The $7.5 million grant-funded Arizona Drinking Water Program will give more than 3,400 people in remote communities access to safe, clean drinking water

Local First Arizona and SOURCE® Global are working to improve access to clean drinking water through the installation of 800 SOURCE Hydropanel drinking water systems across the state.

Hydropanels produce clean, safe drinking water when and where people need it the most, at home. This can save families as much as $840 per year by reducing or eliminating the need to purchase bottled water or truck it in.

Each hydropanel uses solar energy to power fans that draw in air and push it through water-absorbing material. This process passively turns water vapor into drinking water that’s mineralized for health and taste and kept clean in a storage tank until it’s needed. The technology may be cutting-edge, but what’s truly remarkable is how it gives people so much more control over the water they drink.

“Local First Arizona and SOURCE share the belief that access to safe, clean drinking water is a fundamental human right,” Local First Arizona Director of Rural Development Jenna Rowell said. “Our goal with this program is to make a meaningful difference for thousands of Arizonans.”

Leveraging funds awarded to the program by the State of Arizona, the initiative is designed to assist a wide range of communities throughout the state. This includes tribal communities, colonia residents in southern Arizona and rural communities outside of the state’s six Active Management Areas.

The Arizona Drinking Water Program also includes water conservation educational outreach and a workforce development component. Members of the community will have the opportunity to become certified SOURCE Hydropanel installers creating a truly multi-pronged approach with a sense of purposeful urgency behind it.

This urgency is well-founded when the lingering effects of COVID-19 are considered. The virus has impacted Native Americans at a rate 3.5 times higher than the white population, in large part because 48% of tribal homes lack access to reliable water sources, clean drinking water, or basic sanitation, according to a study by the Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy.

In addition to tribal communities, the program gives people who rely on well water throughout the state a no-cost drinking water option they haven’t had before. For SOURCE Global Vice President of Business Development Colin Goddard, the partnership with Local First Arizona represents an opportunity to improve the situation.

“Nothing is more exciting to me than getting our technology in the hands of people who need it the most,” Goddard said. “So, our partnership with Local First Arizona is an ideal use case. It’s about helping as many people as possible.”

Outreach to eligible communities began in May, with hydropanel installation expected to begin this summer. For more information or to apply to receive a SOURCE hydropanel for your home, visit www.source.co/azwp.

A demonstration hydropanel system is available for media to visit by request in GuVo on the Tohono O’odham Nation.

An image of a hydropanel is available here.

About Local First Arizona

Founded in 2003, Local First Arizona is a community and economic development organization working to strengthen local economies in Arizona. Local First’s areas of focus include developing entrepreneurship, rural and urban community development, racial equity, environmental action and food access. Local First is the largest local business coalition in the U.S. and advocates for independently owned businesses of all sizes by assisting local owners with technical assistance designed to help them compete and collaborate, which ultimately strengthens Arizona's economy and builds hometown pride. Visit www.localfirstaz.com for more information and a directory of more than 3,000 locally-owned businesses.

About SOURCE Global, PBC

SOURCE Global exists to “perfect water for every person, every place.” The company’s SOURCE® Hydropanels create drinking water using sunlight and air as the only inputs, putting the power of safe, high-quality water production into the hands of every person in nearly every climate and corner of the world. The infrastructure-free nature of Hydropanels means that the company has been providing off-grid, renewable drinking water to communities, homes, corporate campuses, hotels, islands without infrastructure, remote work sites, and other applications, now in more than 50 countries in six continents. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, SOURCE is on Fast Company’s 2020 list of most innovative social good companies. SOURCE® is a registered trademark of SOURCE Global, PBC.

For more information about SOURCE Global visit www.source.co.

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