Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems Announces Commercial Launch of its Water-on-Want Initiative in Tamil Nadu
Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt Ltd, a leading water technology company, has announced the commercial launch of its Water-on-Want (WoW) initiative in Tamil Nadu for corporate clients. This innovative model is based on an OPEX-driven Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) contract, allowing businesses to access Akvo’s water generation technology with zero upfront capital investment (CAPEX).
A Sustainable & Cost-Effective Water Solution
After an extensive 18-month pilot phase, the WoW initiative has been optimized to help corporations meet their daily water needs in a sustainable, cost-effective, and risk-free manner. With a minimum daily offtake of 500 litres per day (LPD), this initiative is set to redefine corporate water sourcing.
How the OPEX BOOT Model Works
Unlike traditional water procurement methods, the OPEX BOOT model ensures that corporations do not need to purchase or maintain any equipment. Instead, clients pay a variable charge based on actual water consumption, making the process flexible and financially viable. Akvo retains ownership, installation, maintenance, and operation of the Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) throughout the contract period, ensuring a seamless, hassle-free experience for businesses.
A Step Towards Sustainable Corporate Water Management
The Water-on-Want initiative aligns with corporate sustainability goals, enabling businesses to reduce their dependence on groundwater and other depleting sources. By utilizing Akvo’s cutting-edge AWG technology, companies can contribute to environmental conservation while ensuring a reliable water supply.
With this launch, Akvo is setting new benchmarks in sustainable water solutions for the corporate sector, reinforcing its commitment to innovative and responsible water management.
Smart Water for Smart Cities: Building the Water Systems of Tomorrow
By Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder & CEO, AKVO
Water is a fundamental resource shaping economies, societies, and environments. With rapid urbanization and climate change affecting water availability, cities must adopt Smart Water Management to ensure a sustainable and efficient future.
The Need for Smart Water
Traditional water infrastructure struggles to meet modern urban demands. Smart Water integrates IoT, AI, and predictive analytics to optimize distribution, detect leaks, and improve quality.
Technology & Innovation in Water Management
Smart meters track real-time consumption, AI detects inefficiencies, and Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG) extract water from air, reducing dependence on traditional sources. Water quality sensors further ensure safe drinking water supply.
Policy & Public-Private Collaboration
Governments must implement regulatory frameworks that encourage water conservation and technological innovation. Public-private partnerships are key to developing sustainable water systems.
CSR & Sustainable Urbanism
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is no longer just an obligation—it is a commitment to long-term water sustainability. Businesses can contribute by adopting smart water strategies, implementing rainwater harvesting, and promoting circular water economies.
The Future of Water in Smart Cities
The transition to smart water solutions is not just an engineering challenge but a moral and environmental imperative. By embracing innovation, collaboration, and sustainability, we can create resilient urban water systems for present and future generations.
Air-to-Water Tech: A Sustainable Solution to Global Water Scarcity
Water scarcity affects billions globally, demanding innovative solutions like Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology. AWG extracts moisture from the air to produce clean water, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional water sources.
How It Works
AWG uses condensation to capture moisture, with integrated filtration ensuring safe drinking water. Advanced features like IoT and GSM enable real-time monitoring, while modular designs allow scalability for residential, industrial, and commercial needs. Systems can produce between 50 liters to over 100,000 liters per day, even in low-humidity, high-temperature conditions.
Key Applications
Hospitality: Hotels and resorts use AWG to reduce bottled water and groundwater reliance.
Disaster Relief: Provides safe drinking water in disaster-hit areas lacking traditional supply.
Corporate Use: Companies meet ESG goals while cutting water costs.
Communities: Schools and centers supply drinking water while promoting conservation.
Addressing Challenges
Energy efficiency and low awareness remain hurdles. Integrating renewable energy and demonstration projects can boost adoption. Collaborative models ensure community involvement and localized solutions.
Conclusion
AWG technology offers a sustainable path to clean water, reducing reliance on traditional sources while addressing global water scarcity. It’s not just a solution for today but a vision for a sustainable future.
