Skywater installed to ease water crisis

Unit to produce 500 litres of water daily; a litre to cost 10 paise

TMC executive officer Chennegowda said the skywater unit absorbs moisture in the atmosphere and converts it into water. It can produce nearly 500 to 1000 litres of water a day consuming just about eight units of power a day. Thus,  a litre of water costs just 10 paise, he said.

Pure water

The water produced using   ozone technology is free of bacteria and virus. The unit starts producing water within two hours of being switched on.  It is also environment friendly, said Chennegowda.

The unit weighs 450 kg and  works on 380/440 volts frequency with three-phase 50/60 hertz. Skywater India Private Limited, a Hyderabad company produces the equipmen. It has has installed a similar unit in Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore,  in Kolar and in Pavagad. The unit installed in Shidlaghatta is the fourth unit to be installed in Karnataka, he said.

“In our district the lakes and wells have dried up. The groundwater has reached the depth of 1000 feet. The groundwater is polluted with different types of chemicals. With the onset of summer many borewells have dried up.  Hence the skywater unit which can convert moisture in the air to water and which can provide pure drinking water is a boon,” he said.

Although its daily production of water is  insufficient for a sizeable population, the unit is the first step in solving water problem in the town, he said. The public has already started collecting water from the unit in plastic bottles. Those who have tasted the water say that it tastes good. However, the problem with the unit is that it takes up to an hour and a half to resume production after a power cut.

With power cuts common during summer, there is a question mark on the utility of the unit.   Further, the unit may not work optimally  during summer as the moisture content is low.  But water can be collected during nights.  Also it works better during monsoons and  winters.

Since the equipment is very costly, it is still out of reach of common man. But it can be installed in public places such as  offices, hospitals, hotels, schools and colleges, bus and railway stations.  This unit is an ideal solution in places where there is water shortage. There is no need to bring water from outside, fix pipes and no bore wells are required.