underscored that this innovation formed part of the PMO’s corporate social responsibility as it served as a quick response to natural disasters when affected residents badly needed access to safe drinking water and logistic problems like transporting fresh drinking water hundreds of miles could be avoided.
“With this technology, a sustainable and portable source of water is now available for everyone,” the port manager added. (SDR/PIA-Surigao del Norte with a report from PPA-PMO Surigao)
