Residents of El Talento, a small town in Colombia adjacent to the city of Cúcuta, have been introduced to the GEN-M, Watergen’s medium-scale atmospheric generator (AWG) that produces water out of air.
The machine, a technological innovation of the Israel-based company, arrived in Cúcuta at the beginning of October thanks to Andrés Suárez, pastor of the Christian Center and general manager of the alliance project with the State of Israel in Colombia.
Suárez said he was driven by a desire to show residents in northern Colombia that such technology can provide some of the most needy communities in the region with safe drinking water.
Requiring no external infrastructure to operate except for a source of electricity, Watergen’s GEN-M can make up to 800 liters of water per day. With a weight of just 780 kilograms, the machine is easily transportable and specially designed to help isolated communities that do not have adequate access to clean water.
TX Solutions, Watergen’s partner in Colombia, is presenting Watergen’s approach to humanitarian organizations, many of which have expressed interest in acquiring GEN-M machines to help other communities.
Suárez referred to two events held in Cúcuta—one in 2016 and the other in 2018—aimed at strengthening commercial ties and the bilateral relationship between Colombia and Israel. Those events bore fruits, one of which was the introduction of the GEN-M to Cúcuta.
“We talked about the potential and challenges of Colombia’s territory, North Santander Department, as well as about Israeli technology and innovation providing very good solutions to pressing problems,” explained the project manager. “We seek to harness Israeli technology in water, agriculture, livestock, communications and other industries, all of which could be adapted to the needs of our region.”
Like Watergen’s other AWGs, after collecting ambient air and cleansing it of impurities, the GEN-M uses the company’s patented, heat-exchange GENius technology to create water by cooling the air at its dew point. Subsequently, the liquid is filtered and purified with carbon. Using ultraviolet rays, any remaining bacteria is eliminated.
After passing through Cúcuta, the GEN-M will be transported to La Guajira Department, a territory in the northeastern part of the country, where it will stay for three months to benefit communities in that region.
