SOURCE^® Hydropanels to bring sustainable, reliable drinking water to communities threatened by climate change

In the face of a changing climate that could make atolls and low-lying islands uninhabitable as early as 2030, the Marshall Islands have announced plans to create a sustainable, drought- and climate-resilient source of drinking water using innovative, renewable technology.

Working with U.S.-based SOURCE Global, a public benefit corporation, the Kwajalein Atoll Local Government and the Kwajalein Atoll Development Authority will install SOURCE® Hydropanels in five small island communities. The Hydropanel is a patented technology that uses the sun to draw pure, constantly replenished water vapor out of the air and transform it into fresh, perfectly mineralized drinking water.

The Kwajalein Atoll is among thousands of atolls reliant on imported drinking water or rainwater catchment systems. As the climate changes, rainfall is becoming less frequent or predictable, while storms and rising seawaters are increasingly contaminating water stored in reservoirs.

To combat climate change and create drinking water independence, the Kwajalein Atoll Local Government and Kwajalein Atoll Development Authority will build multi-panel community water farms on five islands in the Kwajalein Atoll – Ebadon, Enelabkan, Enebouj, Ebejedrik, and Bikej – serving up to 71 families. Over their 15-year lifespan, these 300 Hydropanels will produce around 635,000 liters of water yearly and reduce the plastic waste that threatens the sea life population and contributes to climate change.

“This technology is really the only solution for an atoll like ours, where water pipes cannot reach,” said the Kwajalein Leadership. “We never expected to have an abundance of water supply. This is everything we were working towards without knowing it existed.”

SOURCE has installed Hydropanels in multiple island applications and, as part of the Kwajalein Atoll project, may bring its sustainable water farms to more islands in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and other parts of the Pacific.

“Water scarcity is one of the most critical problems humanity faces, and climate change is rapidly making it worse,” said Rob Bartrop of SOURCE Global, PBC. “With a distributed, climate-resilient technology, we can for the first time make drinking water a renewable resource, even on remote islands. We’re proud to work with the Kwajalein Atoll Development Authority and the Kwajalein Atoll Local Government to make that happen in this part of the world.”

About SOURCE Global, PBC

A Public Benefit Corporation, SOURCE Global, PBC’s mission is to make drinking water an unlimited resource. The company’s SOURCE^® Hydropanels create drinking water using sunlight and air as the only inputs, and can put the power of safe, sustainable drinking water in the hands of every person in nearly every climate and corner of the world. SOURCE is on Fast Company’s 2020 list of most innovative social good companies. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company operates in 52 countries and on six continents. SOURCE is a registered trademark of SOURCE Global, PBC. For more information, visit www.source.co and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

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