*This article is based on insights shared by Navkaran Singh Bagga, CEO & Founder of Akvo. Read the full article on the original publication here.
In the arid environment of Abu Dhabi, where water scarcity is a constant challenge, the Ministry of Presidential Aairs sought a sustainable solution for agricultural water needs. Traditional methods were either too expensive or environmentally unsustainable. A forward thinking approach was required to support local agriculture without straining limited water resources.
Solution
Akvo introduced a specially designed single-phase AWG system that could generate 300 liters of water per day. This innovative solution harnessed ambient humidity to produce water, bypassing the need for energy-intensive desalination or expensive water imports. The unfiltered water was ideal for agricultural applications, providing a fresh source of hydration for plants and landscapes around government facilities.
Impact
– Resource Optimisation: Enabled the Ministry to utilise a renewable source of water, significantly reducing the ecological footprint associated with traditional water sourcing methods.
– Operational Eiciency: The single-phase system was easy to install and required minimal maintenance, making it a practical solution for sustained agricultural support.
– Strategic Resilience: By adopting atmospheric water generation, the Ministry enhanced its water security strategy, ensuring a reliable supply even under adverse climatic condition.
Navkaran Singh Bagga (Founder and CEO of Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems) takes Ashish Vidyarthi on an educational journey on how Akvo Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) makes drinking water from Air.
Navkaran explains how their proprietary ground breaking water system and the modular system – Akvo Water Blocks utilises condensation to produce pure drinking water from the humidity in the air. Which meet large water supply needs, each block generating up to 500 litres of water daily allowing you to scale from 5,000 to 1,00,000 litres daily.
The discussion also addressed the challenges of water management in various areas of India & the world along with the importance of educating people about the possibility of creating limitless water with AWGs.
Akvo has deployed its products in 14 countries and multiple multinational companies have installed the Akvo Water Blocks, which are most effective in areas with high humidity, such as Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, Goa, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lakshadweep etc.
The conversation left Mr Vidyarthi fascinated and we hope more people become aware of this technology because Akvo gives you complete water independence without having to be bound to pipe lines and dubious water sources.
THIS KOLKATA-BASED STARTUP IS PROVIDING WATER SCARCITY SOLUTIONS TO THE STATE GOVERNMENTS, MNCS AND OTHER COUNTRIES
The scarcity of water across the globe has reached an alarming level. 12 % of India’s population is already living the ‘Day Zero’ scenario, thanks to excessive groundwater pumping, an inefficient and wasteful water management system and years of deficient rains.
According to the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) report released by the Niti Aayog in 2018, 21 major cities are racing to reach zero groundwater levels by 2020, affecting access for 100 million people. The report also states that by 2030, the country’s water demand is projected to be twice the available supply, implying severe water scarcity for hundreds of millions of people and an eventual 6% loss in the country’s GDP.
The Chennai Water Crisis of 2019 has established the harsh truth that we are depleting all sources of water. According to a report by WaterAid, a global advocacy group on water and sanitation, India has around 63.4 million people living in rural areas without access to clean water, more than any other country.
Call for Collaborative Effort
“Government cannot alone mitigate this human-made catastrophe, it has to be a collaborative effort with private entities or an innovation which makes people self-reliant and future-ready,” says Navkaran Singh Bagga, Founder and CEO of AKVO Atmospheric Water Systems, a Kolkata based start-up that produces indigenously manufactured atmospheric water generator.
Government has announced an ambitious target of providing piped clean drinking water to all rural households by 2024. Although a worthy goal, it is unclear how the government proposes to achieve this formidable target under the current circumstances.
Bagga further adds, “Agricultural irrigation is one area that needs immediate discourse as it accounts for 90% of freshwater withdrawals. Farmers from water-stressed areas in India must be incentivized to not produce water-intensive crops. Natural aquifers and catchment areas must be preserved.”
Is there an immediate solution to the water crisis?
WHO states that an individual requires around 25 litres of water daily for meeting his/her basic hygiene and food needs. The world and our country needs an immediate and long term solution to the water issues.
