What an AWG costs to run
Electricity per 1,000 litres for every model
Guide · Comparison
Water from the air, the ground or the roof?
An atmospheric water generator, a borehole and stored water each solve a different problem. Here is how they compare, and why most sites end up using two of them together.
Side by side
How they compare
| Atmospheric water generator | Borehole | Municipal water in tanks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the water comes from | Moisture in the air | Groundwater under the site | The municipal supply, stored on site |
| What it depends on | Temperature, humidity and power | The aquifer: depth, yield and whether it runs dry | The supply staying on long enough to refill |
| Drinking quality | Filtered, UV-sterilised and mineralised in the unit | Varies by site; often needs testing and treatment | Good at the tap; stored water needs to be kept safe |
| Setting up | Delivery, a base, power and plumbing | Drilling, a pump, and often registering the water use | Tanks, a base and plumbing |
| Running cost | Electricity: see our costs guide | Pump electricity and upkeep | The municipal tariff, plus treatment of stored water |
| Best at | Drinking water anywhere there is power | Large volumes where the groundwater is good | Bridging outages when the supply is reliable enough |
Choosing
When an atmospheric water generator makes sense
A machine that makes water from the air is the one source that needs neither a pipe nor an aquifer. It is the right call when:
- There is no groundwater under the site, or the borehole water is salty, hard or high in TDS
- Drinking water has to keep flowing through outages, restrictions or a Day Zero
- Drilling is not allowed, not affordable or not worth the risk of a dry hole
- The site is remote but has power, from the grid or from solar
- The air is humid, as it is along most of the coast, so output per kWh is high
Together
Why most sites use two
An AWG can supply drinking water independently of municipal supply or a borehole. Most sites run it alongside existing supply for potable water, with stored municipal or borehole water handling non-drinking use.
Whatever fills the tanks, stored water has to stay safe. A germicidal UV tank lamp sterilises tank water in place, and tank management keeps the tanks inspected and clean. Before you drink borehole water, measure what is in it: our page on TDS in water explains what a reading means.
Read on
Related
TDS in water
What a reading means and what level is safe
Tank management
Keeping stored water safe to drink
Your site
Not sure which fits your site?
Tell us what water you have now, what you need it for and where you are. We will tell you honestly whether water from the air is the right answer.
Questions
Common questions
Is an atmospheric water generator better than a borehole?
For drinking water where there is no good groundwater, usually yes. For large volumes of non-drinking water where the groundwater is good, a borehole is usually cheaper to run. Many sites use both.
Is water from an atmospheric water generator safe to drink?
Yes. The condensate passes through a 7-stage filtration process including UV treatment and mineralisation, and the stored water is recirculated through the filter every few hours so it stays safe.
Does an atmospheric water generator need a permit?
It draws on neither groundwater nor the municipal supply, so there is no borehole or water connection to register. The electrical work is done to the normal standard for the site.
Does an atmospheric water generator work inland?
Yes, within its rated range of temperature and humidity, but drier air yields less water per day than the coast. We size the unit on your site’s climate.