MANILA, PHILIPPINES (21 June 2018) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is collaborating with Zero Mass Water, Inc. (ZMW) and the Philippine National Electrification Administration (NEA) to improve access to quality drinking water in urban and remote areas of the Philippines through the use of a new technology that produces drinking water from sunlight and air.
SOURCE Hydropanels, developed by the US-based ZMW, is an off-grid, solar-powered technology which extracts water vapor from the air into a proprietary absorbent material. The water flows into a reservoir where it is mineralized with calcium and magnesium for health and taste benefits. Each hydropanel displaces up to 50,000 standard PET bottles, providing high quality drinking water and eliminating plastic pollution.
In 2017, ADB installed a SOURCE Hydropanel array at its headquarters in Manila to reduce usage of bottled water while showcasing the technology for possible implementation in different parts of the country. In cooperation with ZMW and with ADB support, NEA is deploying a total of 40 hydropanel units to eight island communities in the Philippines in the coming months.
“The deployment of climate-proof drinking water through the SOURCE Hydropanels will help address the water supply problems in rural and off-grid areas, especially in small islands in the Philippines which lack access to both reliable drinking water and electricity,” said ADB Energy Sector Group Chief Mr. Yongping Zhai. “We hope that, through this pilot project, we can demonstrate the viability of this innovative technology.”
“We are thrilled to partner with ADB and NEA to deploy SOURCE Hydropanels as an innovative solution to the many drinking water challenges in the Philippines,” said ZMW Founder and CEO Mr. Cody Friesen. “The Philippines’ fragmented geography adds extra barriers for reliance on traditional water infrastructure, yet makes it ideal for our technology providing families, communities, and businesses with drinking water resilience in the form of a sustainable drinking water supply.”
ZMW aims to make safe, high-quality drinking water available to people in developing countries through the use of SOURCE Hydropanels. The company is partnering with its distributor, Green Heat, to deploy hydropanels across the Philippines.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members—48 from the region. In 2017, ADB operations totaled $32.2 billion, including $11.9 billion in cofinancing.