However, Bagga believes that there cannot be an immediate solution to a human made disaster over centuries. He says, “It will require drastic measures that must be monitored and audited to find any long term solution.”
Talking about the seriousness of the water scarcity and how this problem needs to be dealt on a macro level, Bagga affirms, “Water must come at a price, only then people might understand the seriousness of the issue. The need is to focus on replenishing our natural dams – the aquifers and catchment areas. Rivers should not be polluted with harmful chemicals from the industry and other waste.”
He further adds, “There has to be a proper audit report on water usage. Each housing society must have its own rainwater harvesting system along with every Government building. Alternative technologies like Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) that does not depend on any water source can be installed at offices, buildings, factories, villages, for safe and pure drinking water. Even the government should emphasize and invest more in alternative and eco-friendly sources of energy.
Akvo’s AWG Technology – Producing Pure Drinking Water
Access to clean drinking water should not be a privilege for some, it should be a right for all. When the 1948 universal declaration on human rights was written, no one could foresee a day when water would be a contested area. But living in 2020, it is not an exaggeration to say that the lack of access to clean water is one of the greatest human rights violation in the world.
Akvo AWG replicates the natural process of condensation by simulating the dew point, which allows it to make water continuously using plug and play method. The machines can generate water entirely depending on the level of humidity and atmospheric temperature which is ideal for Indian conditions to function to its optimum level.
Akvo Pod
Akvo recently introduced the country’s first home model of Atmospheric Water Generator, AKVO Pod. It is ideal for homes, offices and small businesses. This unit can make up to 50 litres of pure drinking water per day. The Pod features a superior filter system that delivers clear and healthy drinking water. It works on a simple plug and play method and consumes half a unit of electricity to run for an hour.
Positive Impact of Akvo’s Projects Across the Globe
For a product like AKVO, the future is like a treasure box as there are multiple channels through which this product can serve the humanity as a whole. It is all about breaking the chain and setting a new order for the future generations.
Hardua Mangarh is a dusty hamlet in Damoh region of Madhya Pradesh, with a population of around 1,500 faced acute water scarcity with no proper water system even seven decades, post-independence. It was a daily ordeal for the populace of Damoh region to walk a minimum of 4 km and then form a human chain or human ladder going down the steep well to fetch a bucket of water.
The Public Health & Environment Department of Madhya Pradesh approached Akvo to come up with a solution. Now after a year of the installation of the Akvo 365K machine unit in Hardua Mangarh, villagers receive about 1000 ltrs of fresh drinking water every day from air.
Akvo also played an instrumental role in providing an alternative solution in water scarcity hit Chennai during the summer months of 2019 which drew global attention. The Greater Chennai Corporation had installed AKVO atmospheric water generator in its premises on a trial basis. The company is in talks with other big MNCs in Chennai to install the machine at its offices. Currently, over 50 machines have been installed in Chennai across schools, residential complexes, private institutions and other big names like NTPC and Indian Oil Corporation.
Hero Moto Corp has installed one machine in its plant in Haryana, and other government bodies are also trusting Akvo machines in providing clean drinking water. Six machines have been installed in Lakshadweep Island as well in association with the local government.
Over 44 AKVO machines have been installed at the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium, with an order for over 350 more. To strengthen their proposition in the Middle East, Akvo have also installed a 300 litre machine at Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority.
Akvo’s roadmap
Currently, besides the industrial, corporate and housing complex units, Akvo is offering the 50-liter version of AKVO POD and will soon launch the 25-liter model for nuclear families as well. Bagga says, “We are also working incessantly on other smaller models which can replace bottled water at hotel rooms, reducing the plastic usage and also saving the environment.”
“We are 100% bootstrapped. We adopted this route as it will allow us to build a solid bottom-line focused business approach first. However, we are planning on raising funds soon. We are currently in talks with a few investors,” concludes Bagga.
