David Stuckenberg, co-founder and chief operating officer of Genesis Systems, said WaterCube uses proprietary liquid and solid sorbents (materials that absorb water) that essentially “pump water out of the air.” and form a handshake.” The machine then heats these materials to extract the water.
Atmospheric water generators typically require considerable energy to operate, but Stackenberg says his company’s material is 400 percent better than anything currently on the market and has a high affinity for water. It is claimed to be very high.
But this technology comes at a high price. The price of the Water Cube delivered to St. Petersburg is listed at $860,000. The company just started selling a second small home device called the WaterCube 100. The device retails for $20,000 and is about the same size as an HVAC system. This device can produce approximately 100 to 200 gallons of water per day. Efficiency is 0.07 to 0.8 kilowatt-hours per gallon of water, and operating costs range from $10 to $80 per day, depending on energy and humidity costs. WaterCube can run on solar or conventional energy.
This machine produces more water in humid environments and works well even when atmospheric humidity is down to 40%. Stuckenberg said the company is constantly improving its technology and is working with the U.S. Department of Defense to produce water at 10 percent humidity.
The WaterCube connects to the building’s water supply, eliminating the need for water to be drawn directly from the machine. “This system is designed to connect to anything from a garden hose to a hospital water system, providing water that goes through four stages of filtration before it leaves the drain,” Stuckenberg said. says.
After Typhoon Mawar hit the U.S. territory of Guam in May 2023, Genesis Systems worked with the U.S. Air Force to test the WaterCube 1000 in a disaster response scenario on the island of Guam.
Given the current prices and the amount of water that can be produced, it is unlikely that these devices will become the only source of water in this type of situation any time soon. According to figures released by the U.S. Department of Energy, a hospital the size of All Children’s Hospital typically uses 10,000 to 90,000 gallons per day, depending on the services provided, the age of the building, and water usage. I will do it. This is far more than the 2,000 gallons that Genesis Systems’ larger equipment can produce in 24 hours.
Still, in scenarios where water cannot be restored or immediately transported to the area, these devices could serve as bridges or supplemental water sources. But to be useful, it must be in the right place at the right time, and the logistics of moving an 18,000-pound machine during a disaster can be challenging.
In the end, All Children’s did not have to draw water from the equipment, according to a hospital spokesperson. Shortly after the handover, the city’s sewage system was operational and water supply was restored with a boil warning issued. “We were able to modify our operations accordingly,” a spokesperson said Friday. Over the weekend, the Florida AHCA relocated the water cube to a shelter so it could be quickly moved to another location if needed.
