The Corpus Christi Army Depot is planning to make its own water following a nearly $1 million investment from the state to install four atmospheric water generators in high-demand production areas.
Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott announced $26 million in grant funding for military communities across Texas. The Corpus Christi Army Depot, or CCAD, was one of the recipients. In addition, the Naval Air Station received over $2 million to replace aging wastewater pipes.
Aquaria is not the supplier for CCAD. However, I asked why the depot needed the generators. The depot says the systems will reduce its reliance on municipal water, preserving that resource for the surrounding community.
With state money behind the technology and neighbors already buying in, atmospheric water generation may have a future for Corpus Christi residents facing a potential water emergency and skyrocketing water bills.
Chris Christal is with Aquaria, an Austin-based company that makes these generators.
“They're called atmospheric water generators. And essentially what they do is they draw in warm, humid air, they extract the humidity, and then they take that water we've extracted and we run it through a couple of filtration processes and then run it across a UV light and then export it to an external tank for use by homeowners or businesses,” Christal said.
Industrial-grade systems can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but there are residential models available for a few thousand dollars that can provide 10 gallons of fresh water a day. Christal said that while the systems are not cheap, the math might make sense for residents.
“So the idea of is it cheaper than my really good municipal government subsidized water? No, it's not cheaper than that. It is better water than that, but it's much cheaper than not having any water at home at all. That I can guarantee you,” Christal said.
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