“We’re on a mission to perfect drinking water for every person, every place.” 

The first sentence of Source.co’s mission statement is a lofty one that they are making strides in achieving. Already active in 54 countries worldwide, the end goal of Source is to provide healthy drinking water to communities who do not have access to this vital resource. 

But how do they do it? 

“What we’re doing is making water for people”, said Tom Borns, the U.S. District Sales Manager for Source. 

“What we’re doing is actually taking water vapor out of the air and condensing it into drinking water. We’re taking in as much thermal energy as possible from the sun, and then also drawing in ambient air. And the idea is we get the machine as hot as possible.” Once the inside of the machine is heated enough, the water vapor that was drawn in is condensed into pure liquid water, then mineralized with magnesium and calcium to improve taste. 

Source has also been able to establish these sustainable units in just over 50 countries where water access is scarce. 

“So this is something that we’re able to do, literally all over the world today, we have panels in 52 countries. So truly a global sort of presence,” said Borns.

While they are active in developing countries worldwide, Borns has also led projects to install Source hydropanels right here in the state of Arizona on Navajo Nation. 

“Most people in the Navajo Nation were traveling at least once a week, sometimes 50 to 100 miles one way and you know, haul water back to their home, trying to keep this water clean. Obviously this is a very difficult thing for anyone to do without factoring in gas or whatever else.”

Borns also said that Source saw a need for their hydropanels on Navajo Nation reservations when COVID hit. The COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionate effect on Navajo Nation as well as other tribal communities in Arizona.

As an Arizona native, Borns said it was “rewarding”  for the company’s work to not only look at developing nations to implement this technology, but also “indigenous people right here in our backyard.”

According to Borns, Source is setting its sights on the impending drought afflicting much of the southwestern United States. 

“I think our vision long term has less to do with any sort of wonderful ideal or plan that we would have as a company to do as much as to do with things that are far out, which is particularly here in the southwest. We’re getting dry. So whether we like it or not, you’re gonna have to have solutions. And our plan, our goal is to be part of that solution so that people can continue living in this part of the country. And in other parts of the world. We’re getting water scarce, water is really hard to clean. We want to be able to help bridge that gap.”

To learn more about Source and their projects, check out their website at Source.co!