Read full article https://unkrate.com/2020/07/this-kolkata-based-startup-is-providing-water-scarcity-solutions-to-the-state-governments-mncs-and-other-countries/?fbclid=IwAR3HG1vTv2MCNnhrbd2ZatPDDhQvOjN6X3rCIFl-3617A2ayCZAn974CS0Y
AKVO Atmospheric Water System Pvt. Ltd sets up the 36K machine at Nalmanam, Chennai. Nalmanam is and NGO that works toward uplifting the lives of underprivileged women and children of the society through better living conditions in education, health and economy. Continue reading “Technological Innovation Reaches Chennai”
With the increasing rate of different kinds of environmental pollution, availability of fresh water has now become a distant dream. More than half the population in India have poor or no access to safe drinking water. Continue reading “The Statesman”
The most abundant source of fresh water is the Earth’s atmosphere. When atmospheric humidity condenses, it falls as rain. Akvo®atmospheric water generators use a similar process known as the air-to-water technology. Air-to-water technology is the process of converting water vapor in the air (humidity) to water. Akvo® replicates this natural process of condensation by simulating the dew point, which allows it to make clean drinking water continuously.Continue reading “How water is made from air”
Use of atmospheric water generators picking up slowly
KOLKATA, OCTOBER 9: With the impact of climate change making ground and surface water scarcer, companies are looking to tap the atmosphere that holds 37.5 million billion gallons of water.
This is higher than the approximately 32.6 million billion gallons of fresh water (the rest locked up in ice-caps and glaciers) present on earth.
The Technology
Mumbai-based WaterMaker (India) Pvt Ltd, Kolkata-based AKVO and Hyderabad-based Skywater Pvt Ltd, for instance, have set up atmospheric water generators (AWG), to condense the moisture in the atmosphere into water. The water is then filtered and purified through several filters, including carbon, and reverse osmosis, and UV sterilisation lights to get rid of impurities and heavy metals to produce pure drinking water.
Lukewarm demand
While the concept is not new globally, particularly in the US, Europe and Middle East, the technology, which works well in coastal areas where humidity is high, is yet to achieve scale in India.
WaterMaker, which is among the first few Indian companies in this segment (commencing operations in 2005), manufacturing AWGs of capacities ranging from 120 litres to 5,000 litres a day, admits that the demand has been lukewarm in India.
Of its total sales of 3,000 units worldwide, only about 50 units have been sold in India till date.
“The scenario is changing slowly and steadily, with people becoming more conscious of the environment,” Meher Bhandara, Director, Waterworks, told BusinessLine. Companies, which were initially focusing on industrial units, are now looking to tap the household segment.
AKVO, a unit of Kolkata-based Trishan Exports Pvt Ltd, which recently entered market, has come up with a prototype for household segment with a model capable of producing 40 litres a day, priced between ₹30,000- 40,000 per unit, Navkaran Singh Bagga, director, AKVO, said.
Cost factor
A senior research scholar at the School of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur University, cautions that the contaminats in atmospheric water could be high, particularly for a country like India, which has a dense population.
“Atmospheric water has to be treated properly as it is loaded with heavy metals such lead, mercury and cadmium among others coming from industrial activity, vehicles, etc,” he said.
This explains the high capital cost of owning such machines.
While an industrial AWG of 1,000 litres a day capacity could cost upwards of ₹1 lakh, a domestic unit with a 40 litres a day capacity costs between ₹30,000-40,000.
This apart, the average cost of electricity consumed for a 40 litres/day machine works out to be close to ₹56 a day or ₹1,680 a month.
A reverse osmosis machine costs in the range of ₹15,000–25,000 and entails an additional annual maintenance cost of ₹3,500-4,000. However, for every litre of pure water produced using RO technology, close to four litres are wasted.
The average cost of a mineral water dispenser works out to be ₹600-700 a month (considering a family of four consumes about 360 litres a month for drinking). The capital cost (one-time cost of acquiring a dispenser) is approximately ₹150.
The success of the AWGs will, therefore, depend upon the pricing and efficacy of the product.
